What makes the Lancaster 174 unique: Today, we’re delighted to showcase this breathtaking watch initially produced by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1935 — the Lancaster 174. The front of the watch boasts a gorgeous tan-colored dial with golden-brown numerals and a center design with the text “Ask the man who owns one,” a reference to the now-defunct luxury automotive manufacturer the Packard Motor Car Company. The company’s hot selling item in 1935 was the first-generation Packard One-Twenty. The watch’s dial also displays merlot gothic watch hands and a subdial for second-keeping. We encased this remarkable pocket watch within our luxurious Gilded Titanium case and topped it off with a matching gold-plated crown, making it look even more sumptuous and impressive. Our Gilded Titanium case features a transparent back, enabling you to view the pocket watch’s original 918-grade open-face movement with a micrometer regulator and Breguet hairspring. The watch’s rear side also exhibits 19 screw-set ruby jewels with gold settings, as well as gold-plated gears. To tie the piece together, we paired it with our artisan-designed Cordovan Oxblood leather watch strap, making the final product even more eye-catching.

The Hamilton Watch Company originally manufactured the pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1935, which was the same year that Frank Capra’s film It Happened One Night became the first film to sweep the Academy Awards. The hit romantic comedy starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Lead Actress, and Best Lead Actor. It Happened One Night is one of three films to win all five major categories at the Academy Awards. The two other films that won the same honor were One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in 1976 and Silence of the Lambs in 1992. In 1993, the Library of Congress preserved It Happened One Night in the US National Film Registry because of the film’s importance and widespread critical acclaim.