1940s Hamilton 14K YG Cal. 982 "Freemasons"

In 1882 Hamilton was founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and initially specialized in producing pocket watches. The brand boasts a long and impressive history of breakthroughs in design and technology.

Due to becoming an official supplier to the U.S. Armed Forces during WWI, they transitioned focus from pocket watches to wristwatches. And come WWII, they stopped producing watches for the consumer market altogether to cater to the massive demand of supplying the U.S. Armed Forces. Their innovations and accuracy earned the company an Army-Navy E award for their excellence in manufacturing. After recovering from the demands of war, Hamilton returned to the civilian market to continue producing innovative and truly bizarre designs for decades to come. In 1953, their first automatic winding watches were introduced as a part of the newly introduced 'Illinois' line. This was also the company’s first time experimenting with Swiss-made grades.

This 14K Yellow Gold Hamilton is not only a beautiful example but also retains a deeply interesting history. Turning the watch over to view the case back reveals a remarkable hand engraving of the most well-known Freemasonry symbol of them all, the 'Square and Compasses' insignia. The symbol’s origin is believed to have come from the stonemasons’ guilds during the middle ages. In many English-speaking countries, the Square and Compass are commonly depicted with the letter "G" in the center, however, the Square and Compass engraved into the back of this Hamilton features a moon face.