Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm – Super Accessible, Cool and Hand-Wound
Sometimes – yes, it does happen to us, watch snobs – we like to take a look at some watches that could be labelled “value propositions”. By that, we don’t mean just an accessible price but insist on outstanding value for money. And Swiss brand Hamilton will be launching something along these lines very soon: cool and historically relevant design, right proportions, mechanical movement (and hand-wound in addition to that) and with a very, very friendly price… Meet the new Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm.
The new Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm is inspired by a mid-20th-century model named the Hamilton “Hacked”. This weird name comes from the capacity of these watches to make the seconds hand stop when the crown is pulled – a feature that enabled military forces to synchronise their watches, even if it has now become an almost mandatory feature on most modern timepieces. To make a long story short, this new Hamilton watch is deeply inspired by vintage military watches created by the brand.
There are several very interesting points in this Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm. First of all, as indicated by its name, its case is nicely proportioned, with a reasonable diameter – reinforcing the vintage look. Also, the finishing of the case, entirely matte, is a fitting reference to military watches. The dial is in the same vein, with a typical double-hour scale (a large one from 0 to 12 and another one from 13 to 24). A black matte dial, large Arabic numerals, small luminous triangles at each hour, military-inspired hands, no date… Clearly, there’s a lot to love here. Hamilton even pushed the cool factor up a notch with the creamed-coloured indexes and hands, just like old tritium.
Affordable doesn’t mean poorly equipped either. Indeed, the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm is worn on a nice NATO strap with leather inserts. It features a sapphire crystal on the dial side and a decent water-resistance of 50m (a bit more would have been welcome though). Inside the case is the best part of this watch: a hand-wound ETA 2801-2 movement. Just like vintage watches, the “morning ritual” of winding your watch will be back. The movement is hidden behind a plain steel case back.
The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm is a cool watch that focusses on the essentials: a vintage and military-inspired design, reasonable dimensions, a simple but reliable hand-wound movement and great details all around. And the best part of all… It is priced at EUR 420. That’s a lot of bang for your buck.
Only available on Hamilton’s e-shop – pre-orders opened, deliveries expected in February 2018.
13 responses
Now this is just about perfect for Hamilton, well done! What’s not to like about this piece? It even has drilled lug holes for easy strap changes. Yes, you have to like the vintage inspired look (which I agree is a little over done these days), but what a fun watch for the money.
Very nice, I want one. Would replace my Sub as my watch for the woods and hunting. Tried the link, found Hamiltons site but no e-shop and not the watch. Any ideas on how to find it?
Very neat, indeed! Congrats to Hamilton.
Wondering why IWC can’t get their act together and finally offer a worthy sucessor to their Mk XI. It’s not that difficult …
Nice watch, but the seiko 5 military is significantly cheaper and pretty much exactly the same. For a bash around cheapy i know what Id buy
Ordered! … and apparently already shipped?! 😀
If you are in the US, you’ll find here: https://shop.hamiltonwatch.com/hamilton-collection/field/khaki-field-officer-mechanical-h69429931.html
Thank You Mr. Goulard very making us aware.
Great gift idea for a young man or woman.
Or an old duffer.
Where can someone living in Europe get a hold of this?
Great looking piece. Would love to see all Hamiltons upgraded with a screw down crown. Not just for the water resistance but their crowns are always too big.
Ordered! And they shipped it already!
Whiskeywatcher, you aren’t wrong about this Hamilton’s general look vs the seiko 5. However, I’d go with this Hamilton as a more historically relevant watch. There’s nothing wrong with the seiko 5, but it’s just another random watch they make. This Hamilton has some interesting history behind its design. This watch could certainly be viewed as a beater and treated as such, but I prefer to look at it as a window to Hamilton’s past and their heritage. Just 2 cents from a guy with a seiko 5 currently on their wrist. Plus, I already bought this Hamilton so I have to justify it somehow.
I tried this on the other day and it fell flat. The lugs are wrong- they just stick out as if trying to make up for a small case, rather than actively contributing to its discretion. I thought I’d like the sandblast finish but it is a “shiny” sandblast. And the NATO should not have leather inserts/holders; this is a sure sign of a “dept. store watch”.
The dial is OK but too busy, which detracts from its clarity. The addition of the 24 hour scale is pointless. What is the army saying? Their soldiers can make split-second, life-or-death, UNCHR judgements in a war-zone but can’t subtract 12?
Well, what a difference 2.5 months makes. I have tried this watch on in various boutiques since my last post. I just couldn’t get it out of my head. I finally went to an AD today (with a loupe!) and was pleased to see that the dial printing is crisp and generous, the hands are well finished including along the sides and I really like the second hand. I would still rather the lugs were shorter and the 24hr register had been left out, but the innate charm and heritage of the piece eventually won me over. I immediately replaced the strap with a proper olive green NATO.