Hamilton Wilshire

Hamilton originally released the Wilshire in 1938. It had a 14K gold filled case fancy lugs also known as a driver. This watch was featured in the original “To Catch a Thief” worn by Cary Grant.

In 1938, Hamilton expected the country to emerge from the Great Depression and so planned. They released a series of watches, which management dubbed “popularly priced” – a euphemism for cheap. Hamilton used 10 karat gold filled cases with thin bezels and movement holders, inexpensive crystals and bands and low priced movements: 987A and 980. The Wilshire remained a mid-range quality model – gold filled, not solid gold.

In 1983, Hamilton (The Swatch Group, Ltd. brand)  reissued a number of watches from its portfolio of vintage wristwatches. The Wilshire became Hamilton’s premiere offering.

In the late 1930’s, Hamilton banked on stunning designs instead of their usual quality. Swatch used the Hamilton design portfolio and made a better watch. They improved the quality of the cases, bands and adornments. Swatch also introduced ETA’s highest quality “jeweled” quartz movements – a hybrid using bridges and moving parts with quartz power instead of a mainspring. Similar in some way to the original Hamilton Electrics made in the 1960’s.

Swatch used raised gold markers on the dial, used applied gold hands and sapphire and scratch resistant mineral glass crystals.

Background

In 1983. the Swiss government and banks finally realized their watch industry would fail unless they made major upgrades to their products, manufacturing and marketing processes. From 1974 to 1983, 1000 of the 1600 Swiss manufacturers had already failed and the remaining companies had either stagnated, ended their operations or were not covering their costs of operations. Only Rolex remained viable.

What happened? The Japanese declared economic war and essentially won. The lethargic Swiss companies could not compete against modernized Japanese products, distribution, marketing, reliability or cost. Also, the Swiss had to contend with an overvalued currency selling at a 60% premium to the dollar.

Omega, Breitling and other major Swiss watch companies seemed resigned to their fate. They must have thought their watch industry had similarities with casinos. For decades money rolled in without much effort. The virtual Swiss watch monopoly died in 1974.

In 1983, the Swiss government oversaw the merger of the two largest Swiss holding companies with consolidated sales of 1.5 billion Swiss francs. In spite of strong sales, the company experience losses so profound that they had no equity. Unemployment reached 50% and the merger resulted in a conglomerate of movement manufacturers whose products few wanted once quartz movements became popular. The government even made a mistake and stopped selling of movements to their best customers – foreign companies like Bulova.

In 1983, only two viable finished watch brands existed in the merged companies: Hamilton and Rado.  The other finished brands, such as Omega with its 1600 models failed.

The Swatch Watch Myth

As a product of advertising, the Swatch Group rewrote history and changed the collective memory of the Swiss watchmaking industry. They claimed that a rubber watch with a battery saved the industry. Statistics don’t prove that out.

The Swatch watch did provide a new line of business and a profitable one. The little rubber watch’s most important contribution was its impact on business conduct. The Swatch watch was Switzerland’s first global product. Its processes revived a rusty, broken down, old Swiss business model.

In terms of revenue and profitability, the Swatch watch added to the revue generated by Hamilton and Rado and eventually a restructured Omega. It did not rescue the Swiss watch industry.

Hamilton’s Registered Edition

The Swatch Group, Ltd. began to change the world’s perception of Swiss watchmaking. The Hamilton experiment validated the new narrative the Swatch Group wanted to associate with Swiss watches. Instead of cheap mechanical movements (75% of sales in 1975), Swatch wanted to position their products as luxury goods. They stressed tradition, history, legacy and craftsmanship in everything associated with Swiss watchmaking.

The strategy worked. Registered Editions even changed the American narrative of Hamilton. Instead of cheap quartz watches with cases made in Hong Kong, Hamilton had a new look and feel. It fit the story Swatch wanted to tell:

From the Swatch.com web site:

In the late 1970s, a Swiss watch was a work of careful craftsmanship, a uniquely valuable timepiece handed down from one generation to the next, to be cherished for a lifetime. Fitted with a complicated, hand-crafted mechanical movement, it was the expression of a culture in which changes took place, if they took place at all, only after slow deliberation, and at the speed of glaciers racing down the Alpine valleys.

Talk about a new narrative. In 1974, the Swiss produced low-cost pin pallet watches to compete on price with the Japanese and the United States Time Corporation (Timex). The work of careful craftsmanship came from small family firms producing exclusive luxury watches for a small number of the world’s wealthiest people.

Even thought Swatch rewrote history, creating a new narrative saved the Swiss watch industry and Hamilton proved it could be done.

Registered Editions – The Best Hamilton Wristwatches

Purists may consider my assertion as heresy, but from my experience as a restorer of Hamilton watches, I find the retro models (1983-1999) some of the best made Hamilton wristwatches.

The Wilshire gives merit to my argument. From a quality point of view, it surpasses the original model in case construction, accuracy and craftsmanship. It’s not a cheap quartz watch as some would want us to believe given a penchant for mechanical watch movements.

The most popular Hamilton Registered Editions rank as follows:

1. Ventura
2. Piping Rock
3. Boulton
4. Wilshire
5. Dickens
6. Emerson
7. Essex
8. Contour
9. Ardmore
10. Spur

Hamilton originally promoted the 1957 Ventura as the Elvis Presley watch as he wore it often. In the movie, Blue Hawaii, Presley also wore his Ventura.

Ultimately, the Ventura outsold all of the Registered Hamilton watches combined.  It’s popularity soared when used in the film Men in Black with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.

Initially, the Wilshire held the top position as Hamilton released it through the American Express Christmas Catalog. The following year, Hamilton also released the Piping Rock through the same outlet. After the American Express numbered exclusive models sold out, Swatch released their entire line through their normal distribution system, adding models.

To Sum Things Up

I purchase two of the first 1000 Hamilton Wilshire models in 1985. One had a champagne colored face, which the company dubbed “The Driver”. The second had a black face with raised gold numerals called “The Tuxedo”.

After my first purchases, I went on a binge and purchased dozens of Hamilton wristwatches dating as far back as 1924. Many of my watchmaker friends can me a biggot. That may be true, but I have owned other watches, but not many other brands.

Considering all I have learned, I will finally admit, my first Registered Edition Wilshire watch will always be my favorite.