Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Hamilton Chronomatic Cal. 11 LNOS Full Set, 1970s
- Maker / attribution
- Hamilton (maker)
- Date
- 1970s
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 37 mm
- Stock no.
- Product 3596314935383
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, S.Song Watches (product 3596314935383)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Hamilton Chronomatic Cal. 11 LNOS Full Set (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by S.Song Watches (dealer), Seattle (stock number Product 3596314935383), this is a wristwatch by Hamilton, made in Switzerland, dated 1970s. 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 — S.Song Watches
There is a reason why panda chronographs are so coveted by vintage watch collectors and this Hamilton Panda Chronomatic is the perfect testament to that. With striking black subdials that contrasts against the polar white dial, it is just downright attractive on the wrist. Furthermore, it is accentuated by a black outer tachymeter scale and a very wearable 37mm stainless steel case, what’s not to love! What really sets this particular example apart is the state that it comes in. This is perhaps the best example of a Hamilton Panda Chronomatic out there, being barely used at all in its lifetime. It not only comes in mint condition but also as a full set with its inner and outer box, certificate AND even a little standing card that dealers used to advertise the watch. Words really cannot do it justice, just take a look at the photos. Powering this watch is a self-winding Cal. 11 and it is one of the most historically important movements ever produced. While there is a dispute as to whether the first automatic chronograph movement was produced the Seiko 6139, Zenith El Primero or by Heuer/Breitling/Hamilton with the Cal.11, the general consensus is that it shares just as much prestige as the other movements. You will not find another example like this easily.
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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