Vintage 1954 Hamilton Fulton Tank Wristwatch - $135

The watches listed for sale at this time are part of a collection assembled over a period of several years by one of my longest-tenured clients. He has asked me to sell these pieces on his behalf. I have personally serviced or restored every watch in the collection.

This Hamilton Fulton model tank was one of the first vintage watches my client acquired when he started collecting. It is typical of Hamilton square and rectangular tank watches of the mid-1950s: tastefully designed, legible, and well proportioned. Dating to 1954, this Fulton model comes in a 10K gold filled case that has a few blemishes and just a hint of wear on the lugs. A previous owner lightly scratched their initials into the back, although I can’t quite make it out (see photo). The case measures 36mm lug to lug by 27mm across with crown. The original dial is classic Hamilton: butler finish with applied 10K gold figures and Hamilton “Pointex” style gold hands. There are a few light blemishes and a dark spot in the sub-seconds register, but I would never sacrifice this dial to a refinisher. The movement is a rarity: a 17-jewel Grade 747 (#Y435,912) fitted with Hamilton’s proprietary Sabar shock-resistant balance. Similar to the Incaflex balance developed by Wyler, Hamilton’s Sabar balance employed flexible spiral-shaped balance arms to provide protection from shocks and drops. The Sabar balance was apparently used exclusively in Hamilton’s Grades 747 & 748 and only for a couple of years, so it certainly was not common. I fitted the watch with a 16mm tan pigskin strap that International Watchman replicated from an original Hamilton strap. Many Hamilton tanks were originally sold on this style of pigskin strap. They feel stiff at first but last for years. If preferred, I can substitute black pigskin or other leather.