Article by Marc Levesque; photography by Brent Robillard
A personal touch
On the final day of the inaugural 2024 Toronto Timepiece Show, I decided to take one last lap around the showrooms. While waiting my turn to view the Marathon lineup, a gentleman next to their booth introduced himself as Joe Wein, the cousin of Mitchell Wein, the current President of the Marathon Watch Company. Joe had set up a small table displaying watches from Hampden. This brand, originally purchased by the Wein family in the 1950s, was in the process of being revived by Joe.
Among the watches on display, one model particularly caught my eye: the Burnham. It features a rather large case with a sub-seconds register at 9 o’clock, a power-reserve indicator at 6 o’clock, and a date window at 3 o’clock. While these features are not groundbreaking, what stood out was the solid case back. This case back can be custom-engraved and is designed to be removed without any tools. Underneath is a more traditional display back that reveals the beautifully finished movement.
The purpose of these removable medallions is to allow the owner to have anything they want engraved on them. This could include significant milestones such as a graduation, wedding date, the birth of a child, or even the logo of a favourite sports club. You can customize multiple medallions and swap them out whenever you’d like. For instance, if your team gets eliminated in the playoffs, you can easily switch to a different design. As a diehard Habs fan, I wouldn’t do that. However, a Leafs fan might need this flexibility, especially given their early playoff exits.
I thanked Joe for introducing me to his brand, and he took down my contact information. True to his professional nature, he followed up a few weeks later with a thoughtful email. In it, he offered to lend me one of the Hampden Burnhams and mentioned that they would be willing to create a custom medallion just for me. I playfully suggested engraving our podcast logo on the case back, which would be great. He responded, “That sounds fantastic, let’s make it happen!” I chose the one with a linen dial and sent our logo, and within days, I received a render to approve. Shortly thereafter, the watch was in my hands.
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Key Features of the Hampden Burnham
Case and case back
Let’s get the measurements out of the way. According to my calipers, the Burnham is 42mm in diameter and is 12.5mm thick with the medallion installed, and a sleek 11mm thick without it. The lug-to-lug measurement is 51mm. There’s no denying it’s a large watch; however, the downturned lugs enhance its wearability. I’ve mentioned this many times before: measurements on paper don’t always tell the whole story. What truly matters is how it wears; this watch wears exceptionally well.
The case is mainly brushed, except for the polished sides. At 3 o’clock, there is a stunning 7.5mm onion-style crown, and unlike most crowns of this design, this one is uniquely signed at its tip with the Hampden logo. The watch’s case back is secured by six polished flat screws that encircle the display back. An oval ring surrounds the sapphire glass, allowing the casecap to attach. To secure the medallion, align the oval cutout on the medallion with the oval protrusion on the case, then twist it slightly. This action engages two embedded bearings that click into place, holding the casecap securely.
If you want to view the movement while hiding the oval protrusion, an accompanying steel disc can be locked into place, exposing the glass. The lugs have a 22mm opening and feature two sets of spring bar holes. This design minimizes the gap between the leather straps and the case. I appreciate this choice and wish more companies would make this effort. A large gap between the leather strap and the case can be unsightly. Kudos to Hampden for going the extra mile!
Dial
Turning the watch right side up reveals a coin-edged bezel that leads to a polished ring surrounding a 35mm flat piece of sapphire glass. The off-white dial features a thin, printed railroad minute track along the edge, complemented by applied black Arabic numerals. None of these elements has been compromised by any other dial features. As mentioned, there is a small seconds register, a power reserve indicator, and a matching date window. All these components work together harmoniously, creating a balanced design without feeling too asymmetrical.
The hands of the watch are pretty unique, unlike anything I have seen before. The hand that rotates in the subdial is thin and has a small circle at its tail. The power-reserve hand is similar but slightly larger and painted red. The central hands are blue, skeletonized, and feature SuperLuminova Grade A tips. The same luminescent compound is used at the hour markers. While there isn’t a lot of lume on this watch, the lume that is present is quite effective. An anti-reflective coating on the crystal ensures the hands are visible from all angles.
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Movement
The hands are powered by a Sellita SW279-1 automatic movement, which is based on the SW200 movement, with the sub-seconds register and power-reserve complication included. The watch boasts a power reserve of 38 hours, operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour, and contains 31 jewels. Since I have had this watch, it has consistently kept time well within chronometer specifications. This reliability is a testament to the quality of the Marathon factory that manufactures these timepieces.
Strap & Bracelet Options
If you’re reading this and know me, you know I’m a stainless steel bracelet guy. However, there are extremely rare occasions when I prefer a watch on a leather strap. One of those occasions is with Panerai watches; they definitely belong on a strap. I feel the same way about this Hampden watch. Its large interhorn width, pronounced lugs, and closer spring bar holes make it look best on leather.
I prefer the light-colored strap, as it complements the light-colored dial perfectly. It is very supple and extremely comfortable. The other strap is a dark brown perforated racing-style strap, which looks great on the watch. Unfortunately, the supplied 3-link bracelet does not meet expectations. It rattles significantly, the links are connected using split pins, and the clasp is basic, lacking any push-button mechanisms or on-the-fly micro-adjustment. It does come with quick-release spring bars and is serviceable, but in today’s market, I expect much better, especially at this price point.
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Specs
| Case | 316L Stainless Steel 42mm Diameter 51mm Lug to Lug 22mm Lug width 11mm Thick (12.5mm /w Medallion) Screwed Case Back System 50m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Sapphire Crystal Off-White Dial Applied Arabic Numerals Custom Leaf-style Hands Power Reserve Indicator Small Seconds Date @ 3 Super-LumiNova (Tips of Handset) |
| Movement | Sellita SW279-1 31 Jewels 28 800vph 38-Hour Power Rewerve |
| Strap | Stainless Steel Bracelet, or Choice of Leather Strap |
Hampden Burnham
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Final Thoughts and Pricing
I must admit, I’m pretty sad to see this one go. I’ve had it for quite a while because Hampden asked me to hold onto it until they were fully production-ready. I’ve grown accustomed to it and have enjoyed wearing it, even though it’s on a leather strap. I am thrilled to keep the custom case back medallion. It reminds me of meeting Joe, his exceptional demeanour, professionalism, and warm generosity.
If you’re searching for something unique that you can personalize and modify occasionally, these watches might be just what you need. You can customize them to feature logos from your favourite baseball, football, or hockey teams. Alternatively, if you’re transitioning from wife number one to wife number two and need to change an engraving quickly, these watches can easily accommodate that. How about a team-building gift featuring your company logo?
The Hampden Model 1: Burnham is incredibly fun and well-made. It allows you to engrave anything your imagination can dream up. So why not give it a try? I’m sure you have already thought of something cool to create. Go for it! The price is $1,800 USD.
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About the author
Based in Montreal, Quebec, Marc has been an enthusiastic watch collector for well over three decades. Having witnessed and participated in the birth of the internet watch community, he has played a role on multiple watch forums and his articles have appeared on-line and in print since the late 1990s. Today his passion for all things horological is as pronounced as it has ever been, while he continues his never-ending search for watch next. You can follow him on Instagram.
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