SPUR - 14K White Gold, Grade 979. This is one of the rarest and most desirable of all Hamiltons. A true classic, its asymmetric design was 3 decades ahead of its time. A mere 686 were made in white gold, few survive today. And fewer still survive in such excellent and complete condition. This example has an origiinal dial with light, even toning that is very attractive. The enameled bezel is superb, with no flaws. It is even complete with its original box. An outstanding rarity for a serious collector. (SALE PENDING).
(left) CUSTER - 14K Gold, grade 982. This 1936 classic is extremely elusive since it was a one-year only offering. It is very, very hard to find today. This is a lovely example with an excellent 14K gold case with no engraving. The dial appears to be an old refinish, however because it was made with engraved markings filled with hard enamel, all of the original markings are totally intact and it looks like a perfect original with very light age. Very scarce. $650.
(right) SHERWOOD 'T' - Gold-filled. In 1961 Hamilton released a small series of watches with wooden dials, which they dubbed "Sherwood." While in theory making a dial with a wooden surface might seem simple, in practice it proved to be extremely complex -- especially getting it to shape to a curved edge as you note in this particular watch. The hardest part was simply finding veneer thin enough to be workable. A Hamilton purchasing agent remembered meeting a salesman from US Plywood Corp. at a design show. Calls were made and soon Hamilton obtained samples of a new industrial veneer called Flexwood, which measured only sixteen thousands of an inch. This would later be sanded down to only six thousandths of an inch thick. The finished watches were remarkable in appearance -- but a total sales flop. Very few were sold, and many were returned to Hamilton and refitted with conventional dials. As a result these significant pieces are among the rarest of all Hamiltons today. This example is quite simply gorgeous, based on the "Rodney" case with elegant s lugs. The dial is flawless. The case is also mint, with absolutely no visible wear. It is fitted with a new-old-stock original Hamilton genuine alligator strap of the late 1950s. A fantastic watch. $1,995.
DATELINE 1000B- 18K gold. This is an incredibly rare watch, one of only four I have ever seen. The case and integral gold band are made of solid 18K gold -- nearly 65 grams!! The date feature is set into the band, which is a very unique feature. The watch measures 7-1/2" so it is sized to fit an average wrist. $2,750.