Did these two have a model name? I can't find them in Rene Rondeau's book. They have the 987S hack set movement like the Sentinel, but they are not that model; the case design is different. The Sentinels I have seen have Roman numerals printed or painted on the dial and these two have applied gold numbers. In addition these have base metal backs with 10K stamped on one lug. I understand the Sentinel was gold filled and the two or so that I have seen had gold filled backs.

Here are the backs

Here's a close-up of the lugs showing the 10K stamp. Since it's in the same place on both I doubt that someone stamped them after they left the factory. The watch on the right shows lots of use but there is no wear through of the gold as one would expect on a gf case, especially on the corners of the lugs.

This is one of those watches that fell through the cracks, so to speak -- introduced after one year's annual catalog was published and discontinued before the next catalog. There are quite a few such pieces.

Thanks to Will Roseman, this watch has now been identified as the "Vancott." He obtained some documents from an old Hamilton employee that offer some new information not found in catalogs. I find it very exciting that such new information is still out there to be found -- the Hamilton story is definitely not complete, and we may never know everything. In any event, the Vancott was made in two versions, 10K gold bezel with stainless back like yours, and 14K solid gold. They are very scarce indeed, though several seem to have surfaced in the past year.

Rene,
Thanks for the information. I have puzzled over these two for a while. The watch on the left appears to have had very little use.

Rene or Will,

Do you know what year this watch was offered for sale and approximately how many were produced? The few examples I've seen have been factory engraved as award watches.

For what it's worth the serial number on the watch on the right is SS58121 and the case is an SW, serial S298064. I didn't take the other movement out of the case, it's very tight and I usually do a number on the balance staff when I get too forceful.