Hamilton had a rough 1932. They had to close down the $5 million Illinois Watch Company and move the assets to Lancaster, PA. Management chose to retain the brand name, but Illinois stopped making watches in the depth of the Great American Depression of the 1930’s. Hamilton sustained its only financial loss in 1932. Watch […]

The 1931 Hamilton wristwatch offerings differed from the previous three years.  The reality of the economy came into focus. Banks failed. As one person echoed a familiar saying, “Nobody had any money.” The collapse of the stock market had a negative psychological effect on the United States economy. In 1930, the country experience negative Gross

When Hamilton opened its doors for business back in 1892, they had a jump on their competition. Railroad companies needed a dependable way to measure time. Though the railroads tried to establish a time system to keep trains on schedule, it failed often. When a slow train needed to pull over to the side-waiting track and

In 1928, for a sum in excess of $5,000,000.00, the Illinois Watch Company was purchased by the Hamilton Watch Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which continued to operate the factory under the Illinois name and shifted the emphasis from pocket to wrist watch production. By 1932, the Great Depression forced Hamilton to close the Illinois factory,

Prior to the stock market crash of 1929, most businesses began preparing for a prosperous Christmas. Hamilton had long-range plans to become the finest wristwatch in the world. The company’s ambitions reflected their corporate culture – only the best. Remember that the famous “Timekeeper” railroad watch captured 56% of total industry sales, leaving only 44%