Hamilton

Hamilton, founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1892, is a member of the Swatch Group, a global watch manufacturer and distributor. The brand represents the intersection of American innovation and Swiss precision. Perhaps best-known for debuting the world’s first electric timepiece in 1957 and LED digital watch in 1970, Hamilton watches have also appeared in more than 500 films.

Hamilton first came into prominence during the early days of the American railroads as a supplier of accurate timepieces that helped prevent accidents by synchronizing timing on the rails. In the early 1920s, Hamilton shifted its focus to the burgeoning aviation industry, making watches for the U.S. Postal Service as it launched the early versions of airmail.

At the intersection of American innovation and Swiss precision, Hamilton's Ventura model became the world’s first electrical battery-powered watch (1957) and Pulsar followed in 1970 as the world’s first LED digital watch. Since 2011, Hamilton has produced its own movements with ETA that allow for extended power reserves of up to 80 hours.

For nearly a century, Hamilton has also been associated with Hollywood and its stars, having appeared in more than 500 films, first in 1932 in Marlene Dietrich's "Shanghai Express." The Ventura was worn by Elvis Presley in "Blue Hawaii."

Hamilton has been a part of the Swatch Group since 1974. In 2003, its headquarters moved to Biel, Switzerland.

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