The Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman, Now In A Much Smaller 41mm Case (Live Pics & Price)

One of the best marketing tools for a watch brand is an exciting, real-life action story. Whether providing field, dive, or even marine chronometer watches for US Army and Navy servicemen or appearing in cameos on the silver screen, many of Hamilton‘s historical watches have seen their fair share of action. The Frogman, Hamilton’s tough diver, got real-life experience with the US Navy’s underwater demolition teams and even appeared in the 1951 movie The Frogmen enacting dramatic missions undertaken by the combat divers. Revisited in 2022, Hamilton’s vintage military-grade dive watch resurfaced as the Khaki Navy Frogman in a formidable 46mm case with more contemporary aesthetics. Today, Hamilton expands the Frogman Auto with four new models in more compact 41mm cases.

Action-ready

Hamilton’s tough purpose-built diver with an unusual locking mechanism on the crown was part of the Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDUs) gear and used on mine-clearing missions in preparation for land invasions from 1943 on. One of the most distinctive features of the original waterproof Frogman was its screw-capped crown that looked like the lid of a canteen affixed to a small chain soldered onto the caseband, earning its nickname as the Canteen watch (Cartier’s Pasha has a similar-looking crown protection system).

If you visit Hamilton’s webpage, you’ll see many Khaki Navy Frogman Auto models in various case sizes with different crown protection systems and bezels. The Frogman Auto we are looking at is the model with the bridge-like protective structure on the crown and the more contemporary matte sandblasted finishings and wavy tactical rubber straps.

More compact

The four new 41mm models are mirror images of the four Khaki Navy Frogman divers released last year, except for the all-black PVD-coated stealth model (ref. H77845330) that has not made the cut. Comparing the two models side by side – as you can appreciate in our photos – the reduction in case size is substantial and will be welcomed by many. The more compact diameter of the stainless steel cases is also accompanied by a slight decrease in thickness from 13.58mm of the 46mm to 13.09mm.

As a rugged 300m water-resistant sports watch, most cases display brushed surfaces, although there are slim, polished bevels to highlight the architecture. The unidirectional rotating bezel to time dives has a notched and polished profile for better grip and is a matte black or silver colour. Like the 46mm models, the bezel features polished numerals and markings in relief and the inverted triangle with a luminous dot at noon.

Khaki & Black Dials

Hamilton introduces a new khaki green dial colour to the mix complementing the three black dial models. All the dials are matte and have a granular surface with large applied indices and an Arabic numeral at noon, all treated with Super-LumiNova. As Hamilton explains, the split Arabic numeral 12 is a nod to military aesthetics. All three hands – hour, minute and seconds – are also treated with Super-LumiNova. For enhanced visibility, the blunt-tipped minute and arrow-shaped seconds hands are enhanced with a bright orange outline that matches the Automatic 300m /1000ft inscription on the dial.

H-10 automatic

Like the 46mm version, the Khaki Navy Frogman Automatic 41mm is powered by the calibre H-10, Swatch Group’s powerful entry-level engine, also known as the Powermatic. Although it is hidden beneath the sealed caseback with a diver’s mask in the centre, this robust automatic delivers a beefy 80h power reserve and is fitted with a silicon escapement and Nivachron balance spring to improve resistance to shocks, temperature variations and magnetic fields.

Tactical rubber strap

The three models with black bezels come with khaki or black ‘tactical’ straps; in other words, wavy rubber straps that evoke all things maritime. The model with the silver bezel comes with a stainless steel bracelet.

Availability & Price

The new 41mm watches join the 46mm Khaki Navy Frogman Auto models and retail for EUR 1,295, USD 1,195 or CHF 1,150, the same price as the larger version. For more information, please visit hamiltonwatch.com.