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Production
Date: 1919 - 1923
Price When New: $48.00 (See
"Catalog Description" above)
Case: 14K Yellow Gold
Case Manufacturer: Fahys
Production for this Variation:
1,309
Movement:
981 - 17-jewel
Movement
(983
0-Sized Cushion in silver)
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Comments:
This "wire lugged" 0-sized Wristwatch is the first of three distinct
"cushion" designs - the second being the "Round Form" cushion
introduced in 1922 and the third being the "Form Opening" cushion
introduced in 1926.
Of the three cushion shaped designs,
this "wire lugged" example is Hamilton's first wristwatch
manufactured specifically for men. This is the only known example to
utilize a "black" porcelain dial and was likely a special
order.
When introduced in 1917, the wearing
of wrist watches by women was significantly more common than the
wearing of wrist watches by men - proper men wore pocket watches as
watches worn on the wrist were considered to be feminine. In an
effort to promote the masculinity of wearing a watch on the wrist,
Hamilton specifically marketed the No. 981 Cushion to "soldiers"
returning from the war and "adventurers" as described in the 1922
catalog (see "Catalog Description" above). In the 1920 catalog, the
No. 981 Cushion was further described in the following manner:
"This watch was tremendously popular
with the American Expeditionary Force and the U.S. Navy, and we have
never been able to meet the demand for it."
This particular variation, known as
the No. 981 Cushion, was sold in silver, solid yellow and green 14K
gold and 99 examples were produced in green gold filled. In addition
to the aforementioned metal variations, the 0-sized Hamilton
wristwatch was also offered in a "Round" and "Pinned Lugged"
version. Little is known of the Pin Lugged 981 Cushion and there are
no surviving records describing its production.
The 0-sized wristwatch was the first
"wrist watch for men" that was advertised in a Hamilton Catalog and
is a rare and historically significant timepiece.
This model was one of six
geometrically shaped wristwatches that were popular up
until the late 1920's. Hamilton's
"Geometric" offerings
spanned ten years - beginning in 1917 with the
0-sized Cushion and ending in 1927 with the Oval.
Included in the geometric models are the Cushion
(0-sized, Cushion Round and Cushion Form Opening), the
Square, Barrel, Tonneau, Rectangular, and Oval.
