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Hamilton wristwatch, ref. H51606640, American Classic Chrono-Matic 50 Limited Edition, originally sold in February 2025 (per the lot record) — view 1 of 3
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Hamilton wristwatch, ref. H51606640, American Classic Chrono-Matic 50 Limited Edition, originally sold in February 2025 (per the lot record)

DocumentedDocumented from an auction catalogue; attribution as stated by the auction house.
Maker / attribution
Hamilton (brand / maker)
Date
originally sold in February 2025 (per the lot record)
Country of origin
United States
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
stainless steel
Dimensions
length 52 mm; width 48 mm
Lot
Lot 384-43
Credit line
Auction lot record: LOT 43, Hong Kong March 13, 2026
Catalogue title (original)
HAMILTON, REF. H51606640, AMERICAN CLASSIC CHRONO-MATIC 50, LIMITED EDITION, STAINLESS STEEL (English)

View the source record (auction lot) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva (lot Lot 384-43), this is a wristwatch by Hamilton, made in United States, dated originally sold in February 2025 (per the lot record). The Atlas places it in the Contemporary Horology period (2010 – Present) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: stainless steel. Recorded dimensions: length 52 mm; width 48 mm. The record is illustrated with 3 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

Antiquorum catalogue description

A fine and sporty, stainless steel self-winding chronograph wristwatch with blue dial, inner rotating bezel, quick set date and subsidiary seconds.

Lot specifications (Antiquorum)

Model: American Classic Chrono-Matic 50; Reference: H51606640; Bracelet: leather strap with Hamilton stainless steel buckle; Caliber: H-31; Length: 52mm.; Width: 48mm.; Signature: dial, case and movement; Accessories: Hamilton fitted box, copy of the original sale invoice, booklets, warranty card dated Feb 2025

Inscriptions & marks

dial, case and movement

Historical context

Contemporary Horology (2010 – Present)

Silicon components, connected watches, optical-lattice research clocks and a thriving independent scene.

Smartwatches became the world's best-selling watches, while mechanical watchmaking focuses on craft, innovation (silicon components, new escapements) and independent makers.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Mechanical Renaissance

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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