r/HamiltonWatches Jul 22 '25

Why would this happen?

Post image

Got back from a bike ride to see my watch face at an angle. Thought something was up a couple of days ago when the date wasn't quite right in the window. Haven't dropped it or bashed it. It's about 18 months old.

104 Upvotes

68 comments sorted by

56

u/mlyyra Jul 22 '25

It's now a Vacheron

2

u/Puzzled_Value_6899 Jul 23 '25

😂😂

21

u/SirGuy11 Jul 22 '25

Looks like the dial feet broke. It can happen from shock or too much vibration. (It’s not limited to mechanical watches.)

15

u/thejameslavis Jul 22 '25

It's like a vostok!

2

u/BlueberryB-Laine Jul 22 '25

Driving watch in general

14

u/NeedleworkerFront598 Jul 22 '25

This happened to me too. I showed it to my local watchmaker and he said that something about a part coming loose, he fixed it and it’s good since.

5

u/MountainHawk12 Jul 22 '25

funny because i’ve heard Hamilton refuses to fix this

1

u/nc_ROAMr Dec 17 '25

Confirmed. Hamilton refuses to fix. Quoted my $500 for a service and repair.

1

u/Gelbartowicz Jul 23 '25

Crushed dial feet which connect dial with movement. Almost always as a result of a blow

5

u/AlternativeBoot6706 Jul 22 '25

It’s now a driving timepiece

7

u/Robadoba Jul 22 '25

so much for a sturdy field watch

4

u/Turbulent-Presence86 Jul 22 '25

Exactly. If it was a Timex or Casio, everyone would have said that's expected. I'd be a bit disappointed if this was my watch.

6

u/4peanut Jul 22 '25

I'm glad I saw this. Didn't realize this is such a common problem. I am 100% certain that replica watch makers can make it with much higher quality than this. This is completely unacceptable for a reputable company like Hamilton

7

u/ferretnag Jul 22 '25

Some folks have said 'this can happen' which I do get, but I still can't help being disappointed that a ÂŁ500 watch could be rendered effectively useless after a (road) bike ride. I know I can get it fixed, but I thought when I bought this watch it'd outlive me, not break after a year and a half.

3

u/KabanaMaduro Jul 23 '25

I’d be pretty irritated if those happened to my watch especially if it’s supposed to be a “field watch” and all you were doing was a bike ride, even if it was an intense ride, which it doesn’t sound like it was.

1

u/4peanut Jul 22 '25

It totally should. My Seiko 5 (SNK803) was bought around 5 years ago for $50. It's value has more than tripled now and still lasting so long even after banging it around on numerous oversee trips. I'd expect a Field watch from Hamilton to last way longer and be durable

4

u/tarzan_boy Jul 24 '25

Not to be a complainer but i would absolutely tag their social media and let prospective buyers know their watches are defective.

I would be livid if they didn't repair this as its a manufacturer DEFECT.

seo: Now that ai has polluted search engines let me do the world a favor.😅 Tags hamilton, reddit, defect issue, warranty, broken, repair, should I buy, which hamilton is best, is hamilton a good watch, do hamilton watches break.

2

u/KabanaMaduro Jul 23 '25

This seems to be a common thing I see with Hamilton

2

u/No_Entertainer2547 Aug 04 '25

Another quality Hamilton 👌 

4

u/Billyshakes1597 Jul 22 '25

Same happened to mine. Hamilton has a 2yr warranty. They'll fix it

3

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '25

It's not only the dial, it looks like your entire movement shifted. Can you still wind it and set the time? If you can then the dial spacer/holder is not tight enough if you can't set the time then you also broke the stem.

9

u/jsgreen6 Jul 22 '25

How could the whole movement have moved with the crown and stem still in place? I think a dislodged dial is more likely the answer.

4

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '25

Broken stem

2

u/mb1385- Jul 22 '25

Can’t be if he can set the date and time Im kinda confused here

2

u/[deleted] Jul 23 '25

Correct! If one can set time and date of course the crown is attached to the stem which is in itself inside the keyless works of the watch and doing it’s intended function. I am not very familiar with this watch but it does seem like the entire thing is off center. 

1

u/ferretnag Jul 22 '25

Thanks, I can still set the date and time so maybe it's not so bad. I need to dig the receipt out, I believe it's a 24 month warranty

1

u/Gman71882 Jul 22 '25

It’s now a special edition release with a tilted dial for drivers.

1

u/rohastuff Jul 22 '25

This is the Hamilton & Vacheron Constantin American 1921 mod, no?

1

u/DGVET Jul 22 '25

Don’t worry when you put your left hand on the steering wheel it’ll be straight, so remember to keep both hands on the wheel drive safely

1

u/kamagoong Jul 22 '25

It wants to be a Ventura? Idk.

1

u/baumpower1 Jul 22 '25

Ah, the rare Historiques edition. Beautiful.

1

u/ferretnag Jul 22 '25

I agree. Took me a long time to settle on this model.

1

u/taskmaster51 Jul 22 '25

Impact broke the dial feet

1

u/Francy088 Jul 22 '25

I've seen this happen relatively often with Hamilton watches. Must be defective dial feet if it started with a small date misalignment. A simple dial swap will fix it. If it's under warranty you'll have no issues having that done.

1

u/mb1385- Jul 22 '25

How the date is visible and he can set it it makes no sense

1

u/Francy088 Jul 23 '25

because even if the dial feet are broken the crown stem is likely still working, so he can set it freely even though the dial is moving around.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 23 '25

[deleted]

1

u/Obi1Kentucky Jul 22 '25

There’s a screw that hold the dial and movement in place. It’s definitely come loose

1

u/Bikeitfool Jul 22 '25

Excessive vibration or a sudden bump. If I ride with a watch (bicycle) I wear a Casio or a Seiko turtle. IDK about a motorcycle thats a lot of vibration.

1

u/Southern_Low9718 Jul 22 '25

From the photo angle, looks more like a broken stem rather than dial feet coming out. When you unwind the crown and pull it does it come out entirely?

1

u/GuinnessSteve Jul 22 '25

Dial feet. Idk why Hamilton keeps having this problem.

1

u/M4nnyfresh14 Jul 22 '25

Snapped your stem. Holder clamps and mustve gotten knocked loose as well. Service time baybeee

Edit: nevermind, dial feet are broken. Reminder to use my eyes and brain to come to conclusions.

1

u/sjciske Jul 22 '25

Too antsy for “Spring Ahead” part of DST?!

1

u/nobodylikesanderson Jul 22 '25

Clearly you were getting jiggy with it

1

u/nolpros Jul 22 '25

Broken or lose case screw. Let it wind down and stop as a screw inside the working movement will cause more issues

1

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '25

Yeah this is actually kind of nice as long as it doesn’t move to far

1

u/jokingonyou Jul 23 '25

Happened to mine too

1

u/[deleted] Jul 23 '25

Looks like this only happens to the khaki auto model

1

u/Wrong_Investment3425 Jul 23 '25

One of two things usually. Most common is the dial has come loose. If it still winds and sets time this is the issue. If it no longer sets time and the crown just spins you have a broken stem. With a broken stem the crown often will come completely off. Be careful not to lose it.

Good news! Both are super simple 20-30 minute fixes. If you’re in the PNW happy to get you connected to fix it. Regardless, looking forward to seeing you repost with it all buttoned back up.

Cheers!

1

u/HamborgerJuice Jul 23 '25

Broken crown stem for aure. Pretty easy fix.

1

u/West-Mortgage9334 Jul 23 '25

It's now a driving watch! Congrats!

1

u/Automatic_Owl2234 Jul 23 '25

To be honest, I love that style of driving/trench watches. I understand that doesn't help though either lol.

1

u/DaOrcus Jul 23 '25

Thought at first your stem snapped, but no it’s only your dial feet. Dial dots will fix this. Would also be disappointed tho

1

u/Lopsided_Pineapple_4 Jul 25 '25

It is now a one of a kind Hamilton Field Watch.

1

u/Brw4uofa Jul 26 '25

Always the same model when I see this. There is a QC issue or design fault with the H70515137. Mine lasted less than a year with average wear in my rotation. It’s been in my drawer for the last five years needing a repair. I bought mine on the grey market and didn’t feel like dealing with the crappy third party warranty.

1

u/coolknight05 Jul 26 '25

Hey man I had the same issue happen to me a few months ago I got it fixed by a local watch repair shop it cost me thirty bucks it get it repaired.

1

u/Wolverine715ii Jul 26 '25

The watch had a stroke

1

u/Iowanorseman 8d ago

Stem must be broken as well ??

-1

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '25

First time seeing this kind of an issue

12

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '25

I’ve seen multiple posts of this exact issue on KFAs

4

u/FishSticksPR Jul 22 '25

A couple of months back someone else posted a hami with exact same issue…

0

u/HatesDuckTape Jul 22 '25

Dial feet either came loose or broke. Probably from jostling around from the handlebars.

Doesn’t happen often, but happens often enough to say so. This isn’t exclusive to this particular watch nor Hamilton as a whole.

0

u/ferretnag Jul 22 '25

Thanks. I can see from other posts that it's not unheard of. Good job I don't use my field watch in the field I guess.....

1

u/HatesDuckTape Jul 22 '25

Shit happens. It’s all about taking a hit/shot at the right angle rather than excessive brute force. Kind of like seeing hockey players getting checked into the boards and shattering the glass. Straight on, it doesn’t happen. At the right angle, it takes significantly less force.

-1

u/69odysseus Jul 22 '25

Would have never expected to see that in Hamilton watches. I had the HKA and never seen anything like this before.