Todd
1949–1954 · 10k White / Yellow Gold Filled · Manual Wind
About the Todd
Made from 1949 through 1954, the Todd is a round, sweep-seconds watch that Hamilton positioned squarely at professionals who needed a reliable seconds hand for timing pulses, procedures, and precise measurements. It runs on the caliber 748, an 18-jewel manual wind movement, and came in both 10K yellow and 10K white Gold Filled cases. The sweep seconds configuration connects it directly to the Secometer, a related model from the same era that shared a similar professional purpose.
Dial variation is one of the more interesting things about finding a Todd. The basic production dial came with painted black numerals on a silver background, but Hamilton also offered luminous numerals and hands, a black enamel numeral version, and two applied gold numeral and dot configurations, one with yellow gold numerals and dots, one with rhodium-plated solid gold. That range of dial options means you can encounter genuinely different-looking watches under the same name, so confirming what you have matters before drawing conclusions about value or originality.
From the Catalog
Hamilton pitched the Todd directly at technicians and doctors in its 1949 catalog, describing it as ideal for those who needed sweep seconds functionality in daily use. At launch, the luminous dial version retailed for $63.25 on a leather strap, with the black numeral version priced at $60.50.
Hamilton Catalog Images
1949
1950
1951
1954
What to Look For
| Dial | Confirm which dial variant you are looking at. Painted black numerals, luminous numerals, black enamel numerals, and two different applied gold configurations all exist under the Todd name. Look for even aging across the surface, no peeling or flaking on painted versions, and check that any luminous material is stable and not crumbling. Mismatched aging between dial and hands can be a sign of replacement. |
| Crystal | Most Todds will have an acrylic crystal at this age. Light scratching is expected and can usually be polished out, but deep gouges or crazing mean it should be replaced. A clean crystal makes evaluating the dial underneath much easier. |
| Movement | The caliber 748 is a demanding movement to service correctly, and a watch that has sat unworn for years will have dried oil creating enough friction to stop it or run it poorly. Ask directly whether the watch has been recently serviced. A watch that runs but runs poorly is not necessarily in good shape mechanically. |
| Case | Gold-filled cases from this period wear through at high-contact points over time, particularly on the lugs and caseback edges. Check those areas closely for any copper showing through. The caseback can be tricky to open without the right tools, so avoid examples where someone has tried to pry it with a blade and left damage around the edge. |
| Crown | The crown should screw or pull out smoothly and engage the stem properly for winding. A crown that slips, wobbles, or has obvious damage may indicate a replaced or incorrect part, and on a watch this age, stem and crown issues are common enough that they are worth checking before purchase. |
The Movement
The caliber 748 is an 18-jewel manual wind movement that Hamilton used in several professional-oriented models from this period. It is capable and well-finished, but it has a reputation for being difficult to service correctly. Reassembly requires four wheels to align simultaneously, and the escape wheel pivot is easy to break if any force is applied at the wrong moment, which makes finding a properly serviced example genuinely important.