"Here it is - an altogether new sport model -- the out-of-doors watch with a cover! This cover is operated by a spring in the upper right hand lug. It serves as a protuction against dust and dampness, jolts and jars, and broken crystals! Undoubtedly it will find favor with America's sportsmen!

Hamilton Promotional Literature, 1930

According to Rene Rondeau, 562 examples were made in 14K yellow gold, and 447 in white gold.

The back

Inside the case back:

Ad

Bill:

The Flintridge is a true Hamilton classic and it appears as though you have a fine specimen indeed. Congratulations!

I only recently had the privilege of seeing one in person. It is a nice size watch and it sports a hefty handmade case by Schwab & Wuischpard (S&W). From what Bryan told me, he has seen several with bezels just like yours so perhaps they were made in two variations - it certainly wouldn't be the first time Hamilton has done that.

Odd, since I recently saw the Flintridge, I can't stop myself from drooling constantly

Your dial seems unusual - can you tell us what it says?

Kindest regards,

Will

Will, Thanks so much. According to Bryan Girouard, this dial is not original to the Flintridge. Curiously, the dial has the name "Bailey, Banks & Biddle" on it. I wonder if Hamilton made some examples of the Flintridge for this company??? Fortunately, Bryan attended the Drawbridge Show here in Cincinnati, and he was kind to point out a gold filled wrist watch that uses the same dial as the Flintridge. I bought that watch so that I have the option of making the switch.

As an aside, Bryan and I found "Time Hill" the Home of that other great American watch company Gruen! Right here in Cincinnati, and just miles from my home!

Wow Bill what a beautiful watch great find

Sammie, Thanks so much

I had a blast at the Drawbridge Show. It is my "home show" as it is 15 minutes from my Home. The WWT "preshow" was a bust for me, but a bad day at a watch show is always better than a good day in a psychiatric hospital. (You can quote me, and trust me on that!).

The parking lot show, although a tad damp, was fun. I found a bunch of silly gold filled Hamiltons to sell and keep me busy, and had a great time meeting friends, both old and new.

Having Bryan Girouard at the show was fantastic. He knows so much about American wrist watches, and Hamilton in particular. It was a great, educational experience to see him pull the gems out of boxes. He found a number that I just failed to see. It was beautiful!

I ran into Bryan Girouard at the Drawbridge. My wife is quite happy with him since I purchased 4 nice wristwatches from him for her artdeco wristwatch collection. Picked up 2 nice white gold hamiltons,a gruen driver watch and a sliver dial Web C. Ball (I am from Cleveland). It gives me something to do when their are not a lot of Viennas around.

Bill, is this one now in your personal collection? Regards. Mark

Yes. Until My wife finds out!

Understood! Regards. Mark

It is raining Hamilton Flintridges this month! I also acquired a nice example less than 2 weeks ago.

Mine has the inner cushion-shaped bezel, just as it is pictured in the Hamilton advertisements and catalog illustrations from the early 1930s.

However, I have seen 2 examples configured as Bill's example... that is, without the inner cushion-shaped bezel. It may be possible that Bill's watch is correct as is.

Of all the watches to lose its bezel, the Flintridge seems as if it would be the most UNLIKELY candidate, as the solid gold flip cover would prevent loss if the bezel somehow popped loose.

And the whole point of the Flintridge was to protect the crystal, so it seems unlikely that the bezel would be lost during crystal replacement since the Flintridge underwent crystal replacement far less often than other models.

Additionally, the bezel does not have to be removed to get to the movement, as the movement stays with the caseback when the caseback is removed... so misplacement by a watchmaker seems unlikely, too.

Also, please notice in the picture of my watch with the bezel removed that there is a small protrusion near 11 o'clock which engages with the bezel to ensure that it is properly aligned when it is snapped in place. This would have to be ground away in order to place a crystal on the watch without the bezel. And also, there is no inner lip in which the crystal can rest, it would have to be glued directly to the dial.

Finally, Hamilton lowered the price of the Flintridge in 1932, perhaps a reflection that the cost of the case was lower due to the different bezel configuration.

The unfortunate part is that because so few of these watches exist, it is difficult to form any consistent theories as to what is correct based on observed examples.

Photo showing the cushion-shaped inner bezel in place.

Photo of the inner bezel removed from the watch.

Inner bezel removed, note the small protrusion in the rim near 11 o'clock... used to align the bezel when it is snapped into place.

This protrusion would have to be ground away to allow a crystal to placed here.

Also note that there is no inner lip or reflector in which the crystal could sit without the cushion-shaped bezel in place. It would have to be glued directly to the dial.

We'll need to take Bill's watch apart to determine how the crystal is affixed on his.

Bryan, This is So amazingly helpful. If you would be so kind, could you show me the underside of the bezel? I'd love to see how it is secured to that little protrusion at the rim at 11:00.

Thanks for your help.

Some of Hamilton's literature about the Flintridge is quite hilarious when read with modern-day eyes.

In a letter to its wholesalers in December of 1930, Hamilton says:

"Young fellows to-day like to stand in a hotel lobby or any conspicuous place, and click their lighters and be noticed. That is one of the reasons why the Flintridge model is taking hold."

In contrast to its appeal to flippant young men wanting to be noticed, Hamilton also tried to lure wholesalers into ordering the watches by saying that the watch ALSO appealed to people in the "belt and suspenders" camp on the opposite end of the spectrum:

"The Flintridge also appeals to another ultra-careful class to whom the cover protection for the crystal appeals."

Although I place myself in the former category, I have yet to gain any positive attention for opening and closing the cover of my watch in public places.


Hamilton also engaged in a little "sales puffing" by saying that as of December 1930, it had already sold more than a thousand of the Flintridge models. If that is true, then sales were spectacularly lackluster from that point forward, as Hamilton only sold 1,009 of them in total. It is most likely an exaggeration to entice wholesalers to place orders for the watch.

Bryan:

I enlarged (and lightened) Bill's picture of his Flintridge to get a closer look - it appears that Bill's Flintridge does not have the 11:00 o'clock notch that your Flintridge has. Interesting!

I agree with your assessment (although I recognize that it might be premature until you examine the other specimens) regarding the possibility that two Flintridge variations exist. It certainly wouldn't be the first time that Hamilton changed model design.

Regards,

Will

The Flintridge (white) on ebay last month also appears to lack the notch at 11:00

This is a real interesting mystery...