# Hamilton Nautilus 403



## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Hamilton made an electric pocket watch, known as the Nautilus 403. There were many styles in the "Nautilus Series" but the 403 was the pocket watch. It was a complete and utter failure --- they hardly sold any at all; the theory being that those conservative gentlemen that still desired a pocket watch certainly didn't wanted one with a new fangled electric movement.

They do turn up on eBay from time-to-time, but way out of my price bracket; only really serious Hamilton collectors, and those without mortgages, wives & kids, go after these.

However, an empty case went up for auction not long ago ("One To Watch"), and much to my surprise, I won it at a very reasonable price. A few emails to some fellow collectors got me an almost-correct dial for the 403 (it actually comes from a Nautilus 602); already had a suitable 505 movement, hands, stem, crown and crystal.

And here it is. An almost correct Nautilus 403. In some of the photos, I've included the Vantage version. Funnily enough, this Vantage (remember, Hamilton owned Vantage) is much rarer; it was never catalogued and Rene Rondeau has never seen one before...but it will never fetch much money with that name on the dial, despite having virtually the same movement etc.

Cheers

Paul


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## compas (Oct 13, 2006)

Silver Hawk said:


> .... and those without mortgages, wives & kids, go after these.










:lol:









Great collector's piece, thanks for show us the pics.

S!


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Thanks Compas!

Finally a response from somebody....you obviously have impeccable taste.









I sent the photos above to a Hamilton expert who immediately said "_No, no, you can't use those hands...nothing like the original! Go back and do it again!_" He gave me a right telling off.









So here are the photos again...this time with a set of Hamilton hands that are _almost_ identical to the original. The "expert" has now passed the watch as fit for public showing!









Cheers

Paul


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Nice! Those hands look much better









I diddnt reply to the original post because of that of course









I can just see you down Brighton Seafront with that on a chain dangling from your waistcoat


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

jasonm said:


> Nice! Those hands look much better


Oh... there is a story behind this second set of hands....nothing is easy....this collecting lark is a real labour of love...

I found this second set of hands in my pile of Hamilton bits & pieces...they usually have black paint in the centre groove running down the length of the hands. My colleague suggested I remove this since the 403 did not have this black paint on this style of hands...

Popped them into some paint stripper and left for 10 minutes. Nothing. Left another 30 minutes. Nothing. Whatever paint Hamilton used, it wasn't going to shift with methylene chloride based paint stripper. Maybe it was stove enamelled...

It might have very slightly softened the paint, but in the end I ended up having to virtually scratch it off. That still left a visible paint line at the edges which I could only finally removed with extensive scrubbing with a fibreglass pen.

So I then had paint-free hands, but a fairly rough surface. So onto polishing first with Autosol and then finally with Brasso. But it was hard work. Ever tried polishing something as small as watch hands?


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

> Ever tried polishing something as small as watch hands? huh.gif


Urmmm , no, cant say I have.....









Youve done a great job though....

Im now imagining you, the apprentice, offering your latest work to the Guru, grasshopper style, and having it rejected until you do it right...


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

jasonm said:


> I can just see you down Brighton Seafront with that on a chain dangling from your waistcoat


I'm going to get a chain for the Vantage as well...so that we can walk together.



jasonm said:


> Im now imagining you, the apprentice, offering your latest work to the Guru, grasshopper style, and having it rejected until you do it right...


It was like that in the beginning...not quite so bad now.


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## langtoftlad (Mar 31, 2007)

I'm sorry Paul - no disrespect to you because I know of your eminent standing in this forum and your obvious expertise in this field, whereas I have none, but...

I don't get it







?

I understand that the Nautilus 403 watch is rarer than rocking horse pooh, and thus is very desirable & extremely expensive - yes?

But what have you got there? Is it a Nautilus 403? No, not from what I can see.

Especially not from your high standards of collecting & knowledge

Starting from the correct case, you've had the skill, expertise & motivation to put together a watch from similar *but not original, nor the technically correct parts & movement* which emulates a 403... but it isn't

Do you see where I'm coming from?

It's a copy, or a replica, or a homage, or (shock horror) a franken watch.

And you'll always know it.

Sometime ago I bought a cheap Russian, primarily because it was 1957 vintage but later I was made aware of some doubts over its complete authenticity - and that's definitely taken the shine off it for me (but at the price paid, its hardly important).

As an example of your great skill, its amazing. But whilst examples of the original do still exist, however rare - it's a work in progress, still needing some original parts.

If my logic is wrong - I'd be happy to try to understand...


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Hi Steve,

All good points....but its not quite as bad as your text reads. 

Here is what is correct on this watch to make it a valid Hamilton Nautilus 403:


The case
The 505 movement
The crown
The stem
The crystal
Probably the hands

Here is what is wrong:


The dial (but it is close!)

So what do I do? Hide it away until a spare 403 dial turns up? RenÃ© Rondeau has hundreds of Hamilton dials, but he doesn't have a 403 --- I asked him. In all reality, I'm never likely to come across one. I can't even get another Hamilton dial refinished in the style of a 403 because the batons are unique to the 403.

RenÃ©'s and Dan Mitchell's (UK Guru) view is this is as close as I'm likely to get...and most people, even Hamilton collectors, would not pick up on this incorrect dial.

So, what would you do?

Cheers

Paul


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## Steve R (Sep 29, 2007)

I'm afraid I know nothing about pocket watches, but to my wholly inexpert eye that's a top job Paul, good work! Beautiful looking piece, wouldn't know the "right" dial if I fell over it, but that one looks perfectly at home there and your logic seems good to me. You've created a stunning watch true to the spirit of the original from a bunch of lifeless parts - congratulations!









S.


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## langtoftlad (Mar 31, 2007)

Thanks Paul for the further explanation/education - I didn't comprehend that almost all of it with the exception of the dial is actually "right" - specifically, the way you worded _"a suitable 505 movement"_ lead me to believe it wasn't the same movement as used in the original 403.

I hope you didn't feel I was questioning your expertise or your ethics.

I'm probably just being overly pedantic, for the sake of discussion.

I guess for all your satisfaction in putting it together, and the absolute certainly that almost no-one else on this planet would be able to tell it wasn't completely 100% genuine/original - I was wondering how you felt about it? Do you feel that you now own a Hamilton Nautilus 403...? Or is it that you've realistically 'settled' for the closest you're likely to get.

Don't get me wrong

Your skill & knowledge is amazing

You must have immense pride in your restoration work.

You have brought back to life a beautiful watch.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

langtoftlad said:


> I hope you didn't feel I was questioning your expertise or your ethics.
> 
> I'm probably just being overly pedantic, for the sake of discussion.


Not at all Steve....I wish we had more discussion of this nature...









I think you've summed it up correctly on how I feel about my 403: _"Or is it that you've realistically 'settled' for the closest you're likely to get."_. I'm certainly not willing to pay over $1400 for the complete unit --- this was the price the last one reached on eBay.

And there is one final piece of information that works in my favour. Hamilton were well known for building watches to a customer's personal requirements....and that includes either creating a unique dial (you could have you family printed on the dial) or swopping over dials from other models. So no-one can say with certainty that my combination was never released by Hamilton 

Cheers

Paul


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## langtoftlad (Mar 31, 2007)

Silver Hawk said:


> And there is one final piece of information that works in my favour. Hamilton were well known for building watches to a customer's personal requirements....and that includes either creating a unique dial (you could have you family printed on the dial) or swopping over dials from other models. So no-one can say with certainty that my combination was never released by Hamilton


...and that leads neatly onto my other subject of horological confusion!

Why is a "modded" watch acceptable and even cool

but

scorn is poured upon a "Franken" watch?

I can understand receiving a watch direct from the manufacturer which is customised - no problem.

but the distinction between something which has been modified, and something which is considered to be a bitsa escapes me...

Probably its the same line that divides the copy & homage crowd


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