# Four O'clock Crown Position



## Larry from Calgary (Jun 5, 2006)

I'm only back for a few days and catching up on the new posts but have a question.

When did Hamilton start to manufacture their electrics with the crown at the 4 o'clock position? Was there any mechanical reason for doing so or was it just for appearance?

Thanks.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

I think it was just styling Larry...nothing more.

First electric was in 1957; Regulus (first picture) appeared in 1958 and has the crown at 4:30....and not just at this position...the Victor (second picture) has its crown at 1:30 and appeared in 1957. Both watches have the same Cal. 500.



















And then the other early electric watch manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon: Junghans 600.10:


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

Silver Hawk said:


> And then the other early electric watch manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon: Junghans 600.10:


Stop it, Stop it, *STOP IT!*









Another one I like the look of - you know how to put the boot in Paul! :yes: I've got more searches set up on the bay than I thought was possible - and I still miss them! I really like the dial on that for some reason, can't really say why, I just do. Thes electrics seem to have classy looks, - presume they were the bees knees in their day and thus middle to top end items = top end styling somehow - or is it just me, I'm in that age group


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

mel said:


> Silver Hawk said:
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> > And then the other early electric watch manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon: Junghans 600.10:
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Mel, I bought this one from Roy , he had a couple at one time....


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## knirirr (May 5, 2008)

The first watch I had with a crown in the 4 o'clock position was a Seiko 5 that could not be wound by hand. Therefore, I thought that the crown position might have been a statement that the watch didn't need to be wound. It looks good as well, of course. :lol:


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## squareleg (Mar 6, 2008)

:wub: Those Hamiltons are seriously gorgeous.

Btw, my trusty old friend, a Seiko 100M automatic (7s26) has the crown at four o'clock. I'm sure it's just a style thang...


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## foztex (Nov 6, 2005)

Paul,

That Regulus is bloody fantastic, how come you've never shown that before.

Larry, I am sure that 4 O'clock crowns were pure styling, lets face it a crown can be any where its only dial eet and datewheel that need tweaking.

I am a big diver fan no wand adore 4'oclock crown, I am sure it all stems from my Accy 218 first loves. Plus its so more comfy.

Andy


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## foztex (Nov 6, 2005)

crikey, I have got to type slower. Profuse apologies for the dire spelling in my last post. I am afraid I missed the deadline for editing it

Andy


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Silver Hawk said:


> mel said:
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I nearly bought one off him :cry2: :wallbash:


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## dombox40 (Oct 20, 2008)

:huh: Hi so why did they start hiding watch crowns then. I have a nice timex backset electric a seiko 1960 diashock auto with the crown hidden at 4Oclock and you also have the accutron backset any thoughts


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

dombox40 said:


> :huh: Hi so why did they start hiding watch crowns then. I have a nice timex backset electric a seiko 1960 diashock auto with the crown hidden at 4Oclock and you also have the accutron backset any thoughts


Hi Ken, in the case of 214 Accutrons, I think Bulova felt that there was little need for a crown in the conventional location because this new fangled tuning fork technology was so much more accurate compared to anything that had gone before i.e. it never needed winding and it very rarely needed hand adjusting...so you no longer needed a very accessible crown...which after all ruins the symmetry of a watch.


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## foztex (Nov 6, 2005)

Silver Hawk said:


> dombox40 said:
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> 
> > :huh: Hi so why did they start hiding watch crowns then. I have a nice timex backset electric a seiko 1960 diashock auto with the crown hidden at 4Oclock and you also have the accutron backset any thoughts
> ...


Excellent points Paul,

I'd not considered the reduced use of the crown as a reason.

Andy


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

foztex said:


> Silver Hawk said:
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> > dombox40 said:
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Thanks Andy!

By sheer co-incidence, I was reading the 2nd Edition of Fried's "The Electric Watch Repair Manual" last night and came across this quote in the Junghans ATO-CHRON section (movement as used in the Wedgefield above)...might answer Larry's original question, although I'm not sure if Hamilton were thinking along the same lines:

"_As shown in Figure 8, the crown is displaced from its traditional position as a reminder that its purpose is merely for hand setting and no longer for winding._"


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## dombox40 (Oct 20, 2008)

Silver Hawk said:


> foztex said:
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> > Silver Hawk said:
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Well spotted Paul


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