1969 Hamilton Chrono-Matic Automatic Cal. 11 37mm 11002-3
Ref: 11002-3
Specification
Lugs : 19mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold as “Watch Only” and, therefore, comes without its Hamilton box or Hamilton paperwork. It is paired with a well-suited 19mm aftermarket leather strap and pin buckle. The watch is from Circa 1969 and is sold in fair vintage condition. The dial shows obvious signs of patina, as you can see from the photographs. The watch comes with our 12-Month Non-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NPaYun8ya9e8BuK0GTb7RVPJlDQB8SUm?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 9:47 - https://youtu.be/DIsq7XtOahY
The Watch
Here, we have a 1969 Hamilton Chrono-Matic Automatic Cal. 11 11002-3 with a 37mm stainless steel case that sits comfortably on your wrist thanks to angled flat-ended lugs, and a lug-to-lug length of 40.5mm and a case thickness of 13.5mm ensure a comfortable fit. We have the piston chronograph pushers on the right side and, on the left, a signed crown with deep knurling for grip. A fine bezel holds a domed crystal above a panda bicompax dial. A black outer Tachymeter chapter ring surrounds a minute track precisely executed with baton indexes and tritium pips marking the hours; at 3 o’clock, a black 30-minute register with white numerals and hand; at 6 o’clock, a framed date window; and finally, at 9 o’clock, a black 12-hour register with white numerals and white hand, slender steel baton hands tipped in Tritium is complemented by a tapered chronograph hand, at 12 o’clock we have the Hamilton motif “Automatic printed underneath and at 6 o’clock “chrono-matic” completes this vintage bicompax chronograph. On the reverse, a solid case back inside is an automatic Hamilton Cal. 11, 17 jewels, beating at 19,800 beats per hour, developed by a consortium of four manufacturers, Heuer, Dubois Dépraz, Breitling and Hamilton-Büren, under the name “Project 99” to create the world's first automatic chronograph with a patent for the chrono-matic filed in 1967 and released by the three brands at the 1969 BaselWorld Fair. The watch comes paired with a well-suited 19mm aftermarket leather strap and pin buckle.
Personal Note
I have always admired and wanted to add one of these incredible Hamilton Chrono-Matic Cal. 11 to my personal collection, the design is perfect on the wrist and movement is historically important, developed by a consortium of four manufacturers, Heuer, Dubois Dépraz, Breitling and Hamilton-Büren, under the name “Project 99” to create the world's first automatic chronograph with a patent for the chrono-matic filed in 1967 and released by the three brands at the 1969 BaselWorld Fair. I would not hesitate to add this beautiful example to your collection before I consider some changes to my own collection to make room for it!
The Brand
In 1892, Hamilton was founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and began producing pocket watches. Their focus has always been to make accurate, affordable timepieces. In 1914, they became an official supplier to the U.S. Armed Forces during WWI, and they shifted production from pocket watches to the more convenient wristwatch. Admiral Richard E. Byrd became the first aviator to reach the North Pole in 1926; he circled it for 13 minutes before returning to his base. He timed this pioneering 15-hour and 57-minute flight using a Hamilton watch. As soon as America joined the Allied forces in World War 2, they stopped producing watches for consumers to focus on the enormous task of supplying the U.S. Armed Forces. They produced over one million timepieces, including wristwatches and marine chronometers, and they even earned an Army-Navy E award for excellence in manufacturing. On May 16 1974, Hamilton was sold to SSIH, which is the previous name of what is now the Swatch Group. They remained in the US until 2003, when they transferred their operation to Biel, Switzerland. From this date forward, they were able to put on their Swiss-made dials.