
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Hamilton Chrono-Matic (Ref. 11002-3) Cal. 11, 1969
- Maker / attribution
- Hamilton (maker)
- Date
- 1969
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 37 mm
- Stock no.
- HTNCM110023
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (HTNCM110023)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 1969 Hamilton Chrono-Matic (Ref. 11002-3) Cal. 11 (English)
Editor's note
The dealer's brand field named another maker; the dealer's own listing title identifies the watch as Hamilton.View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number HTNCM110023), this is a wristwatch by Hamilton, made in Switzerland, dated 1969. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 37 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Craft & Tailored
The calibre 11 movement is argued to be the first, if not one of the first automatic chronograph movements ever produced. In the 1960s many major watch brands were competing to create the first automatic chronograph movement. Rivalries and tensions were high between the Buren group (composed of Breitling, Hamilton, and Heuer), Seiko, Zenith. The Buren Group race to the automatic chronograph is said to have been secretly named Project 99. Once the Chronomatic movement was created, Heuer, Breitling, and Hamilton housed many of their chronographs with this groundbreaking movement Hamilton used the jointly-developed cal. 11 movement in a model known as the Chrono-Matic, which today stands out as one of the most famous and best-looking chronograph watches from the brand’s archives. The original Hamilton Chrono-Matic ref. 11002-3 from 1969, featured its winding crown on the left-hand side of its case, while its pair of chronograph pushers remained in their normal position on the right-hand side. This unusual design detail is characteristic of many watches from the various brands who used the cal. 11 movement, and it was intended to showcase the fact that these new automatic chronograph watches did not require manual winding each day. Stock # HTNCM110023 Brand Hamilton Style Chrono-Matic Model 11002-3 Serial N/A Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial White "Panda" Millimeters 37 Strap 2pc Handmade Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The 37mm stainless steel case is in exceptional condition with very crisp lines, symmetrical lugs, and virtually no signs of significant cosmetic wear. The case retains its original Hamilton-signed crown and pump-style chronograph pushers, which are also in excellent condition with little to no indicators of significant wear or oxidation. Completing the watch is a black, two-piece handmade leather strap. DIAL & HANDS The beautiful white and black dial of the Hamilton Chrono-Matic is often considered to be one of the best “Panda” dials out there, and this example is in great condition with only a few minor scuffs and small signs of honest age. The tritium lume has developed a warm patina over the years and it is entirely intact on the hands, although it has fallen away from the tips of a few of the hour markers. ACCESSORIES
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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