Harris
1937–1938 · 10k Yellow Gold Filled · Manual Wind
About the Harris
Made from 1937 through 1938, the Harris is a tonneau-cased dress watch running Hamilton's caliber 987A, a 17-jewel manual wind movement. The case is 10K yellow Gold Filled, offered in natural yellow only, and it came in two dial configurations: an applied gold numeral dial at $40 or a black enamel numeral dial at $37.50. The Harris is closely related to the Reagan, sharing family DNA in Hamilton's mid-1930s dress watch lineup.
Numerals appear at every hour position except 6, where a subseconds dial takes their place. Finding one with the black enamel numeral dial intact is the harder task of the two variants, so condition matters considerably there. The applied gold numeral version turns up more frequently, and when the dial has been left alone, those numerals still catch light well after nearly 90 years.
From the Catalog
Hamilton's 1937 catalog described the Harris as available in 10K gold filled natural yellow only, with the applied gold numeral dial priced at $40 and the black enamel numeral dial offered at $37.50, which was an unusual case of the plainer dial carrying the lower price.
Hamilton Catalog Images
1937
1938
What to Look For
| Dial | Check the applied gold numerals for separation, chips, or missing pieces. Even slight loosening is worth flagging, as repairs are difficult to do invisibly. On the black enamel numeral variant, look closely for cracking or flaking in the enamel itself, which is fragile and essentially irreplaceable in period-correct condition. |
| Crystal | Look at the crystal edges where it meets the case at the top and bottom of the tonneau. Gold-filled cases like this one wear through at those pressure points first, and the crystal bezel area often shows brass breaking through the gold layer before anywhere else on the case. |
| Movement | Oil dries out completely on a caliber 987A of this age, and that dried friction alone can stop the watch or cause erratic timekeeping. A watch that ticks but stops when laid flat, or runs only in certain positions, almost certainly needs a full service before it can be trusted. |
| Case | Inspect the corners near where the lugs join the case body. This is where gold-filled material wears through first on tonneau shapes like the Harris, exposing the base metal underneath. Minor wear is expected given the age, but heavy wear-through on multiple corners significantly affects value. |
| Crown | Pull the crown gently and feel for resistance through winding. A crown that spins loosely or feels gritty suggests the stem or winding mechanism needs attention. Also confirm the crown is original and not a replacement, since incorrect crowns are common on watches of this era. |
The Movement
The caliber 987A is a 17-jewel manual wind movement that Hamilton produced through much of the 1930s and into the 1940s. It is a small, thin movement sized for dress cases, and it winds and sets with a straightforward feel when properly serviced. At this age, the lubricants have almost certainly dried up, so a watch that is running well without a recent service is the exception rather than the rule.