Deauville
1958–1960 · 10k Rolled Gold Plate / Stainless Steel · Manual Wind
About the Deauville
The Deauville ran from 1958 through 1960, offering a round dress watch in a 10K yellow Rolled Gold Plate case with a stainless steel back. It runs on Hamilton's caliber 673, a 17-jewel manual wind movement that suits the watch's slim, clean profile well. The dial is where this model gets interesting: Hamilton offered it in an unusual range of embossed finishes, from a straightforward numerals-and-markers version to decorative textured dials, a woven cloth look, and a parchment look. The Deauville is a standalone model rather than part of a named family, though it fits comfortably alongside Hamilton's round dress references from the late 1950s.
The dial variants are the main thing to sort out when you come across a Deauville. The textured and woven finishes are visually striking but genuinely difficult to refinish correctly, so condition matters more than usual here. A dialed-down example with a plain embossed dial is easier to find in good shape; the more decorative versions reward patience in finding one that hasn't been touched.
From the Catalog
Hamilton listed the Deauville in 1958 with simple, direct copy: a 10K yellow rolled gold plate case, stainless steel back, and embossed dial. It sold for $59.50 on bracelet or $49.50 on strap, putting it in the mid-range of Hamilton's dress lineup for that year.
Hamilton Catalog Images
1958
1959
1960
What to Look For
| Dial | Look closely at the embossed finish under good light. The textured, woven, and parchment dials are especially vulnerable to wear and amateur restoration attempts. Refinishing these does not reliably replicate the original texture, so what you see is what you get. Check that the embossed gold numerals and markers are intact and not flattened or worn smooth. |
| Crystal | Original crystals on this era of Hamilton were acrylic. Deep scratches can often be polished out, but a heavily crazed or cloudy crystal should be replaced. Make sure the fit is snug and the crystal sits flush without any separation at the edge. |
| Movement | Ask about service history. In a caliber 673 that has gone years without attention, dried oil creates enough friction to stop the movement entirely, even if the watch appears to wind and set normally. A recently serviced example is worth seeking out. |
| Case | This is a rolled gold plate case, not solid gold, so the gold layer will wear through at high-contact points over time. Check the lugs and case edges for brass showing through. The stainless steel back is durable but can be tricky to open without the right tool, so look for evidence of prying or slippage around the back edge. |
| Crown | The crown should wind smoothly and set the hands without slipping. The set lever spring on the caliber 673 is prone to breaking, so a crown that feels mushy or skips out of the setting position is a red flag worth addressing before buying. |
The Movement
The caliber 673 is a 17-jewel manual wind movement that Hamilton used across several of its dress watches from this period. It is a reliable, compact caliber that winds and hacks cleanly, though like any movement of this age it needs fresh oil to run well. Nothing exotic about it mechanically, which is part of why it holds up: straightforward to service for a watchmaker who knows it.