French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer case

[Circe]

I wasn't planning to get a watch.

I mean, I idly mused on the possibility of getting a fancy watch - like, a stainless steel Cartier Roadster, maybe! - for my 35th birthday, next year.

Something practical.

Then I made the mistake of checking to see what was on auction in the world of french cuts.

 

[Circe]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

In my own defense: I DO have a birthday coming up. Just, you know, not a biggie. The thing is, though, in all my many years of browsing, I've never seen one like this: I saw a carre one in this style on Israel Rose two or three years ago, and I bookmarked it because it was way out of my budgetary reach at the time, and then I mourned when it sold almost immediately. And since I don't like to repeat my mistakes ....

 

[texaskj]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

Oh Circe.........that's to die for, really. Women's watches from that period are just so pretty and feminine. I'd destroy one in a hour, but I can appreciate them.

 

[Circe]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

It was calling to me! And, frankly, since neither practicality nor modesty keeps me from wearing my OTHER blingtastic pieces on a day-to-day basis, I think I'm going to be getting a lot of value out of this if we go by cost per wear.

Nevertheless, expect me in Pre-Loved, a'sellin' a few pieces soon.

In the meantime ... eye candy, anyone? A close-up of the cut ... a few props ....

 

[Circe]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

Thanks, TexasKJ! I'm hoping this one is a toughie: between the channel set stones and the sturdy platinum, it looks like it's built like a (scale model) tank.

Two more shots, one close-up and one somewhat blurry wrist-shot for perspective aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I'm out.

 

[Niel]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

Im in love The numbers are so cute!
Oh and of course the diamonds

 

[canuk-gal]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

HI:

Ohhh, well done! That IS a tasty treat.

How is it, mechanically?

As an aside, I must check IR's website again.....

cheers--Sharon

 

[Rosebloom]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

What a wonderful addition to your spectacular collection!

(And I can't wait to see what goodies you put up on Preloved!)

 

[pandabee]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

wow Circe that's gorgeous!! Will you keep the watch on the cord or will you try to replace it with metal links (if that is even a possibility)

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

Wow!!!! I do SO love french cuts, and what an amazing find!!!!

I want to see a closer shot of the watch with your gorgeous rings!

 

[Schafenm]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

Holy Cow!! That is to die for! Congratulations on your find and for scooping it up! It is beautiful!!

 

[Lula]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

That is a gorgeous watch! It looks great with your wedding set.

 

[junebug17]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

It's amazing!!! I've never seen anything quite like it, such a gorgeous piece! I'm going to sound really old and say that they don't make 'em like this anymore! Looks absolutely perfect on your wrist and is so lovely with your wedding set!

 

[Matata]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

Delicious, delectable, dreamy, divine. I had no idea such a thing as french cuts in watches existed. Congratulations.

 

[GemFever]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca



Oh Circe.

You said auction.. is that an ebay auction? Or elsewhere?

Amazing. Congrats!

 

[lorrissey]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

 

[chel180]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

Oh that's beautiful. Just interested but how does it attach round your wrist? Am I seeing a cable chain type strap? Very unique either way!

 

[Ally T]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

That is a seriously beautiful & feminine watch. I love it!

 

[missy]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

Circe, your watch is simply stunning! Those french cuts TDF!
What a wonderful purchase!! Wear your watch in health and happiness!!
(and every birthday is special IMO so no need to wait for that milestone bday for a special purchase! )

 

[Malbec54]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

I love this watch -- so unique. You should definitely snap it up because some of the ones I've seen online aren't in great shape.
I have a very similar Hamilton watch (black band, etc.) that was my grandmother's, only the face is round and the diamonds surrounding it are round and baguettes. I've always wanted to find out how much it was worth, but don't know of any jewelers in my area who specialize in this type of thing. I'll try and post a picture when I get home later tonight.

 

[lknvrb4]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

Very beautiful!

 

[yennyfire]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

OMG! That watch is amaze balls!! What an amazing find!!

 

[Skippy123]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

oh wow, that is Stunning!!!

 

[ame]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

WOW. That's divine!!!

I too am trying to think of a nice marker for my upcoming 35th. I just never wear anything.

 

[Circe]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

Im in love The numbers are so cute!
Oh and of course the diamonds

Thanks, NeilSeel! It's fascinating how different the styles are - I'm not sure exactly how old mine is (the only info on Dinhofer I can find online is a bunch of patents he applied for in '49 ... but this looks more 30s to me, so I don't know if it's early work, or a relative, or what). But if you compare this to some of the other Hamilton's around, there's the really swirly school, and the blockier sort of Deco school I've got. Wonder which came first, or if they were contemporaneous!

HI:

Ohhh, well done! That IS a tasty treat.

How is it, mechanically?

As an aside, I must check IR's website again.....

cheers--Sharon

Thanks Sharon! I only received it yesterday afternoon, and it's keeping perfect time so far. I need to take it in to have the strap changed: am wondering if I should get it serviced, too, as a matter of principle. The listing said it had been serviced recently, so ... perhaps I will see what they charge.

And, yeah, go look at the pretty on IR! They have one five carater I just like to ogle.

What a wonderful addition to your spectacular collection!

(And I can't wait to see what goodies you put up on Preloved!)

Rosebloom, thank you, thank you! I do quite like the fact they're all sort of from the same period - it looks like I started collecting Art Deco without meaning to! It's sort of funny, since I always thought of myself more as a Victorian, Art Nouveau-y kinda gal. But the heart wants what it wants! And apparently mine wants french-cut diamonds.

wow Circe that's gorgeous!! Will you keep the watch on the cord or will you try to replace it with metal links (if that is even a possibility)

Thanks, PandaBee! One of the first things I did after I got the watch was to track down a metal bracelet. The look of the cord is lovely, but it makes me nervous to wear a jeweled watch on what's basically a piece of string. So I'll hit my local watch shop and have them transfer it! Same look, just on a wheat-chain instead of a silk cord. Now, if I ever hit the lotto, what I'll do is have a bunch more of those two-stone links made up like you see on the end-pieces ...

Wow!!!! I do SO love french cuts, and what an amazing find!!!!

I want to see a closer shot of the watch with your gorgeous rings!

Thanks, DS! I will do my best - I feel like while I'm okay at handshots, wrist-shots are the bane of my existence! I wind up contorting myself like an acrobat. Perhaps I will just pose them together, or see if I can find an accommodating friend ....

Holy Cow!! That is to die for! Congratulations on your find and for scooping it up! It is beautiful!!

Schafenm, thank you so much! I really can't stop staring at it.

That is a gorgeous watch! It looks great with your wedding set.

Thank you, Lula! Am I crazy, or do I remember your posting a gorgeous watch a little while ago?

It's amazing!!! I've never seen anything quite like it, such a gorgeous piece! I'm going to sound really old and say that they don't make 'em like this anymore! Looks absolutely perfect on your wrist and is so lovely with your wedding set!

Junebug, if you sound old, I'll sound antediluvian, because it's a crying shame that our standards have fallen. I look at this, or at the little beaded coin purse I posed it on, or the mother-of-pearl opera glasses, and I want to cry, because outside of a very few toys produced for the very rich, that level of craftsmanship has disappeared from the world. On the other hand, more of us enjoy a better standard of living. It's a worthy trade-off, but ... it's be nice to have both. Eh, that's why I shop vintage so much!

Delicious, delectable, dreamy, divine. I had no idea such a thing as french cuts in watches existed. Congratulations.

Hee, thanks Matata! Until I saw this one, neither did I! Hence the pouncing.

P.S. - I feel like "Hence the Pouncing" might have to be the title of my autobiography.

Oh Circe.

You said auction.. is that an ebay auction? Or elsewhere?

Amazing. Congrats!

Gemfever - thank you! It was indeed an eBay buy: the seller had a best offer up, so we went back and forth for a bit and then I snapped it up. I've been watching your thread on eBay successes with great fascination, btw - you have a wonderful eye!

Me, too! Thank you!

Oh that's beautiful. Just interested but how does it attach round your wrist? Am I seeing a cable chain type strap? Very unique either way!

Thanks, Chel! This one is a silk cord with a clasp at the back, but in a little bit it'll be a wheat-chain. Will post pics!

That is a seriously beautiful & feminine watch. I love it!

Thank you, Alex! It does make me feel very refined.

Circe, your watch is simply stunning! Those french cuts TDF!
What a wonderful purchase!! Wear your watch in health and happiness!!
(and every birthday is special IMO so no need to wait for that milestone bday for a special purchase! )

Thank you, Missy! I know you're right, but sometimes I look for justification. This time around, it will be rarity! And also the fact that I will love it and hug it and etc.

I love this watch -- so unique. You should definitely snap it up because some of the ones I've seen online aren't in great shape.
I have a very similar Hamilton watch (black band, etc.) that was my grandmother's, only the face is round and the diamonds surrounding it are round and baguettes. I've always wanted to find out how much it was worth, but don't know of any jewelers in my area who specialize in this type of thing. I'll try and post a picture when I get home later tonight.

Ooo, please do! I would love to see it. I wonder if there's a "Show Me Your Watch" thread anywhere ... if not, we should start one.

Very beautiful!

Thank you!

OMG! That watch is amaze balls!! What an amazing find!!

Yenny, thank you so much!

oh wow, that is Stunning!!!

Thank you Skippy! I lurves it.

WOW. That's divine!!!

I too am trying to think of a nice marker for my upcoming 35th. I just never wear anything.

Thanks, Ame! I always figure ... it's never too late to start! I didn't wear bracelets until a while ago, and then I found the one I wear everyday, and as I think I put it in Laila's thread ... love at first bracelet!

 

[iheartscience]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

WOW. I LOVE THIS. It is SO STUNNING. Wear it in good health!

 

[GemFever]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

Circe, if I'm remembering correctly, you are a professor, right? I think a university is a great environment to wear a beautiful piece like this. It's classy, cultural, historic, tasteful... And not too flashy. It could be dressed up for the opera or dressed down for the university classroom. Perfection. Only if I (or probably most other PSers) were your student, I'd have a hard time concentrating on the lesson!

But I can just imagine a Lit prof wearing something like this while discussing the Great Gatsby!

 

[vintagelover229]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

 

[backwardsandinheels]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

As Sheryl Crow sings, I hope this is your favorite mistake. What a dream watch!
I do have a pretty old one as well that keeps time as well as a Silly Band. It's lovely and I just wear it on night's out and just say "oh it needs to be rewound". I don't expect anything so pretty to have to work, kinda like a Kardashian...

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

Re: French-cut diamond watch - vintage Hamilton, Dinhofer ca

Oh Circe! Your thread came at a perfect time for me! I am also looking for a vintage watch and your's just blew everything I am watching out of the water!!!!!!! I mean LOOK AT THOSE FRENCH CUTS!!!! I am in awe!!!