Reagan
1938–1940 · 10k Yellow Gold Filled · Manual Wind
About the Reagan
The Reagan was made from 1938 through 1940, a tonneau-cased dress watch running Hamilton's 17-jewel caliber 987A manual wind movement. The case is 10K yellow Gold Filled, offered in natural yellow only, and Hamilton gave buyers a genuine choice at the counter: the white dial version carried applied gold numerals, while a black enamel numeral dial was available at a slight discount. The Reagan shares its basic family with the Harris, a closely related model from the same period.
Finding one today means dealing with more than six decades of life on the wrist, and Gold Filled cases from this era show that history plainly. The top and bottom of the crystal and the corners near where the tubes join the case are the first places to check for wear-through on the gold fill. The black enamel dial variant is the less commonly seen of the two and worth looking for if originality matters.
From the Catalog
Hamilton's 1938 catalog described the Reagan plainly: 10K gold-filled in natural yellow only, with the applied gold numeral dial priced at $40 and the black enamel numeral dial version offered at $37.50. Both options were listed from the start, giving buyers a choice between the brighter white and gold combination and the sharper contrast of the black enamel version.
Hamilton Catalog Images
1938
1939
1940
What to Look For
| Dial | Two dial versions exist: the white dial with applied gold numerals, and the black enamel numeral dial. Confirm which you have, and inspect for hairlines, chips, or separation at the numeral feet on the applied version. Refinished dials are common on watches this age, so look for overly uniform color and filled-in texture as warning signs. |
| Crystal | On a tonneau case like this, the crystal edges above and below the dial are wear points. Check that the crystal seats properly and look underneath for chips or cracks at the edges where gold fill tends to wear through first. |
| Movement | Oil in a caliber 987A of this age is almost certainly dried out. Dried lubricants create enough friction to stop the watch outright or cause it to run erratically, even if it appears to wind and set normally. A recent service by someone familiar with Hamilton movements from this period is the right baseline. |
| Case | The 10K gold-filled case is prone to wear-through at the top and bottom of the crystal and on the corners near where the tubes meet the case body. Check those spots carefully under good light. Some wear is expected, but deep wear-through to base metal affects both value and appearance significantly. |
| Crown | Check that the crown winds smoothly and engages the setting position cleanly without slipping. A worn or replaced crown is a minor issue, but confirm it seals correctly against the tube, as case backs on watches this age can be tricky to open and may have been forced at some point. |
The Movement
The caliber 987A is a 17-jewel manual wind movement that Hamilton used across a range of dress watches during the late 1930s and into the 1940s. It runs at 18,000 beats per hour and is a reliable, compact movement well suited to the slim cases of this era. The 987A is serviceable and parts are generally available, though finding a watchmaker with hands-on experience with Hamilton movements from this period makes a real difference.