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Production
Date: 1940 - 1949
Price When New: $50.00
Case: 10K Yellow Gold-filled
Case Manufacturer: Wadsworth
Production for this Variation: 1,081
Movement:
986A - 17-jewel Movement
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Comments:
This is a 10K yellow gold-filled Cushion which was modeled after the
second generation Hamilton
Cushion and is a very scarce variation.
During World War II, government
restrictions required that Hamilton production concentrate on the
war effort and indeed, no consumer models were manufactured during
the war with the exception of the 10K gold-filled Cushion.* These
war-time Cushions are distinct from the 1920's Cushion as they were
produced in 10K gold-filled and the case manufacture, "Wadsworth"
was stamped on the outer back of the case (there are examples of 14K
gold-filled variations in yellow and
white gold-filled
with the "Wadsworth" stamp, but they are very scarce). Also,
war-time Cushions utilized obsolete 986 and 986A movements which
were out of production for nearly 20 years.
The vast majority of these Cushions
were manufactured during war-time and in an effort to conserve war-time essentials such as brass and stainless steel, many were
made of vermeil - 10K gold over a sterling silver base.
* Hamilton may have
produced several other models utilizing inventoried movements such
as the
rolled gold-plate "Andrews."
