Of all the watch brands available today, Hamilton has a uniquely American history, spanning everything from wartime production to the development of airplanes to the glamor of Hollywood.
The company was founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1892. Hamilton’s quality was soon well-known across the United States.
By 1912, Hamilton Watch began providing accurate pocket watches for the American railroad system. H78719553_PR_4_mid_7923In 1914, the company became the official timepiece supplier to the American armed forces. Only a few years after that, a Hamilton aeronautical watch was used by the first American airmail postal service. By the 1930’s, Hamilton was a watchword for style and reliability in commercial airlines and military operations alike.
That dedication to the Armed Forces was put to the test at the start of World War II. In 1942, Hamilton ceased selling watches to consumers and concentrated on making timepieces exclusively for the American armed forces. They shipped out a million timepieces over the course of World War II, including over ten thousand cutting-edge marine chronometers.
After the war, Hamilton returned to the American public, and soon became the brand name of Hollywood. Hamilton watches appeared in the 1951 film “The Frogmen,” the first of many World War II movies that would include Hamilton equipment. Hamilton soon furnished many other Hollywood productions, including Elvis Presley’s “Blue Hawaii” and Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Today, Hamilton watches have appeared in movies like “Men in Black”, “Independence Day”, and “You’ve Got Mail”. Every year since 2006, the company has also sponsored the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards, which gives credit to the people behind the scenes of Hollywood films.
Along the way, Hamilton continued to be a pioneer in watch technology. In 1957 they offered the world’s first electric watch, and in 1970 they sold the first LED digital watch. It wasn’t until
2003 that Hamilton’s major watch production moved from the United States to Biel, Switzerland. Even now, the company has a uniquely American blend of style, adventure, and dedication that makes any of their products a worthwhile addition to your timekeeping collection.
The Tick Tock Shop is a proud Hamilton provider. Take a look at some of these great products currently in stock