by Tom Adelstein
The H68421333 is a popular watch on eBay and one sold by a familiar cast of characters. Take a look at the Google Search of this watch. It’s not in Hamilton’s Catalog and appears to have been a limited edition sold in 2003.
Something seems odd about this “new, authentic” watch. Hamilton doesn’t warranty it. The warranty expired in 2005. Are you suspicious?
I am, so I started my research here:
Hamilton H68421333 eBay Search
History?
On December 29, 2007, a post showed up on forums.whatuseek.com inquiring about the H68421333.
The member wrote:
Hi, bought this a few months ago on the bay, and it hasn’t spent a minute on my wrist. I was going to regift it to my family as it’s a great watch, but I forgot. I’d like to sell it or trade it. My interests lie in pretty much anything, but I lean towards diving Seikos. I’ll also sell it for $100 shipped (down from $150) CONUS and payment via paypal (I’ll cover the fees). Thanks for looking gents! Here’s a pic from the auction and a description. Condition is fairly close to perfect. Some small lines or smudges on the bead blasted like finish near the lugs and bezel; I think from the zulu. Very very hard to see. Oh it includes an OD green 2 hoop zulu and the original rubber strap; as well as the original box.
I took notice of his mention of buying this watch on eBay. I also noticed that his phrase “few months ago”, meant the age of this watch was around seven years old.
Another Post from the same forum, shed a little more light on this model
On July 5, 2010 the post read :
 |
| Original Issue |
This watch was made to tie into the movie, “SWAT” starring Samuel L. Jackson.
Exciting collector opportunity. Very rare. Watch is no longer available. Comes with boxes and papers.
Model: H684210 (H6821333).
Original retail price of $250.
Swiss made, sapphire crystal, stainless steel.
Striking red numerals at 12, 6, 9.
This watch is extremely difficult to find, especially in this condition. TZ = 90%
Watch is scratch free on crystal, case and back.
Back reads: Swiss Made. H684210. Water Resistant 50 meters. Stainless Steel. Sapphire Crystal.
Guaranteed authentic Hamilton watch.
Signed Hamilton buckle.
Signed hamilton rubber strap (signed hamilton and field on strap).
Does this Signal Anything?
I’m not sure it means anything. According to Hamilton, they never re-issued this watch. If that is true, then we know someone claimed to have bought one in 2007 and wanted to sell it for $100.
The second poster wanting to sell his for $250 in 2010, claimed “Watch is no longer available“.
I purchased this watch “new” as part of an ongoing marketing research project and I promise you it didn’t come in a box that even resembled the one in the photo above. Mine also had a nylon strap that had “Khaki” on it – not “Hamilton and Field.”
Hamilton told me they had no trace of this watch in the database, that it was not under warranty and they no longer produced it.
My Suspicions
Someone is producing a bunch of phony Hamilton watches and dumping them on the market. The patents have run out on this watch. The case came from Thailand and it has an off-the-shelf eta movement that sells for around $20 to $30 depending on the parts supply house.
According to every law I found regarding this watch, the only intellectual property Hamilton (Swatch) owns is the Trademark. All other patents have expired.
You may also want to look at one of the Hamilton trademarks that expired in 2001. Here’s the link from a trademark database showing the expiration date.
Another twist?
A Trademark rights owner must enforce their trademark or lose it. Since I’ve been told Hamilton doesn’t enforce their trademarks, perhaps they are no longer in force.
In another post, (here) I wrote a detailed explanation of how watch companies produce watches like this.
Thus, here’s a nice watch marked Hamilton:
A little older model, made in East Asia. I’ve seen some of these on eBay.
Notice a few details: 1. Swiss Watch 2. Price $13-27.50 3.Stainless Steel Case 4. Japanese quartz Movement 5. Watch Dial OEM – e.g., they’ll put your logo on the dial – design and name.
This is an unusual situation and Alibaba would remove them. For now, let’s just keep them as an example.
Copyright 2006-2017 | All Rights Reserved