CASE SHAPES
As you learned in high school geometry, at least three lines are needed to make a primitive shape. Hamilton made watch cases into nine shapes. The following explains each case shape, along with a visual image.
When identifying the shape of a watch, it’s crucial to look at the watch face from a top-down perspective. Viewing it from other angles can result in an optical illusion and make a rectangular case appear curved like a tonneau. Additionally, cases with straight sides may have rounded or beveled edges, further causing rectangular cases to resemble tonneau shapes. Try to also ignore ornamental lugs, hooded lugs, or similar design elements. Focus on the core case shape. The shape of the case’s corners does not matter much either. For example, square cases can have smooth rounded corners, 90-degree angle corners, 45-degree angle corners referred to as “cut,” and other designs. Identification is about the lines of the case.
If you were to consider the hooded lugs of the 1956 Dorsey (highlighted in blue on the next page) or the decorative case corner scrolls of the 1955 Lloyd (in blue), you may identify them both as angular cases. If you focused solely on the core case shapes (highlighted in red) it should be apparent that they are rectangle and square cases; one with beveled hooded lugs and the other with a square-cut corner case with ornamentation.
Dorsey from the 1956 Hamilton catalog
Lloyd from the 1955 Hamilton catalog
Another example of ignoring the lugs is the Accumatic A-575. At first glance, it could appear to have a cushion- or tonneau-shaped case. When you look at it closer, you see a circle case (in red) with very dramatic lugs (in blue).
Accumatic A-575 from the 1961 Hamilton Catalog
Putnam from the 1933 Hamilton catalog
The dotted line with the Putnam removed
When trying to identify a case shape, don’t forget to consider how the design elements of the sides (not the lugs or corners) affect the lines of the case. The example below is a 1933 Putnam. Is it a rectangle case or tonneau? Remember, the case lines determine the shape, not the lugs. Don’t focus only on the bezel to determine the shape and ignore aspects like the stepped bump outs on the left and right of the Putnam. The Putnam has wider bowed left and right sides compared to the top and bottom, which is flat. I’ve illustrated this by drawing a blue dotted line around the case in the image below. As a result, I classify the Putnam case as a tonneau shape.
Angular:
An irregular shape with more than four even-numbered symmetrical sides when divided along both centerlines. Examples are the Adrian, Brewster, and Captain Rice models.
Asymmetrical:
An irregular shape that does not have equal or identical sides when divided along a vertical, horizontal, or both centerlines. Examples are the Pacermatic, Sea Ranger, and Flight I.
Carre:
Rounded top and bottom (red) with straight sides (blue). An example is the Bagley or 1927 Tonneau (the irony of the name is not lost on me).
Circle:
Round shape forming a circle. The Dateline A-580, Kingdon, and 1953 Rodney are examples.
Cushion:
The Cushion shape gets its name because it resembles a stuffed pillow with all four sides looking bowed out. It can be square or rectangular and originally had rounded corners but is now associated with hard corners too. It is a combination of the carre and tonneau shapes. The Blake, 1947 Roland, and one of the very first models appropriately named Cushion have this shape. Sometimes, as with the Lord Lancaster A, the curvature on all four sides is subtle but still evident.
Oval:
Elongated round shape. An example is the Dateline A-680 or the appropriately named 1927 Oval.
Rectangle:
Four sides where the opposite sides are of equal length. Examples of this are the Boone, Gordon, and Rutledge. Rectangles can often have rounded corners.
Square:
Four sides of equal length. Models considered square are the Blair, Lyle, and Thinomatic T-401.
Tonneau:
Has curved and bowed out sides (blue) with a straight top and bottom (red). This shape resembles a barrel and is often referred to as that. Examples of cases like this are the Barrel, Dennis, and Piping Rock models.
