Photo Credit: watchesnew2you
Retro 14 Karat Yellow Gold Hamilton Bradford Wristwatch
Buy It Now Price: $375 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)
Pros:
-This beautiful vintage mechanical Hamilton Bradford wristwatch is from the late 1950s or early 1960s. It sports a high-end, 22 jewel, manual-wind 770 movement in a retro-style, solid 14 karat gold case.
-The Hamilton Watch Company’s venerable 770 movement is widely regarded in the collector community as the finest mechanical caliber ever produced by a U.S. watch manufacturer.
-This vintage wristwatch’s movement appears to be in good condition, with no signs of rust or other damage. In addition, Hamilton’s 770 movement has a reputation for being robust in service.
-This Hamilton Bradford wristwatch simply exudes high-class, mid century style, with simplified cone-shaped markers for the hour indicators and sleek lozenge-motif hands. These exceptional watches were often purchased as presentation gifts for employees departing a company after many years of faithful service.
-The Hamilton Bradford model was very expensive at the time of issue. A 14 karat gold Bradford wristwatch set with diamonds on the face retailed for $300 in 1960. Our particular example would have only been marginally less expensive when new. It is shocking that this watch’s nearly 60 year old retail price is not far off the current asking price for our specimen!
-Later model vintage American mechanical wristwatches from the1950s and 1960s are often overlooked in today’s Euro-crazed, luxury watch marketplace. This makes the very finest vintage American wristwatches, like this $375 Hamilton Bradford, investment bargains.
Cons:
-No close up photos of the strap buckle are given. Because of the rather obvious difference in gold color between the watch case and the strap buckle, I suspect the buckle is not original. This would moderately lower the value of the watch.
-The back of the watch case is engraved with the following message: “Stanely G. Flagg & Co. Inc. To John Kurnal For Faithful Service”. This indicates the watch was a presentation piece, which is typical for Hamilton Bradford watches. However, some collectors do not like engraved watch cases, and either avoid them or only buy them at a discount. Personally, I believe it has a neutral impact on desirability and value.
-This movement of this watch has not been serviced according to the seller. Any buyer would have to take the watch to a professional to have it cleaned and oiled. This would add another $100 to $200 to the price, assuming no major mechanical issues are uncovered.
