_____________________________
Production
Date: 1934
Price When New: $75.00
Case: Yellow 14K Gold
Case Manufacturer: Wadsworth
Production for this Variation:
53
Movement:
979 19-jewel premium movement
___________________________
Comments:
The Oakley is the rarest Hamilton production model with only 53
examples made in total. It is so rare in fact, that determination
that this specimen is in fact an Oakley is based solely on early Hamilton
case, dial
and movement records.
It was commonly thought that the
Oxford and Oakley where the same watch - the Oxford being the white
variation and the Oakley being the yellow variation of the same
model. However, recently found Hamilton records contradict
this theory.
Early Hamilton memos initially
described the Oxford as being available in 14K white gold only.
However, archived production records report the Oxford being
produced in both white and yellow 14K gold and indeed, examples of
each variation exist in private collections. The same archives
report that the Oakley was available in yellow 14K gold only. Additionally, the Oxford case was made
from modified Cambridge cases which utilized a different bezel
configuration. Cambridge cases were made by S&W and subsequently, so
were Oxford cases. Hamilton records clearly state that the Oakley
case was made by Wadsworth and indeed, it was the only 979 premium
model to utilize a Wadsworth case.
According to Hamilton records, there
are similarities between the Oxford and the Oakley. Both were
offered with a luminous dial (#042) or an etched dial (#048) (The
example above utilizes the #042 dial configuration which was also
used on the Palisade and
Cushion "B"
models). Both likely utilized the same bezel configuration
and both were issued within months of each other in 1934.
Additionally, Hamilton records describe the Oakley as being "tortue"
in shape.
After careful analysis of existing
records, it can now be determined that the Oakley was indeed its own
model separate and distinct from the Oxford. The example pictured
above was heretofore an unknown model but can now be reasonably
attributed as an Oakley. This model is the second example of its type to be
found - there appears to be at least one platinum version which was used as a presentation award for the New Jersey
Jewelers Association.
