Hamilton watches: America's answer to quality watchmaking

Around the same time that countries like Switzerland and Japan were creating stylish, innovative, and artfully crafted watches, a little corner of America had its own emerging world class watchmaker: Hamilton.

That little corner was Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where, in 1892, Hamilton put itself in the annals of American history when the company started producing fine watches. Their first watch came out it 1893, and it was designed by a founding member of the Hamilton company - H. J. Cain.

The name was soon known for its value and accuracy, and because of this reputation, the railroad industry turned to Hamilton in 1893 for aid, they were aiming to end numerous railroad crashes. In response, Hamilton released the Broadway Limited, and it became known as "The Watch of Railroad Accuracy."

Hamilton was looked to again in 1910 when the U.S. Government named Hamilton the official provider of timepieces to the U.S. Armed Forces. It was at this time that the original Hamilton Khaki was created.

Hamilton kept up with the demands as well as the styles of the culture over the years, including the stylish 1920's. It was at this time they introduced the Yankee Watch, a fashionable quality timepiece was inspired by the Yankees winning the World Series.

Hamilton continued to produce stylishly innovative pieces until it was called to duty again in the 1940's, when the government sought them and they answered and stopped producing watches for consumers and focused on military watches.

The company showed its technically innovative side when they produced the first electric watch, The Ventura, in 1957. This technically savvy and stylish watch was loved for years and was even worn by Elvis Presley in "Blue Hawaii." The companies watches showed up in film again in Kubrick's "2001: A Space Oddysey." These watches were high tech but also high style, and now many Hamilton pieces from the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's are valued as rare vintage collectors' items.

In 1972 Hamilton surprised the world once again with it's technical innovativeness with the world's first digital watch. After this, the company continued to release new styles and reinventions of old styles. These days the Khaki remake is the most popular and people continue to admire the watches as Hamilton continues to produce quality timepieces.

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