Who Manufactured This1988 Hamilton Ventura

On May 5, 2016, I received a Hamilton Ventura watch, model 6109 made in 1988. The owner wanted an assessment, planning to sell it.

He wrote me:

 I’ve attached photos of my watch.  It’s in really good shape, but the crystal seems to be “mottled” almost like there is a plastic film on it. (The photo also has some reflections that look like scratches in the photo but there are none.) The battery is dead.

In an earlier email, he mentioned he had seen Ventura models selling about $1,000. He hoped to make that kind of money on his.

The model 6109 sold as a woman’s watch. The men’s version was a 6110. It didn’t belong in the $1000 class.

Three Ventura models have relatively high values:

• The 1957 “Elvis Presley” watch seen in the movie “Blue Hawaii”
• The 1983 reissue retro watch made with the original case tools and plated with 20 microns of 18K gold and ETA’s highest quality movement
    
• Hamilton made a third, high-value model seen in the 1997 movie Men in Black.

Any one of  the above watches will sell for $500 – $1100 depending on condition. I found comparable models on eBay, Amazon and on sites in Asia. I concluded that the asking price for those three models were consistent.

The 6109 did command the value of the high-end models. They can sell anywhere from $39 to $300 depending on condition. The average brings about $100.

The watch I received had many drawbacks, which reduced its value significantly.  Some of the issues are related to the condition of the watch and others have to do with the intrinsic value of the model.

The watch suffered from effects from the environment. For example, the “mottled” look mentioned in the email had nothing to do with plastic film. Time has ruined the paint on the dial. It bubbled away from the metal. That concerned me, since I’d not seen a Hamilton model of that vintage with a painted dial.

When I opened the watch, parts of the dial flaked off. That led me to wonder if someone made a knockoff of the 6109.

I also noticed other issues around the condition:

A dent on the side of the case, a crack in the crystal, failure of the movement due to a rundown battery and the aging of the band.

Instead of gold plating, this 6109 had chrome plating. The plating had also showed flaking.

Also, the back of the watch had a small Hamilton coat of arms.

If Hamilton produced this watch, they made it in Thailand. In my opinion, it wasn’t Swiss.

ETA replaced the 955.412 movement with their 955.412-II.  That also concerned me, because the 955.412 had a calendar on it.

The movement and model number reinforced my belief that I had a knockoff on my hands.

The 955.412-II movement sells for $25.95 to $36.95.

The old movement, ETA 955.412, did not fit any other Hamilton models.

Hamilton used a mineral glass crystal. Normally, mineral glass is subject scratches, but doesn’t shatter.  This 6109 has scratches, which, when opened didn’t shatter, but cracked.

The crystal needed replacing. Hamilton serviced the 6109 and offered a two-year guarantee.

Various treaties required the company to provide parts for ten years. That ended Hamilton’s obligation in 1998. They no longer offered crystals for this model and I couldn’t find a parts house with any supplies.  A crystal supplier will hand make one for $50 $-75.

I started to run an estimate for the cost of restoration. It looked ugly.

1. Dial  $100 + Shipping wait time approximately 90 days
2. Movement  $25 + $12.50 for shipping and handling
3. Crystal  $50 wait time approximately 7 days
4. Third party or aftermarket watch band – $65 3-7 days
5. Battery – $10 3-5 days

I estimate the restoration cost to run approximately, $210 to $250.

I felt the owner could find a better solution: Purchase a newer model made with a stainless steel case, a shatterproof crystal, a treated dial and new band.

I could see no reason to restore this watch. I also saw no salvage value in it since none of the components worked.

What does this tell us? Nothing good.

I had never seen a Registered Edition Hamilton that looked anything like the 6109.

This picture to the left of the back of a Ventura watch, should give you an interesting contrast to the one above it. This is approximately the same model as the 1988 edition.

Notice how the back has three screws to hold the back in place. It may appear difficult to read, but the words “Stainless Steel” appear on the back cover – like all Hamilton watches in this series. Even the color looks closer to stainless steel than the chrome back in the photo above.

I’m not sure why the photo above had a rim on it. The back does not open that way. I also noticed the size and depth of the etching of the Hamilton crest.

At this point, I became quite suspicious.

The owner said that he barely wore the watch. The band looked like someone put a lot of miles on it. It also looked like the bands that I see on Parnis watches. It did not resemble the double folded and padded Hamilton watch.

What does this tell us? Beware of what appears like a good deal? Nah. A lesson has to exist somewhere. I just don’t know where.