A 1905 Hamilton pocket watch

During the 19th century, Hamilton, founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was “The Watch of Railroad Accuracy”, and two new watches in the RailRoad collection are based on pocket watch designs from that era. The brand now combines powerful links to its American origins with Swiss movements. Its watches are made in Bienne, Switzerland, and it is part of the Swatch Group.

The Auto Chrono is a chronograph in which the tachymeter scale is a spiral around the dial. The design also features pusher protectors on the case side. Variants are a black background with chestnut brown tachymeter, or slate grey background with blue tachymeter. It has a 5-row stainless steel bracelet, or a black leather strap with crocodile pattern with chestnut brown or white stitching and folding clasp.

As you can see in the photograph below, the dial has a pleasant complexity, with a sense of depth provided by the fairly deep bezel and the edging around the two central subdials.

The H-21 chronograph movement is made by ETA, and it is a variant of the Valjoux 7750 chronograph movement. It provides small seconds at 9 o’clock, a centre-sweep chronograph seconds hand, chronograph minutes at 12 o’clock and hours at 6 o’clock. The most significant different with respect to the 42-hour power reserve of the Valjoux movement is that the H-21 movement provides 60 hours power reserve. This means that you can take it off on Friday evening, and put it back on on Monday morning and it will still be running! The movement is visible through the sapphire caseback. The case has 50 metres water resistance. Price €1,495.

The Hamilton Auto Chrono, part of the RailRoad collection, reference H40656731

The RailRoad Small Second has a new movement, the H-22, with small seconds at 8 o’clock, in chestnut brown or deep blue. The movement can be seen through the sapphire caseback. It provides a power reserve of 42 hours. This model has the same strap variants as the Chrono. Price is €995.

Below, the H-22 movement: