The "Hamilton Watch Company's History In Lancaster, Pennsylvania" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Searching through my chest of drawers for my Hamilton electric watch that my parents gave to me when I graduated from high school in 1962.  Really neat gold watch that drew quite a stir when I wore it around my friends.  Thought my dad must have been rich in order to be able to buy me something as neat as an electric watch.  In reality, dad was a watchmaker and did spend time working on the new Hamilton electric watch, such as the one he gave me for graduation.  Recently I found a timeline telling of the rise and fall of Hamilton Watch in my hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Thought I would share it with you, since you more than likely have heard of the Hamilton Watch Company at some time or another.  History begins in 1892 and is as follows:

Hamilton Watch Company (click images to enlarge)

1892 - Hamilton Watch was founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania when they began production of pocket watches.  They focused on quality and accuracy which is what made Hamilton an Internationally renowned watch brand.  My father was a watchmaker who worked on the Hamilton in the 1940s at Meiskey's Jewelry store in downtown Lancaster and my mother worked at the Hamilton Watch factory about the same time frame.

1912 - Being that there were too many railroad accidents due to timing on the tracks, Hamilton developed the first series of Hamilton pocket watches to help solve the time scheduling of trains.  Their pocketwatch became known as "The Watch of Railroad Accuracy."

Early pocket watch from Hamilton

1914 - Due to the precision quality of the Hamilton watches, it became an official supplier to the U.S. Armed forces.  Many servicemen were equipped with Hamilton watches because of that.  In order to keep up with the demand, Hamilton Watch Company began shift work which was something new to industrial time schedules.

1918 - Hamilton took to the air when they made an aeronautical watch which accompanied the very first American airmail service between Washington, D.C. and New York.

Hamilton watches been handed to airline pilots

1926 - Admiral Richard E. Byrd used a Hamilton watch during his pioneering 15 hour, 57 minute flight over the North Pole.  He was the first aviator to reach the North Pole, circling it for 13 minutes before returning to his base.  He knew exactly how long he circled due to his Hamilton watch piece.

Admiral Byrd's Hamilton watch.

1927 - The times between special events begins to close as a precision Hamilton watch was a key part of helping pilots on their first flight from California to Hawaii to find the islands in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean.  A mistake of a few degrees would have resulted in missing the islands.  Their watches helped them in navigation.

1928 - Hamilton Piping Rock Watches were presented to the New York Yankees after winning the 1928 World Series.  The special engraved watches were given to Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.  Can you imagine how much these watches might be worth now if you could find one at a flea market?

Watches presented to the 1928 New York Yankees team.

1930 - The Hamilton watch became the official watch of the four major American commercial airlines and was also selected as the official timekeeper for the very first coast-to-coast service from New York to San Francisco.

1932 - Hamilton watches appeared for the very first time in the movies when they were featured in the film "Shanghai Express." 

1942 - Hamilton stopped commercial production of watches in order to focus on supplying timepieces for the U.S. armed forces.  It was at this time that my mother began working at Hamilton Watch Company along Columbia Avenue in Lancaster.  I can remember her telling me about having to prepare watches for our troops overseas.  They made wristwatches as well as marine chronometers.

1951 - Hamilton Watch became famous world-wide when their watches appeared in the movie "The Frogmen." The movie starred Richard Widmark, Dana Andrews and Gary Merrill.

1957 - Hamilton produced the first world's electrical battery operated watch known as the Ventura.  It had a unique, futuristic, shield-shaped design and was created by renowned industrial designer Richard Arbib.  The watch became an instant sensation throughout the world.

World's first electric battery operated watch known as the Ventura.

1961 - Elvis Presley  wore the Hamilton Ventura watch in his musical comedy "Blue Hawaii" and made the watch a star.

Elvis. wearing his Hamilton Ventura watch.

1962 - Larry Woods wore his new Ventura watch and became an instant star at the Acme Supermarket where he worked in Lancaster, PA.

The Hamilton Electric that my parent's gave me as
a graduation gift in 1962.  I still have it, though it doesn't work. 

1968 -Stanley Kubrick approached Hamilton two years prior to create a unique timepiece for his new film "2001: A Space Odyssey."  Hamilton designers provided him with a wristwatch and desk clock that proved almost as iconic as the film itself.

Timepieces for "2001: A Space Odyssey".

1969 - Hamilton Watch Company sadly ended American manufacturing operation in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and shifted their manufacturing operation to the Buren factory in Switzerland.  A sad day in Lancaster's history.

1970 - Hamilton introduced the Pulsar which was the world's first digital electronic watch.  The display was created using LEDs activated by a button on the side of the solid gold watch.  It sold for $2,100.  Needless to say, I never had one of those.

1974 - On May 16, Hamilton was sold to SSIH which was the previous name of the Swatch Group.

1980 - Hamilton revived the watches from the past with the Ventura once again featured.  

1990 - Hamilton's relationship with Hollywood intensified with appearance on the wrists of people in "Men in Black", "Lethal Weapon 4", "Independence Day", "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Die Hard."  You must have seen them if you took in anyone of those movies.

1990's style Hamilton featured in movies.

2003 - Hamilton began adding the words "Swiss made" when they transferred both their headquarters and production facilities to the heart of watchmaking country in Biel, Switzerland. It was a sad day when they closed the door for the final time in the plant in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. 

2005 - Hamilton became involved in the world of air racing and aerobatics with the Red Bull Air Race and the Swiss Aerobatic Association.

Notice the Hamilton watch on the arm of the racer.

2011 - Hamilton developed its own personalized automatic calibers, H-21 and H-31.  Each offered its wearers an extended power reserve of up to 80 hours.

Hamilton with automatic calibers.

2014 - Hamilton worked on the smash-hit movie "Interstellar".  The following year their watch appeared on the wrist of the main character in Ridley Scott's epic adventure "The Martian". 

2017 - Hamilton celebrated the 60th anniversary of the iconic watch Ventura which they made in good old Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Oh, how that seemed to be so long ago.  Hamilton doesn't seem to even be a part of Lancaster to those who weren't living at the time they manufactured watches in Lancaster.  There are a few more dates and accomplishments I could list, but it seems so sad that they moved away from their roots just so they could say they were made in Switzerland.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.