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According to court records, on April 25, 1906, my son’s Great-Great-Great Grandfather, an Italian immigrant, married a San Francisco woman (also of Italian descent). It’s speculated that he may have had a very nice Hamilton pocket watch on him at the time. The serial number actually dates to 1918, however, according to some sleuths at Watchuseek.com. No matter the date, his Hamilton pocket watch remains a treasured family heirloom. It’s survived the tarnishing sands of time rather well, preserving the family’s heritage along the way. My son was presented with it on his second birthday, so it only seems right that I research some of its history.
An Interesting Time And Place
April 18, 1906 was the day one of the most significant earthquakes in US history struck. It struck in California at 5:12 AM. The strong shaking only lasted about 45 to 60 seconds, but it was felt from southern Oregon, all the way to south of Los Angeles, and inland as far as central Nevada.
The quake is probably most remembered as the root cause behind the fire it sparked in San Francisco. Perhaps this is why the quake is often referred to as the “San Francisco Earthquake”, even though shaking damage was just as great in many other places along the fault rupture. Most of the fatalities related to the quake also occurred in San Francisco as well.
National archives record an estimated 3,000 deaths in the city related to the quake and subsequent fires, which destroyed nearly 500 city blocks and left half of the city’s population (roughly 400,000 residents at the time) homeless. It’s still considered one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. Despite all this, my son’s Great-Great-Great Grandparents were married in this city a short time after.
The Stock Market Crash of 1907
It’s speculated that the San Francisco natural disaster also contributed greatly to the financial panic of 1907. Damage from the earthquake and fire was estimated to be between $350- $500 million, equating to 1.3% to 1.8% of U. S. GNP in 1906. With the collapse of the Knickerbocker Trust Company in New York, world stock markets crashed in October of 1907. The Panic of 1907 led to the creation of the Federal Reserve System, which was designed to provide for an elastic currency and to act as a lender-of-last resort.
If you’re interested in further reading, The Panic of 1907: Lessons Learned from the Market’s Perfect Storm by Robert F. Bruner and Sean D. Carr is a good source. From what I recall (it’s been awhile since I’ve read it), a large part of the book covers when J.P. Morgan – the J.P. Morgan, not the bank – basically orchestrated a bail-out to get the gears turning again and provide liquidity to the stock market and overall economy. The intricacies of the Panic of 1907 is beyond the scope of this article, but it’s interesting how a natural disaster in San Francisco contributed to the creation of the modern Federal Reserve System and FDIC.
Back To The Gold Watch
As seen in the below pictures, the watch is in mint condition. Much of this is likely due to the watch being well taken care of all of these years, but I think the quality of the watch is also a main factor. A gorgeous enamel dial doesn’t fade as easily as a modern watch dial. Heat-blued steel hands prevent corrosion, maintaining their luster for longer.
The movement, recently serviced, still runs great and looks clean. It’s a grade 978 which dates to 1918 based on its serial number, and is “lever set”. Basically, the crystal has to be unscrewed and you have to pull out a small lever to set the time. I must admit, this was pretty confusing to figure out at first.
The finishing on the movement itself is beautiful, and as pointed out by Michael Maddan at Watchuseek.com, the nickel plates are decorated using a process called Damaskeening, something Hamilton was known for at the time. In reference to the watch, he also said something that I’d like to quote here:
My guess is that most folks have never seen anything like this, and find it difficult to believe that they were once in wide-spread use, as affordable–yet elegant–well-made timepieces from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA.
Think about it, a hand-decorated movement with a swan-neck regulator. A real enamel dial and temperature blued-hands in a gold case. How much would that cost today? I’m guessing a lot more than this watch originally cost back in the day, even after adjusting for inflation. And it was all made in America, when the American watchmaking industry was a powerhouse.
An International, Non-Sectarian Fraternal Order
The watch chain has an interesting symbol attached to it, which led me to still more history. The symbol is related to the Order of Knights of Pythias.
The Order of Knights of Pythias was established in 1864 in Washinton, DC by Justus H. Rathbone and is still around today. Interestingly, it was the first fraternal order to be chartered by an Act of Congress. This was after careful scrutiny by Abraham Lincoln, who was President at that time. It was created in part to help heal the wounds caused by the Civil War.
The Order follows three distinguishing principles, Friendship, Charity and Benevolence, and “bases its lessons and builds its ritual largely on the familiar story of the friendship of Damon and Pythias”. It has over 2,000 lodges and over 50,000 members around the world, although this is data as of 2003.
Wrapping Things Up
My son, still a toddler, won’t be gifted the watch officially until he’s a little older – or at least until he’s grown out of the habit of throwing things down the stairs and laughing uncontrollably after. The watch itself isn’t just a beautiful object to admire, it’s embedded with history.
That’s one of the great things about watches, and specifically heirloom watches that are passed down through the generations. They hold the history of our ancestors, and provide a way for us to connect with them in ways we otherwise never would have. Considering the many interesting times in history that the watch has made it through, it’s a minor miracle that it’s not only still in the family, but in such pristine condition.