Vintage Hamilton Watch Restoration: 1959 Dawson

Some tasks get extended than other people.  I lately set a personalized document.  I bought a 1959 Dawson in critical have to have of TLC at least two many years ago – maybe a lot more, and I last but not least concluded it.  I do not actually bear in mind how long I have had it, it is really been that long.

The Dawson was introduced in 1959 and produced for a few years.  It was readily available on both a bracelet or a strap, the former extra $10 to the invest in price tag.  I really don’t think I might connect with it a unusual design but it really is not a design that I have seen terribly typically both.

The Dawson is intriguing since it is as basic as you can obtain for a US-made Hamilton check out.  The two-piece circumstance has a 10K gold loaded bezel with a stainless metal back.  The dial has embossed markers and numerals (vs used gold numerals).  The motion inside of is a Lancaster-manufactured 730.  It is certainly a no-frills product but it does not have a rolled gold plate (RGP) case or a Swiss-motion inside of either.

As I mentioned, I obtained my Dawson very a even though back and I was hoping I could just clean it up until eventually I understood the dial actually had pretty a little bit of finish reduction.  When it comes to embossed dials, receiving them redone adequately can be very problematic.  The outdated finish is mechanically stripped and that intense course of action generally softens all of the embossed capabilities.  Much more times than not, I have not been joyful when I get an embossed dial redone.  As a typical rule, I’ve figured out to stay away from buying watches with embossed dials if it truly is clear they will need to be refinished.

Total the circumstance is in good shape.

I employed to use a dial refinishing corporation often but the company transformed arms a whilst again and involving that, Covid, and inadequate client services, I missing faith in finding dials redone in common.

That claimed, I listened to about one more business, L&S Dials, in California.  I made the decision to give them a test and despatched them a few of dials, like this Dawson.

The 730 movement is in essence an improved 747 motion.  The 747 came out in the late mid 1940s and in 1955 it was improved with shock jewels at the equilibrium.  In the early 1960s the 730 would be improved once again and come to be the 731 with the addition of a glucydur balance (no timing screws).

I like functioning on these 8/ sized actions – they practically reassemble themselves.

Anything is cleaned and dried.  The most complicated section of cleaning these actions is to not reduce the little stability jewels by unintentionally flipping them into the ether like a miniature tiddywink.

Lucio Hernandez at L&S Dials took about a thirty day period to get my dial back again to me.  I assume it appears to be like extremely fantastic in general and is fantastic for an embossed dial.  The edges of the markers are commonly crisp and significantly greater than my prior activities.  I would have no reservations sending one more dial to L&S Dials.  If you would like to use them also, verify them out on Instagram at @lsdials or make contact with them at: 

The reassembled motion is on the lookout good and ticking away with a fantastic movement.

Rats… the conquer mistake of 6.1ms is very well outside the house of my private specs.  This metric actions how very well centered the balance is relative to the pallet fork.  When the stability is centered with a conquer mistake of zero, it will swing similarly from a person aspect to the other.  A increased conquer mistake signifies it swings more on one aspect than the other – and that indicates that the observe will cease sooner than a movement with centered harmony.

Modifying the conquer mistake calls for rotating the hairspring on the balance personnel so that the position of the impulse jewel adjustments relative to the placement of the hairspring stud on the equilibrium cock.  It is really a difficult intervention that could conveniently go sideways and result in broken hairspring if you are not tremendous careful.

In my case, I was fortunate (or was I fantastic?) and nailed it on the very first check out.  Now I just will need to adjust the regulator and velocity up the defeat level somewhat.

It isn’t going to take far too significantly of an adjustment to improve the conquer price so it took a couple of makes an attempt to get it dialed in to +12 sec per day.  I’ll go away it in this article as it will most likely settle down as the enjoy operates.

The finished look at looks and runs terrific.  Like most classic watches, the Dawson isn’t extremely large.  Having said that the lug width is 3/4″ or 19mm so it provides much larger that it genuinely is.  It truly is also quite slender so all round I believe it is really a incredibly smooth and elegant decision as a gown look at.