Hastings
1928–1933 · 18k Solid Yellow Gold / 14k Solid White Gold / 14k Solid Yellow Gold / 14k White Gold Filled / 14k Green Gold Filled / 14k Yellow Gold Filled · Manual Wind
About the Hastings
Made from 1928 through 1933, the Hastings is a rectangular Gold Filled dress watch from Hamilton's early wristwatch era, running on one of several related manual-wind calibers: the 979, 987, 987A, 987E, or 987F, all 17-jewel movements. The case was offered in both 14K Gold Filled and solid 14K yellow or white gold, giving buyers a range of price points from the start. Hamilton's own 1929 copy described it as "utterly smart and utterly masculine," which gives a clear sense of how it was positioned at the time. The Greenwich is a related model worth knowing if the Hastings is on your radar.
Dial variety is one of the more interesting things about hunting for a Hastings. Known examples turn up with exploding numeral dials, traditional luminous dials, black enamel dials, and applied gold numeral dials, so the same model name can look quite different depending on the year and configuration. Gold Filled cases from this era show wear predictably at the bezel corners and along the top and bottom edges near the crystal, so condition ranges considerably across surviving examples.
From the Catalog
Hamilton's 1929 catalog listed the Hastings at $67.50 in gold-filled cases, describing it simply as fitted with a 17-jewel movement and noting the luminous dial and hands. A solid 14K version was available at $85, which was a meaningful price difference for buyers at the time.
Hamilton Catalog Images
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
What to Look For
| Dial | Inspect carefully for hairline cracks, especially on black enamel examples, which are fragile and rarely survive in clean condition. Luminous plots and hands from this era will have aged and may show discoloration or flaking, which is expected but worth noting. Confirm whether the dial matches a known variant for this model. |
| Crystal | The bezel corners and the edges at the top and bottom of the crystal are the first places gold-filled cases like this wear through. Check closely under good light for brass showing through the gold fill in these specific spots before assuming the case is solid. |
| Movement | Confirm which caliber is inside. This model ran with the 979, 987, 987A, 987E, or 987F. On all of these movements, the balance pivot and hairspring are vulnerable during any adjustment work, so a service history from a watchmaker familiar with this family matters more than it might on later calibers. |
| Case | Gold-filled cases from the late 1920s and early 1930s have had nearly a century of potential wear. Beyond the bezel corners, check the case back for polishing wear and any engraving that might have been partially buffed away over the years. |
| Crown | Check that the crown is period-correct and not a mismatched replacement. Wind the movement slowly and feel for any roughness or skipping in the stem, which can indicate wear in the keyless works. |
The Movement
The 987 family of calibers, including the 979, 987, 987A, 987E, and 987F, are small 6/0-size manual-wind movements that Hamilton produced across much of its early wristwatch history, all carrying 17 jewels. They are hand-wound, straightforward in layout, and include a subseconds dial at the 6 o'clock position. These movements are serviceable but demand a careful hand, particularly around the balance pivot and hairspring, which are easy to damage during adjustment if the watchmaker is not experienced with the caliber.