Tom Adelstein

Hamilton Watch Company’s business went through several phases. The Company  proved its resilience by responding to the market demand of different eras. When the railroads began their massive expansion in the US, Hamilton responded and loaded their pockets with gold. The Company used this as the primary advertising and marketing piece.  Railroad Timekeeper of America Booklet  The […]

Two years ago, I began looking at horology schools in Europe and the US. I wanted to gain proficiency in the repair and servicing of vintage watches. I found a great deal of information and would like to share it with you. Most of the traditional schools have closed or have begun the process of

What is the importance of this? This may well be one of the most important documents in the history of American Watchmaking. The Kipton Train Wreck became the main event in Webb C. Ball’s purported interview by the New York Tribune in 1910, entitled “Many Lives Sacrificed Because of Faulty Watches” – which in my

by Tom Adelstein Try to imagine the look on the Sheriff’s face when he walked from town to the remains of the train station with its telegraph lines ripped from their posts. Cars and locomotives had piled in a heap higher than the station. The wreck had twisted the rails that connected Kipton to the

Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster, PA Historians claim that the Hamilton Watch Company began in 1892, producing timepieces for the railroads. That date represents one of many reorganization of a watch manufacturer in Lancaster, PA.  The year, 1892, is not the beginning of the organization. Not that 1892 doesn’t mark a significant milestone in the company’s history.