Secometer
1947–1948 · 10k YGF · Manual Wind
About the Secometer
The Secometer was made from 1947 through 1948, built around Hamilton's caliber 987S with a sweep seconds hand and Hamilton's patented seconds-setting feature. The case is 10K yellow Gold Filled, round, and sized to wear like a proper tool watch rather than a dress piece. Hamilton marketed this one directly at doctors, radio technicians, and research engineers who needed split-minute timing in their daily work. It belongs to a small family of professional-purpose Hamiltons that includes the Sentinel, the Secometer B, and the Secometer C, each offering slight variations on the same core concept.
Finding a Secometer in solid condition takes some patience. The sweep seconds function and the seconds-setting feature put real mechanical demands on the movement over time, so service history matters more here than on a comparable dress watch. Dial variants exist, including an enamel-dialed version alongside the more common silver dial with applied gold numerals, and the enamel dials are harder to find and tend to command more attention from collectors who know the line.
From the Catalog
Hamilton's 1946 marketing positioned the Secometer explicitly as a professional instrument, describing it as suited for doctors, radio technicians, and research engineers who require split-minute timing. At $57.75 in 1948, it was a meaningful investment, and Hamilton backed that price with an 18K applied gold numeral dial and the patented seconds-setting feature as standard equipment.
Hamilton Catalog Images
1946
1948
What to Look For
| Dial | The applied gold numerals are small and delicate. Look for any that have detached, shifted, or are missing entirely, especially at 12 and 6 where they take the most handling stress. If the watch has an enamel dial rather than the standard silver dial, inspect closely for hairline cracks, which are common on enamel after decades of temperature changes. |
| Crystal | Check for deep scratches or crazing on the crystal. A hazy or yellowed crystal is worth budgeting to replace, but make sure any replacement fits the case correctly before committing to the watch. |
| Movement | Dried oil is a real concern on any Secometer that has sat unworn for years. The friction it creates can be enough to stop the watch entirely, especially on a movement doing the extra work of a sweep seconds function. Ask about recent service and, if possible, watch the seconds hand for smooth, consistent motion rather than stuttering or stopping. |
| Case | The 10K yellow gold-filled case can show brassing at the lugs and case edges with heavy wear. Check the lug tips carefully, as that is usually where the gold layer goes first. Case backs on these can be tricky to open, and a poorly fitted-back or evidence of prying around the case edge suggests someone got in without the right tools. |
| Crown | Test the crown through its full range of motion. The seconds-setting feature is part of what makes this watch worth having, so confirm it engages and releases cleanly. A crown that slips or feels loose may indicate wear in the setting mechanism. |
The Movement
The caliber 987S is a 17-jewel manual-wind movement in the 6/0 size, a compact and reliable caliber that Hamilton used across a range of dress and professional watches in this era. What makes the 987S configuration here notable is its sweep seconds arrangement, with the fourth wheel driving the center seconds hand rather than the more common subseconds register at 6 o'clock. That layout made the Secometer genuinely useful for the professional timing tasks Hamilton advertised, and it remains one of the more interesting expressions of the 987 family.