The Hamilton Watch Company was established in 1892 by Charles Rood and Harry Cain. These two men actually
established Lancaster based watchmaking company and acquired Aurora Watch Company of Illinois, a decision
was made to name the new company after James Hamilton, owner of a large tract of land which was granted to
him from William Penn and included what is now the city of Lancaster. The new company would be known as
The Hamilton Watch Company.
The company was housed on a 13-acre complex and Hamilton eventually took possession of 'Aurora's' machinery
shortly after incorporation. With quality being Hamilton's primary goal, the company set out to manufacture
"America’s Finest Watch." The first watch made under the Hamilton name was an 18-size 17-jewel pocket
watch in 1893. Its first series of pocket watches, the Broadway Limited, was known as the "Watch of Railroad
Accuracy," During this era, railroading was spreading from coast to coast and throughout America heralding the
industrial revolution in this country. Most railroaders carried the famous Hamilton Pocket Watch with them
because of its accuracy and dependability. Within the next six years, Hamilton had developed a reputation for
creating pocket watches of the highest caliber of quality. During Hamilton's first fifteen years, only two size
movements were produced, the 18-size and the smaller 16-size. The Hamilton was a working man’s watch. It
was not inexpensive, but it had a class and prestige of its own. As the years passed and its influence grew, the
Hamilton Watch Company began adding intricate carvings to their pocket watches. This move made these
watches even more sought after; in fact, some people mentioned their Hamilton Pocket Watch in their wills.
Hamilton introduced its first wristwatch in 1917. This watch was designed to appeal to men entering World
War I and contained the 0-sized 17-jewel 983 movement originally designed for women's pendent watches. The
introduction of the 0-sized wristwatch was the start of a line of wristwatches that included some of the finest
American wristwatches made. In 1928 Hamilton purchased the Illinois Watch Company for in excess of five
million dollars from the heirs of Jacob Bunn and John Whitfield Bunn.
From the early 1920′s until the 1950′s the Hamilton Watch Company was a well known and highly respected
name in watchmaking because of their style, design, and use of precious metals like gold in their watches. In
1969, the last Hamilton Pocket Watch was made, and by then even Hamilton was using Swiss works in its
pocket watches.
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