A Way to Identify the Vintage Hamilton Dial You Want or Need

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You can find New Old Stock Hamilton dials in original packaging. I have and purchase them whenever I see one. It helps to know if someone refinished a dial or if the original item number exists at the bottom.

If you don’t see the Hamilton stock number look at the back. If the numbers have solder on them, then someone refinished the dial. To refinish a Hamilton dial with metal numerals, one has to remove the numerals or markers, strip the paint, apply a new background coat, repaint the dial with a die and then solder the numbers in place.

If you restore or refurbish Hamilton vintage wristwatches, then something along the way will bring a halt to your progress. Often, I run into trouble with dials. For example, I might buy a project and discover the dial doesn’t match the model. For example, a Clark dial in a Bentley case.

An associate and I sent ran into this problem. We sent the dial off to a well-known refinisher and asked them to use the Clark blank to create the Bentley dial. The dial came back as a refinished Clark. The dial company refused to correct their mistake even though we told them we would pay for it.

We approached a second dial company, who had no problem either understanding or performing the work. As time passes, resources for restoring vintage Hamilton wristwatches become scarce. That includes people skilled enough to help with restoration projects.

I took a couple of screen shots from a materials catalog that might help you identify a dial you need. I also put watch models and dial numbers in tables below the screen shots.

Obviously, these dials fit 980 & 982 movements. You might notice that several use the same blank. Dial refinishers can use a close blank size and apply the die that came with the original watch. It’s not museum quality perfect, but that has worked as a last resort.

Part #
Watch Model
D1Sherwood
D2Sherwood
D3Custer
D4Custer
D5Ardmore
D6Wayne
D7Calvin
D9Nelson
D10Nelson
DllCarson
D12Carson
D13Bartlett
D14Lowell
D15Rutledge
D16Richmond
D17Boone
D18Cabot
D19Seckron
D20Boone
D21Cabot
D22Seckron
D24Cabot
D25Cabot
D26Custer
D27 Clark
D28Clark
D29Pierre
D30Dorsey
D31Dorsey
D32Taylor
D33Taylor
D34Dorsey
D39Carlisle
D40Carlisle
D41Sutton
D42Sutton
D43Dickens
D45Elliott
D46Elliott
D47Talbott
D48Cameron
D49Ardmore
D51Bentley
D52Langford
D53Gilman
D54Brooke
D55Brooke
D56Allison
D57Contour
D58Linwood
D59Otis
D60Otis
D61Dunkirk
D62Dunkirk
D64Bowman
D65Brock 
D66Foster 
D67Winthrop 
D68Wilshire 
D69Winthrop
D70Ross 
D71Wilshire 
D72Wilshire 
D73Ross 
D74Winthrop 
D75Ross 
D79Stanford 
D80Judson 
D81Judson 
D82 Vincent 
D83Touraine 
D85Brock 
D87Essex 
D88Seckron 
D89Seckron 
D90Boulton 
D91Paige 
D92Paige 
D93Midas 
D94 Ross 
D96 Midas 
D97 Essex 
D98 Ross 
D99 Wilshire 
D006 Rodney 
D008 Myron 
D010 Lester 
D011 Barry 
D021 Lester 
D026 Norman 
D028 Gilbert 
D029 Lexington 
D033 Norman 
D036 Gordon 
D037 Wesley 
D038 Donald 
D039 Alan 
D068 Rodney 
D069 Myron
These dial types have shown up on 986, 987, 987F, 987E and 987A movements I have bought. Can you tell the ones that came with 987A movements? If not, OK. I have not had any problems fitting dials from 1920 987 caliber movements on 987A’s. In fact, if I want to wear an old model, a reliable 987A in the older case feel secure.

Below you will see a list of 987n models and their dial number. Occasionally, I find them on eBay in the category
ModelPart #
Piping Rock16
Hastings017A
Square B018A
Coronado21
Langley027A
Capt. Rice029A
Oakmont-035A
Meadowbrook40
Chatelaine46
Tonneau049A
Whitney053
Greenwich55
Raleigh56
Gladstone058
Clinton59
Perry63
Webster66
Mt. Vernon068A
Putnam094A
Grant096A
Lee103
Drake105
Scott0106A
Prescott110
Square0111
Cushion0113
Mason115
Turner117
Ellsworth0118
Dixon120
Randolph0123A
Turner124
Watson126
Morley128
Lawrence130
Heyward132
Merritt134
Sidney136
Harris138
Reagan140
Dodson0144
Endicott147
Medwick149
Bagley151
Russell152
Endicott0153
Sentinel (Secometer)11023
Sentinel (Secometer)H055
Russell11088
Round33
Langley47
Oakmont050
Greenwich51
Perry052
Tonneau57
Square B60
Webster61
Capt. Rice90
Putnam92
Whitney93
Grant95
Lee098
Dixon097
Scott100
Drake101
Mason107
Endicott145