Hamilton, once one of the greatest American watch manufacturers, became a pioneer in field watches during World War I.
Supplying precise railroad watches to soldiers under General Pershing's command, Hamilton adapted its pocket watches to wristwatch format, ultimately providing over a million wristwatches to the American military during World War II. Nearly 80 years later, Hamilton, now a Swatch Group brand, recalls the history of American military training by releasing popular Khaki Field models with the slogan 'go anywhere, do anything'. Following last year's release of the Khaki Field Expedition collection with a compass bezel, Hamilton expands the range with military-style NATO straps.
Field watches, also known as trench watches, were developed as rugged, utilitarian combat companions for the Boer War and World War I. Much more practical than pocket watches, these wristwatches on straps gradually replaced traditional pocket watches and began to be used by civilians. Pragmatic, reliable, and easy to handle thanks to high-contrast displays and luminous hands, field watches endured the harsh conditions of battle, providing soldiers with reliable timekeeping for synchronizing artillery maneuvers.
The Khaki Field Expedition collection is characterized by the reliability, durability, simplicity, and legibility of Hamilton's field watches, enhanced with a bidirectional compass bezel. The rotating bezel ring, designed for outdoor adventures and exploration, can be used to determine compass position. To orient in the Northern Hemisphere, align the hour hand with the current position of the Sun and turn the 'S' (South) ring on the bezel to the midpoint between the hour hand and the '12 o'clock' marker on the dial.
The Khaki Field Expedition watches are designed for a wide range of wrist sizes and are available in 37mm and 41mm case diameters. Regardless of diameter, both cases are 11.5mm thick and feature a screw-down crown and case back, ensuring water resistance to 100m. The top surfaces of the cases are matte, giving them a rugged, street-smart character.
Available with matte black, white, or blue dials, they aim to convey the simplicity and legibility of past field watches. Large white or black Arabic hour numerals are paired with a simple white or black minute hand with orange luminous hour markers. The arrowhead hour hand, syringe-shaped minute hand, and arrow-tipped second hand feature a vintage beige (fauxtina) shade of Super-LumiNova. To eliminate glare, the dial's sapphire crystal has an anti-reflective coating.
The Khaki Field Expedition collection expands the range of strap options. Previously offered leather straps and stainless steel bracelets for the black dial, the collection now includes khaki, blue, or gray NATO textile straps with leather straps and pin buckles. Thus, the model with a white dial can be paired with a khaki NATO strap or a three-link stainless steel bracelet; the black dial model is offered with a gray or black NATO strap, and the dark blue dial model comes with a dark blue NATO strap.
Visible through the glass window on the case back is the Hamilton H-10 caliber, an automatic Swatch Group Powermatic 80. This upgraded version of the ETA 2824 with a redesigned kinetic chain, 3 Hz frequency, and increased 80-hour power reserve is equipped with an anti-magnetic Nivachron balance spring.
The Hamilton Khaki Field Expedition watches in 38mm and 41mm cases with NATO straps are priced at 925 Swiss Francs / 1,065 Euros / 945 USD; the version with a white dial on a stainless steel bracelet is priced at 1,050 Swiss Francs / 1,195 Euros / 1,045 USD.
More information can be found on hamiltonwatch.com.