DESCRIPTION:
APW - Hamilton, Grade 951 (marked), 23J, 16S, gold-filled Philadelphia Watch Case Co. HC, fancy white enamel SS dial with two shades of gold foil decoration, fancy gilt Louis XV style hands, SW-SS, fully capped lever escapement, jeweled barrel arbor, striped pattern nickel damascene, s#81936. An extremely rare top grade watch, the pendant-set Grade 951 has a total production of only 44 made which places it among the absolute rarest grades of 16 size Hamilton production (tied in rarity with the 17 jewel Hayden W. Wheeler lever-set which also had 44 total made, and exceeded in rarity only by the "thin bridge" version of the Hayden W. Wheeler which had only a handful of examples made). This example has an interesting history in the Hamilton factory ledger, shown as having been finished on February 24th, 1908 but as having not been sold until a decade later with a sale to Dennison Watch Case Co. of Birmingham, England on June 10th, 1918. Presumably the watch would have therefore originally been with an English made Dennison case and was likely later transferred to the present case at some point during its lifetime. From the well-known Hamilton collection of Robert Bennett of Olivehurst, California.
CONDITION:
Mvt: Running, excellent cosmetic mvt condition overall, some marring tight around rim of aperture for stem detent screw, some typical mild fine to micro-fine scratches elsewhere, some mild bits of oxide to winding wheels and regulator assembly; excellent-plus dial with fine scratch at 11:30, some perimeter scrape in areas under bezel; excellent hands; case shows very little wear, ding to upper left perimeter of front, some small dings to rear that are more evident to inner surface of lid, group of dings to band at 12:30, small nicks scattered elsewhere to band, excellent engine turning detail, cuvette with a bit of play at its hinge and moves loosely through its opening range; tight bow, crown shows light wear; good glass crystal.
ESTIMATE:
$4000
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$8000
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