Tag Archives: poor mans mark xi

In this blog, we explore the Hamilton Watch Co. and this historic ‘Poor Man’s Mark XI’ watch. We look at the exciting history of this watch and question if its unflattering nickname is deserved. Hamilton Watch Company History Hamilton Watch Co. was founded in Lancaster Pennsylvania in 1892 and the production began with pocket watches. Railroad timepieces were among the first ones to be produced as there was a need for accurate Railway pocket watches. The exceptional timekeeping of Hamilton pocket watches earned them the title ‘The Watch of Railroad Accuracy’. In 1969, Hamilton Company took over Buren Company and its facilities in Switzerland. It remains a Swiss brand today. Military Heritage Hamilton’s cooperation with the US military began in 1914. The high quality and accuracy of its timepieces earned the company a prestigious Army-Navy ‘E’ Award, The practicality of wristwatches meant that production numbers quickly increased. During WWII all civilian production ceased as the task of supplying the US military was enormous. In fact, between 1942 and 1945 Hamilton produced over 1 million wristwatches and high-quality marine chronometers for the US military. Marine chronometers were rigorously tested to an accuracy of 1/100th of a second per day. Many different types of military wristwatches were produced during this period. Between 1965 and 1976 Hamilton also produced nearly 40000 watches for the British Military, most of those included a hack function to allow synchronization of watches during military operations. Pilot’s and Navigator’s Watches ‘6B- Mark XI’ Approximately 3200  ‘Mark XI’ watches were thought to be produced, made to the same specification as their more expensive and exclusive counterparts Jaeger-LeCoultre and IWC Mark XI’s. Two versions of this ‘6B’ watch were supplied to the British MOD and issued to RAF and Royal Navy crews from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s. Both featured a stainless steel screw-back case, manual wind movement, standard black luminous iron dial with ‘T’ for Tritium and an anti-magnetic iron dust cover. The dust cover and dial created a so-called Faraday Cage around the movement. The first version produced was ‘6B 9101000-H’ with calibre 75, followed by the second version, ‘6B H67’ with calibre H 75S which also benefited from a hacking function. It is estimated that less than 1000 watches of this rarer type were made. Prices for both versions/patterns have been increasing steadily in the last few years but they are still much more affordable than IWC and JLC Mark XIs. Is Poor Man’s Mark XI Justified? In conclusion: Is the unflattering nickname the collectors gave this watch justified? In my opinion, it’s undoubtedly not. It is a lot more than just a poor man’s Mark XI. Instead, it is an impressive, well-made piece of military kit and a historically important timepiece that deserves to be admired and preserved for future generations. Certainly, it is a very good starting point for a military watch collector or enthusiast and you get a lot of watch for your money. Poor Man’s Mark XI at Auction In our previous Watch and Watch Accessories auction on 10/08/23 we welcomes one of each of these watches: Lot 91 HAMILTON – a stainless steel military issue wristwatch, 36mm. Price Realised: £1,235 Lot 92 HAMILTON – a stainless steel military issue wristwatch, 36mm. Price Realised: £884 This was not the first time, however, that we have had watches with an exciting military history come through our auction. In August of 2020, Fellows welcomed a full set of the rare Dirty Dozen watches. If you would like to find out more about this auction you can browse our archives and also read our blog. Lot 169 A complete collection of military “Dirty Dozen” watches. Price Realised: £28,999 Valuations Our valuations are free, with no obligation to sell with us. Our experts will value your item with an estimate, so you can therefore find out what it could achieve at auction. The process is simple. You can fill in a form online or book an appointment to visit either of our offices in Birmingham or London. Virtual valuation appointments are also available Richard Griza | Watch Specialist