Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Hamilton · American Classic
Hamilton American Classic 36 mm Mother-of-pearl Quartz
Reference 54554OR.49
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Hamilton
- Collection
- American Classic
- Model
- Hamilton American Classic 36 mm Mother-of-pearl Quartz
- Reference number
- 54554OR.49
- Year / era
- 1980 · 1980s — quartz-crisis era
- Complication
- Annual calendar
- Movement
- Quartz
- Case material
- Quartz TPT
- Dial type
- Mother-of-pearl
- Strap / bracelet
- Alligator leather with folding clasp
- Water resistance
- 500 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 36 mm
- Case thickness
- 12.6 mm
- Case material
- Quartz TPT
- Bezel
- Smooth polished
- Crystal
- Anti-reflective sapphire, double-domed
- Dial
- Mother-of-pearl
- Hands
- Blued steel Breguet-style hands
- Indexes
- Diamond-set hour markers
- Bracelet / strap
- Alligator leather with folding clasp
- Clasp / buckle
- Folding clasp in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 500 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 39D — Quartz
- Movement type
- Automatic, self-winding
- Frequency
- 36,000 vph (5 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 5 days
- Number of jewels
- 37 jewels
- Complications
- Annual calendar
- Functions
- Flying tourbillon, power reserve
- Watchmaker
- The calibre is built in-house and adjusted in five positions before delivery.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1980 – 1988
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Values have stabilised after the 2022 correction; condition and box-and-papers drive the premium.
Designer
Emmanuel Gueit
Emmanuel Gueit came from a family of Geneva jewellers and was barely into his twenties when he drew the oversized Royal Oak Offshore in 1993 — a watch the house's traditionalists resisted and collectors turned into an icon.
Historical significance
Hamilton American Classic 36 mm Mother-of-pearl Quartz sits within Hamilton's American Classic line, introduced in 1980. It carries the house codes established since 1892 — quartz tpt case, mother-of-pearl dial and quartz — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
- The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
The House
Hamilton
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1892
- Founder
- Adam Bopst & Charles Rood
- Headquarters
- United States
- Tier
- Affordable & Tool Watches
- Major collections
- Khaki Field, Khaki Navy, Jazzmaster, Ventura, American Classic
- Signature technologies
- In-house hairspring production · Composite and ceramic case materials · Anti-magnetic silicon escapement
- Famous movements
- Automatic COSC chronometer · Quartz · Automatic Powermatic 80 · Automatic, 38-hour reserve
- Notable watches
- Hamilton Khaki Field 37 mm Blue Carbon (1976) · Hamilton Khaki Field 44 mm Salmon Grade (1952) · Hamilton Khaki Field 37 mm Mother-of-pearl Sapphire (1982) · Hamilton Khaki Field 37 mm Meteorite Stainless (1985)
Brand history
Hamilton has spent more than 134 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Khaki Field, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Adam Bopst & Charles Rood established Hamilton in 1892, working from United States at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Hamilton calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1892
Adam Bopst & Charles Rood founds Hamilton in United States.
1899
Hamilton earns its first international recognition for precision timekeeping.
1969
The quartz era forces Hamilton to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Hamilton enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Hamilton continues to produce Khaki Field, Khaki Navy, Jazzmaster and other icons in limited numbers.
More American Classic
Hamilton American Classic 36 mm Black Grade
Ref. 30283OR.62
Hamilton American Classic 38 mm Black 18k
Ref. 82191OR.21
Hamilton American Classic 42 mm Green Stainless
Ref. 83862ST.81
Hamilton American Classic 43 mm Silvered 18k
Ref. 41022OR.13
Hamilton American Classic 43 mm Meteorite Stainless
Ref. 80620ST.58