Dewitt
1949–1951 · 10k Yellow Gold Filled · Manual Wind
About the Dewitt
Made from 1949 through 1951, the Dewitt is a rectangular dress watch from Hamilton's postwar golden era, powered by the caliber 747 manual-wind movement with 17 jewels in a 10K yellow Gold Filled case. The dial is silver-finished with applied gold numerals at all positions except 6, where the subseconds dial sits. Hamilton's own catalog copy from 1949 described it as 'especially popular among young men of exceptional judgment,' which gives you a clear sense of how the brand was positioning this one. It's related to the Eric, which shares a similar design sensibility from the same period.
Dials are where condition varies most on surviving examples. Hamilton offered this one with a white finished silver dial and solid gold numerals, and the silver finish is susceptible to the kind of subtle separation and hazing that comes from decades of humidity exposure. Finding one with a clean, unrestored dial is the real prize here, and the 18K gold numerals tend to hold up well on examples that were kept dry.
From the Catalog
Hamilton's 1949 catalog positioned the Dewitt as a watch for young men with good taste, listing it at $57.75 with a leather strap and $67.50 with a bracelet. The 18K gold numerals on a silver dial were called out specifically in catalog copy, which was Hamilton's way of signaling genuine material quality at a mid-range price point.
Hamilton Catalog Images
1949
1950
1951
What to Look For
| Dial | The silver dial finish is prone to peeling or fading, especially near the edges. Look closely under good light for any bubbling, cloudiness, or discoloration around the numerals. The applied gold numerals themselves are solid 18K, so they tend to survive better than the base finish underneath them. |
| Crystal | Check for chips, deep scratches, or a replacement that doesn't fit the case profile correctly. A crystal that sits proud of the bezel or has the wrong curvature can indicate a non-original replacement. |
| Movement | Dried oil is the most common problem on a watch that has sat unworn for years. If the caliber 747 is running rough, stopping intermittently, or not running at all, that's almost always the first culprit. A full service should be the assumption on any unworn example. |
| Case | 10K gold-filled cases from this era wear through the plating at high-contact points, particularly the lugs and caseback edges. Check those spots for base metal showing through. The case back can be stubborn to open, so look for evidence of prior prying attempts around the edge. |
| Crown | Confirm the crown is original and threads or seats properly. A replacement crown that doesn't match the case finish is common on watches that were serviced without attention to originality. |
The Movement
The caliber 747 is a 17-jewel manual-wind movement that Hamilton used across a range of dress watches from this period. It's a reliable, compact movement well suited to the slim rectangular cases Hamilton favored in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Not the most complicated movement Hamilton made, but it's honest and capable, and responds well to a proper cleaning and oil refresh.