Richmond
1935–1939 · Platinum / 18k Solid Yellow Gold / 18k Solid White Gold · Manual Wind
About the Richmond
The Richmond was produced from 1935 through 1939, placing it squarely in Hamilton's prewar era of refined dress watches built for a clientele that expected precious metal throughout. Hamilton offered the Richmond in platinum, 18K yellow gold, and 18K white gold, with a tonneau case shape that was fashionable for the period. Power comes from the caliber 982, a 19-jewel manual wind movement that Hamilton used across many of its finer dress watches of that decade. The original 1935 catalog listed the Richmond in 18K yellow gold only, with an 18K solid gold buckle included, signaling that this was a complete, no-compromise package.
Finding a Richmond with its dial intact is where patience pays off. The applied gold numerals, which run all positions except 6 o'clock to leave room for the subseconds register, are vulnerable to detachment or loss over ninety years of wear and handling. Some examples turn up with an engraved butler-finished dial with black enamel in the engravings, a variant that adds considerable visual depth and collector interest beyond the standard silver dial. The platinum and 18K white gold versions are less commonly encountered than the yellow gold examples, and their condition varies widely depending on how carefully they were stored.
From the Catalog
Hamilton's 1935 catalog described the Richmond as an 18K natural yellow gold model, paired with an applied gold numeral dial and an 18K solid gold buckle, priced at $133. That price reflected a complete, precious-metal package at a level that placed it among the more serious purchases in Hamilton's dress watch lineup for that year.
Hamilton Catalog Images
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What to Look For
| Dial | Look closely at the applied gold numerals under magnification. After nine decades, individual numerals can loosen, shift, or go missing entirely. Check that all numerals present sit flat and evenly. On examples with the engraved butler-finished dial and black enamel, inspect the engraved channels for cracking or fill loss, which is difficult and expensive to restore properly. |
| Crystal | Original crystals on watches of this era are almost never present. Confirm the replacement fits the tonneau case correctly without gaps at the edges, and that it sits flush enough to match the original profile. |
| Movement | Dried lubricants in a caliber 982 of this age create real friction that can stop the watch or cause erratic timekeeping. Also worth knowing: the escape wheel jewel on this caliber is prone to falling out, which is a specific thing to ask about if you are looking at an unserviced example. A full service from someone familiar with prewar Hamilton movements is the right starting point. |
| Case | Confirm the case material matches what is represented. The case back can be tricky to open on watches of this construction, so resist the urge to force it yourself. Once open, look for a clear metal stamp inside the case. Platinum and white gold examples are easy to confuse visually, so independent verification matters. |
| Crown | Check that the crown is original or at least period-correct. A mismatched crown on a precious metal case is a small but telling sign of prior repair work done without attention to detail. The crown should seat firmly and wind smoothly without slipping. |
The Movement
The caliber 982 is a 19-jewel manual wind movement that Hamilton refined through the 1930s for use in its finer dress watches. It runs at a measured pace and rewards proper servicing with reliable timekeeping, but at this age the mainspring often needs replacement along with fresh lubrication throughout. It is not a difficult movement to work on for an experienced hand, but it deserves a watchmaker who knows the quirks of prewar American movements rather than someone treating it as a generic eBay special.