Accumatic III
1958–1959 · 10k Rolled Gold Plate / Stainless Steel · Automatic
About the Accumatic III
Made from 1958 through 1959, the Accumatic III is part of Hamilton's original Accumatic lineup, the company's first serious push into automatic wristwatches for the American market. It runs on the caliber 672, a 17-jewel automatic movement, and comes in a round 10K yellow Rolled Gold Plate case with a stainless steel back. The dial is silver with embossed gold numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12, embossed gold markers, luminous dots, and a fine pearled track around the perimeter. Sweep seconds completes the look.
Finding one with the embossed numerals and markers intact and undamaged is the thing to look for first, since those raised details are vulnerable to overly aggressive cleaning or refinishing attempts. A textured dial variant also exists, which adds a bit of visual depth compared to the standard silver finish. The Seabrook is a related model worth knowing if the Accumatic III catches your eye.
From the Catalog
Hamilton listed the Accumatic III in 1958 at $75.00 on bracelet and $69.50 on strap, describing it as waterproof with a 10K yellow rolled gold plate case and embossed yellow numerals and markers with luminous dots and a pearled track. That waterproof rating reflected the standards of the time, but vintage watches of this age should not be trusted with water exposure today.
Hamilton Catalog Images
1958
1959
What to Look For
| Dial | Look closely at the embossed gold numerals and markers. Raised details like these can get knocked down by careless cleaning or polishing. The luminous dots should be present and relatively even in color. If a textured dial variant is present, confirm the texture is consistent across the surface and not worn flat in spots. |
| Crystal | Check for chips at the edges, which are common on round crystals of this era. Crazing or deep scratches in the center of the crystal will affect legibility. |
| Movement | The caliber 672 is a capable automatic, but dried lubricants are common on examples that have sat unserviced for years. A watch that stops and starts or runs erratically almost always needs a full service before it can be trusted. |
| Case | This is a rolled gold plate case, so check the high-wear points, specifically the lugs and the back edges, for brass showing through. The stainless back should be clean and free of deep tool marks from previous openings. The case back can be tricky to get off, since the slots in the retaining ring are small and don't accommodate a standard case wrench well. |
| Crown | Confirm the crown screws down or seats fully and that the watch holds its position in time-setting mode. Also note that this movement, like most of Hamilton's early automatics, engages the rotor when manually wound, so a crown that feels unusual during winding is not necessarily a problem. |
The Movement
The caliber 672 is a 17-jewel automatic movement that Hamilton used across several of its Accumatic models in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It winds itself through a rotating rotor that responds to the motion of the wrist, so under normal daily wear it rarely needs manual winding. It's a straightforward and serviceable movement, though like any watch of this age it benefits from fresh lubricants to run reliably.