Wristwatch Cinema: Hamilton’s “What Makes a Fine Watch Fine”, 1947

I really enjoy watching this every now and again. If you don’t own any of those old American-made vintage Hamilton wristwatches already, you’re going to want to after watching these videos.

This short was commissioned by Hamilton and produced by the Jam Handy Organization in 1947 as a training tool for its sales force and marketers. It’s especially for those not familiar with the history or design of vintage movements

The first 5 minutes or so are a little cheesy, but gets much more interesting afterward when highlighting some of the details of the manufacturing process, like how how steel was painstakingly alloyed into Ellinvar Extra to make harisprings and how the factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania used to make a huge batch of bread dough every morning to use for removing dust from watch movements in the era before Rodico putty.

So sit back with a snack and a drink and enjoy: