With the improvement in the situation in many countries, the easing of COVID-19 restrictions opens the way for us to return and observe events. We had the pleasure of joining the Hamilton team in the beautiful alpine village of Zermatt, dramatically set against the pyramid of the Matterhorn, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their partnership with the renowned rescue unit Air Zermatt. A wonderful opportunity to work hands-on with a limited edition watch released for this occasion - the new Khaki Aviation Converter Auto Chrono Air Zermatt model.
Founded in 1968, Air Zermatt is a transport and rescue unit in the Swiss Alps. For more than 50 years, the company has been at the forefront of mountain rescue operations and saving lives. With a team of 75 pilots, paramedics, technicians, and support staff, a fleet of 11 helicopters, and a training school, it is a world benchmark in aerial rescue. Hamilton's long-standing ties with aviation need no introduction, and the brand has been collaborating with Air Zermatt for ten years. As part of this collaboration, several special Air Zermatt x Hamilton watch series have been released since 2011. To mark the 10-year partnership, Hamilton is releasing a new limited edition watch based on the recent Aviation Converter collection, with its chronograph executed in the colors of the glacier-blue logo of the rescue team.
Introduced in 2020, the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Converter stands out in the brand's collection by featuring a logarithmic bezel "slide-rule." Invented in the 1940s, such rotating bezels allow pilots to perform essential calculations on the ground before takeoff and in the air for factors such as flight speed, distance, fuel consumption, or flight time. The bidirectional knurled bezel and its logarithmic E6B graduations interact with a fixed scale around the dial. In this case, it is combined with a chronograph and paired with a tachymetric scale. Although modern electronic devices have taken precedence, they certainly give the watch a super-technical (and complex) look.
The diameter of the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Converter Auto Chrono is 44 mm, but if you are ready for a watch of this size, it remains quite comfortable on the wrist thanks to the curved lugs. The Air Zermatt limited edition is presented in a steel case with satin surfaces highlighted by polished details. The black dial features glacier-blue chronograph sub-dials and blue index details. The small seconds hand and the tip of the central chronograph seconds hand are highlighted in red. The blue accents certainly bring a fresh contemporary touch to this edition, distinguishing it from traditional watches with a slide rule scale.
As you might have guessed from the dial layout, the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Converter Auto Chrono is equipped with a chronograph movement based on the 7750. But that's not all... The automatic caliber H-21 Si is based on the time-tested Valjoux cam-lever architecture, but with several notable upgrades. The balance spring is made of silicon and is therefore unaffected by magnetism, which is undoubtedly an advantage in the cockpit... or at the desk.
The balance still ticks at a frequency of 4 Hz, but the movement's kinetic chain has also been optimized, resulting in an increased power reserve of up to 60 hours (compared to 42 hours for the traditional 7750 model). The display includes hours, minutes, seconds, a chronograph with a central seconds hand, 30-minute and 12-hour counters, as well as day/date indication. The Hamilton Calibre H-21 Si can be seen through the screw-down exhibition case back, which bears the Air Zermatt logo. The crown screws down, and the watch is water-resistant to 100 m.
The Hamilton Khaki Aviation Converter Auto Chrono Air Zermatt comes on a black calf leather strap with an Air Zermatt rivet and two sets of holes matching the signature Hamilton H-buckle.
Availability and Price
The watch is released in a limited edition of 988 pieces and will be delivered in packaging inspired by the Emergency Location Transmitter (ELT) device found aboard Air Zermatt helicopters. The price is set at 2,295 Swiss francs, 2,145 euros, or 2,395 US dollars, which, as with Hamilton, represents excellent value for money.
More detailed information can be found on the website www.hamiltonwatch.com.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS – HAMILTON KHAKI AVIATION CONVERTER AUTO CHRONO AIR ZERMATT
Case: Diameter 44 mm x height 14.60 mm - stainless steel case - bidirectional bezel with K1 mineral glass - screw-down crown - sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating - water resistance up to 100 meters
Dial: Black dial with blue sub-dials, tachymeter, logarithmic scale, nickel-plated hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova, nickel-plated central chronograph hand with red tip
Movement: Caliber H-21-Si (base ETA 7750) - automatic cam-lever chronograph - 25 jewels - frequency 4 Hz - silicon balance spring - 60-hour power reserve - hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph with 30-minute and 12-hour counters, day/date function
Strap: Black calf leather strap with Hamilton H-buckle - lug width 22 mm
Reference: H76706730
Availability: Limited to 988 pieces
Price: 2295 CHF, 2145 EUR, 2395 USD.
