Hi all.
Just got a new Hampden 105, looks quite good,seems to be original, case and all, any comments appreciated, good or bad.
Thanks,
Bill

mvmt

case

case inside

dial with bezel

Looks nice. I have bought a few Hampden's in the last few months and really like them.

Nice watch Bill !!

As to original, the minute hand has been replaced as has the case which is a little later and shows another set of case screw marks.

Still a nice watch to add to your collection.

regards,
bb

Hi Jim,
Thanks for the kind comments on the watch, the Hampdens appear to be undervalued, and generally a good buy.
Buster,
Would these have been bought cased from the maker ?, and is this case period correct ?, and what should the minute hand look like.
Thanks to you both for the input.
Bill

Generally speaking, these would have been cased by the individual watch makers/jewelers usually to the customers choice.

Looking at the shaft of the hour hand, it is swollen along the shaft, I believe called double swell counting the big spade swell on the end. Looking at your minute hand, it is a straight shaft with no swell and the spade swell on the end is out of proportion with the hour hand as it is way too small a spade. Matching hands need to be double swell spade OR spade and whip. It needs to be around the same size spade as the hour hand [+/-]. And the tip of the minute hand needs to be in the minute markers tickling them or just past the markers by a hair. I would suspect the minute hand to be a 12-14 sz hand that has been made to fit the shaft of your watch.

The short pendant case is probably a bit later than the movement.

regards,
bb

Thanks again Buster,
I guess if I had read what you stated earlier I would have noted you thought the case was later, when you're getting old, you miss alot it seems.
I think I have the watch dated to about 1915, so do not know when the the short pendant cases began.
Thanks again,
Bill

The hands actually look like Elgin hands....and yes they are mismatched....in fact now that I look again, the second hand also looks like an Elgin hand....

Bill, I do not know anything about the Hampden watch hands, if so I would make a recommendation of which hands would belong....maybe someone can tell us which hands are best for this watch....

Regards,

Jerry

Bill,
Your watch has the correct hour and seconds hands. Here's the spade hands.

The Railroad Telegrapher 1910: Courtesy Google Books

Hi Jerry,
I looked at my McKinley and could see what Buster was saying for sure, it has that double spade on it, Upon checking the second hand looks like it could be right, it appears the same on the other watch, but I even more so than you, no doubt,have no knowledge on the hands. I guess the best way is comparison for me, but then there always could be more than one type used, I guess.
Thanks for the input, appreciate it.
Bill

Here's another hands combination often seen.

Bill, here are a couple more samples for you to see the first set is 18 size....

Regards,

Jerry

These are 16 size....

Regards,

Jerry

Here's a 1903 period 21j Wm McKinley. After looking at these images, my minute hand too may be incorrect. Or is that what a "whip" hand looks like?

Thanks all for all the input and information, the ads are great.
I think after looking at all the above that Jerry had it right with the minute hand being wrong, to short, and did not have the swell in it close to the center arbor. It looks like the hour and second hand might well be right.
Unfortunately Roland I can not comment whether your hands are right or not, but my 1901 McKinley has different hands than yours.
Thanks again to all,
Bill

Roland here is a pic of my 1901 McKinley and I believe the hands are correct on this one.

Roland
Those hour/minute hands should fit very nicely on a Hamilton. (Mine for instance.)
Regards, Krister

Roland your hands are Hampden but probably not time period correct. I tend to think that someone added the hands later to be "bold correct"
As part of the service the owner may have asked to have the newer hands put on. Sometimes it is hard to determine if the owner had the hands/dial changed to improve the looks (like puttin mag wheels on your car) or if some knuckle-head did it by mistake. The hands as you can see by my later New Railway are correct style for Hampden.
Bill you are correct about Hampdens, you can get a lot of watch for a good pice, I will scarf up a Hampden any chance I can get the first one pictured I think I have about $175 into it, the pictures do it no justice since the case is as close to mint as you can get without getting silly with adjectives. The 2nd watch is a 19j Railway and you can see that Hampden also made bold spade hands along with a bold second hand. I remember reading one time a collector saying that Hampden used worn out dies and such and if you read anything about Mr. Dueber you realize that would not have been the case and the fact that these watches probably were as good as any made in their day within reason on the price. These are highly overlooked watches.

Claude
I can possibly accept the minute hand, but the hour hand is absolutely different and in my opinion Hamilton style. (On Roland`s watch that is.)
Regards, Krister

I suspect your dial is from an older Hampden watch. For a 105 of your era, a block Hampden signature is more likely or if a late run 105 it would probably have the block Dueber Hampden signature. The last two watches pictured before my comments should give you an idea what the proper dial signature would be.

Micheal I would disagree on the script vs block letter comment. I have a number of Hampdens and the script dials seem to have been mixed with the latter block letters at the time (1916) that Bills watch was made. I personally like the dial on Claudes watch and I have several of the relatively scarce New Railways with the same dial. Hampden has been somewhat arrogantly dismissed as an American Watch maker. I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard that they used inferior materials etc. etc. but I have not found that to be true. Further you will find a number of Hampden watches that are greatly undervalued when it comes to rarity and quality. The New Railway is certainly one.

Deacon I have to agree and value my Hampdens as much as I do my Elgins. I was lucky to get the New Railway, it is as nice as it looks and I doubt that it ever saw much use.

Claude I think the damasceening on the New Railway is outstanding and I am always looking for them as they are relatively scarce and attractive watches.

I'm with you, Deacon...that later black lettered 16s hampden is hard to beat. Put that Monty dial and that black letter Special railway together and that combo is as nice as any rr watch of any kind in my book.