Hamilton Pan Europ Chronograph

Project 99

"We have top men working on it... Top. Men." 

If you're imaging scientists in horn-rimmed glasses and lab coats tinkering away at an atom bomb trigger in a silo buried beneath the Nevada desert you are not alone. 

In 1969, a conglomerate of watch brands, headlined by Hamilton, Heuer and Breitling, created an automatic chronograph movement, the likes of which the world had never before seen.  The top-secret work conducted at the hands of world-class engineers was dubbed Project 99. 

There were three watch groups racing to be the first to release an automatic chronograph in the late 1960s; Zenith, Seiko and the joint Project 99 venture.  Ultimately, out of the competition greatness grew.  Zenith, the renown Swiss manufacture, would release its famed El Primero movement that found its way into many watches, including the Rolex Daytona.  Seiko, the incredibly innovative Japanese powerhouse, produced their 6139 movement that would later become the first automatic chronograph in space.  

While winner of this contest changes depending on who you ask, under the direction of Hamilton, Project 99 created some of the era's best looking watches: the Monaco, the Autavia and what we have here, the Hamilton Pan Europ.

Like its Heuer cousins, the Pan Europ is a racing chronograph through and through. With an internal tachymeter bezel, outer countdown rotating bezel and chronograph, the watch was clearly designed with Formula 1 racing in mind. The combination of blue dial and bezel, red accents and novel design cues (like the circular date aperture) endears this watch to fans of vintage chronographs from the golden era.

It’s not everyday that we get to offer a watch that is as stylish as it is historically important, but the Pan Europ is just such a piece. Today, we take automatic chronographs for granted, but consider this: in the hundreds of years of watchmaking history, it was only in the last four decades that these movements have been available. One hundred years ago you could buy a moon-phase, you could buy a perpetual calendar, and you could even buy a minute repeater, but not an automatic chronograph.

This particular watch comes from our own personal collection - and trust us, we're parting with it begrudgingly.  With a great case, crisp dial with light even patina, and a killer "ghosted" bezel, this Pan Europ simply oozes character, and we hope it will find a good home!

Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.