Jason
1957–1958 · Stainless Steel · Manual Wind
About the Jason
Made from 1957 through 1958 and 1958, the Hamilton Jason is a 33mm stainless steel round-cased manual wind watch powered by the caliber 671, a Swiss-made movement running 17 jewels. It came with a sweep seconds hand rather than a subseconds dial, which gives the dial a cleaner, more open look. The Jason is part of a small related pair, with the Jason B sharing a similar design brief. Hamilton offered three distinct dial configurations at launch: white with embossed silver numerals and markers, white with numerals only, and black, each featuring a pearled minute track and luminous dots.
Dial condition is the first thing worth examining on a Jason, because the embossed silver numerals and pearled track are the visual centerpiece of the watch, and any flaking, fading, or moisture damage changes the character considerably. The black dial variant is the most visually striking of the three options and tends to draw the most attention, though all three share the same basic construction. Finding one with its original bracelet intact is genuinely unusual, as these bracelets were often swapped out or lost over the decades.
From the Catalog
Hamilton offered the Jason in 1957 at $55.00 on bracelet or $49.50 on strap, advertising it as a waterproof stainless steel watch with sweep seconds and a choice of white numeral, white numeral and marker, or black dial configurations.
Hamilton Catalog Images
1957
1958
What to Look For
| Dial | Look carefully at the embossed silver numerals and pearled minute track. These details are what make the Jason visually distinctive, so any separation, discoloration, or moisture ghosting matters. On the black dial version, also check for any fading or unevenness in the dial finish itself. |
| Crystal | The Jason uses a crystal that accepts a reflector ring beneath it. Confirm the reflector ring is present and seated correctly. A missing or cracked ring affects both appearance and correct crystal fitment. |
| Movement | Ask about service history. Dried oil in the caliber 671 creates enough friction to stop the movement completely, so a watch that runs today may not run next month without fresh lubrication. A recently serviced example is meaningfully more useful than one that simply winds and ticks at the moment of sale. |
| Case | The case backs on these can be stubborn to open, and an inexperienced attempt to force one can leave tool marks around the caseback edge or damage the threads. Check the caseback perimeter for any gouging or rounded-off notches that suggest a rough prior opening. |
| Crown | Work the crown through winding and time-setting positions and make sure it stays put during normal use. The set lever screw on the 671 can come loose over time, causing the stem to pull out unexpectedly during time setting. If the crown behaves oddly or feels loose in any position, that screw should be checked before anything else. |
The Movement
The caliber 671 is a Swiss-made manual wind movement with 17 jewels, produced for Hamilton during its transition toward Swiss-sourced calibers in the late 1950s. It is a reliable, reasonably compact movement that winds and sets well when properly serviced, but like most movements of its era, dried lubricants will create enough friction to stop it entirely. A freshly serviced 671 keeps good time and has a satisfying hand-wind feel.