Credits: Teddy
Is there a contemporary field watch as beloved and versatile as the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical? At this point the illustrious military history of the Khaki Field watch has been thoroughly explored (and if you’re not familiar with it, our resident historian Mark Bernardo has written an encyclopedic guide here).
In short, Hamilton produced over a million watches for the United States military during World War II with its field watch in specific garnering praise for its universally consistent quality. This predecessor to the Khaki Field was a 34mm-wide field watch done in a chrome-plated metal case with radium lume dials and a manual-wind Caliber 987 movement.
The modern Hamilton Watch Company was bought by the Swatch Group in 1974 with much of the production already having moved to Switzerland in 1969. The brand’s reassertion as a bonafide, authentic maker of military tool watches with historical provenance proliferated as an entire collection under the “Khaki” umbrella. While it was still producing watches for actual military units in the 1980s and ‘90s, Hamilton had done well by marketing to civilians once again in the wake of the Vietnam War. These early post-war civilian Hamilton Khaki watches were co-branded with retailers like Brookstone, Orvis, and L.L. Bean. This was also the time during which the “Khaki” logo began popping up on their dials.The modern Hamilton Watch Company was bought by the Swatch Group in 1974 with much of the production already having moved to Switzerland in 1969. The brand’s reassertion as a bonafide, authentic maker of military tool watches with historical provenance proliferated as an entire collection under the “Khaki” umbrella. While it was still producing watches for actual military units in the 1980s and ‘90s, Hamilton had done well by marketing to civilians once again in the wake of the Vietnam War. These early post-war civilian Hamilton Khaki watches were co-branded with retailers like Brookstone, Orvis, and L.L. Bean. This was also the time during which the “Khaki” logo began popping up on their dials.
In 2018, Hamilton released the Khaki Field Mechanical which has gone on to be one of the most popular and beloved contemporary field watches. The military-inspired design, coupled with the adroit decision to use a manual-wind movement, was a recipe for success but how does it fare after seven years? There have been lots of competitive releases from micro-brands and more established watchmakers but it’s not easy to overtake Hamilton’s authentic history, backed up with the significant resources of its Swatch Group ownership. Before getting into how it fares with the competition, let’s get into the full review of the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical.In 2018, Hamilton released the Khaki Field Mechanical which has gone on to be one of the most popular and beloved contemporary field watches. The military-inspired design, coupled with the adroit decision to use a manual-wind movement, was a recipe for success but how does it fare after seven years? There have been lots of competitive releases from micro-brands and more established watchmakers but it’s not easy to overtake Hamilton’s authentic history, backed up with the significant resources of its Swatch Group ownership. Before getting into how it fares with the competition, let’s get into the full review of the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical.
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical CaseHamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Case
It’s hard to overstate how much the case size helped with creating the broad appeal of this watch. Measuring 38mm wide and just 9.5mm thick with a relatively long 47mm lug-to-lug measurement, the Khaki Field Mechanical is technically a smaller watch, but one with a wrist presence closer to something like a 39.5mm case. This is due to those long lugs, which are really as inherent a part of the design as the dial. Still, they are not too intrusive, and the 20mm width on the drilled lugs make swapping out the bracelet a breeze.It’s hard to overstate how much the case size helped with creating the broad appeal of this watch. Measuring 38mm wide and just 9.5mm thick with a relatively long 47mm lug-to-lug measurement, the Khaki Field Mechanical is technically a smaller watch, but one with a wrist presence closer to something like a 39.5mm case. This is due to those long lugs, which are really as inherent a part of the design as the dial. Still, they are not too intrusive, and the 20mm width on the drilled lugs make swapping out the bracelet a breeze.
The finishing on the case is, expectedly, quite spartan, which is appropriate given its identity as a no-nonsense field watch. The matte, blasted surface is attractive but don’t look for any polished surfaces or beveling because that’s just not part of the package here. The enclosed caseback is nice and simple with the embossed Hamilton logo. The crown at 3 o’clock is nice and big, allowing for an easy grip as well. The first position once the crown is pulled is used to wind the manual movement and the second position allows you to set the time with the hacking seconds function activated. Water resistance is a passable 50 meters, so I would recommend sticking to land activities.
In my opinion, the textile strap is always the default setting for the Khaki Field Mechanical, though there is also a leather strap and bracelet. The matte blasted bracelet matches the case and is actually quite nice with its staggered design, which is technically four-link due to the fact that the center links are actually two pieces but, for practical purposes, we can say it’s a three-link. The curved links are nicely sized so as to comfortably drape around one’s wrist. The stamped, triple-folding clasp is secure and decent enough in terms of finishing at this price point. Where it does excel is with micro-adjust, as well as an extension that allows for an extra 20mm.In my opinion, the textile strap is always the default setting for the Khaki Field Mechanical, though there is also a leather strap and bracelet. The matte blasted bracelet matches the case and is actually quite nice with its staggered design, which is technically four-link due to the fact that the center links are actually two pieces but, for practical purposes, we can say it’s a three-link. The curved links are nicely sized so as to comfortably drape around one’s wrist. The stamped, triple-folding clasp is secure and decent enough in terms of finishing at this price point. Where it does excel is with micro-adjust, as well as an extension that allows for an extra 20mm.
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Dial
Beneath the gently domed sapphire crystal is the classic field watch dial design that was pioneered by Hamilton, so it should come as no surprise that it is legible and crisp. The lumed hour and minutes hands are a hybrid of sword and syringe while the seconds hand has a lollipop counterweight with a lumed triangular tip. The matte dial surface is framed by a minute track, which has those classic triangular five-minute markers done in a “fauxtina” and lumed. Moving inward, there are the large hour numerals and then the inner 24-hour ring. Just as its predecessors that were so reliably used by soldiers in the second world war, this contemporary Hamilton field watch is simple and easy to read.
H-50 Movement
The manual-wind H-50 is Hamilton’s take on the ETA C07.701, aka ETA 2801 (again, being under the Swatch Group umbrella has its benefits). It’s not just a copy/paste of the movement with a new name but rather it heavily reworks the gear train and mainspring while also taking the operating speed down from 4 Hz to 3 Hz. Yes, the lower frequency is technically less accurate but the tested +-7 seconds/day should be more than sufficient, especially when the tradeoff is the highly impressive 80-hour power reserve. Hacking seconds is an obvious given for a watch that leans so heavily into this kind of history, considering soldiers frequently had to precisely synchronize the time. The H-50 is a seriously impressive manual-wind movement that offers a ton of value for the price, so it’s no surprise that it has reached a near cult-like following in the seven years since release.
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Iterations
There are several versions of the Khaki Field Mechanical out there, with cases in brushed stainless steel, black/“earth" PVD with dial options in white, black, green, brown, and blue. All of them are attractive and legible so it’s really just a matter of taste as to what one’s combination of choice would be. And that’s before getting into all the strap (or bracelet) options. Prices start at $625 for the classic steel-on-textile-strap option and $695 for the bracelet, rise to $675 for PVD on strap, and jump to $945 for the bronze case. These are a lot of value for the money, even though prices have jumped about $100 for the base model since it was introduced.
And for those who find the 38mm case to be a little too small, there is the 42mm option which retains the basics but in a bigger case size. That said, it really isn’t as true to the original Hamilton field watch that it’s based on, but that might not be the biggest factor for everyone.
The manual-wind H-50 is Hamilton’s take on the ETA C07.701, aka ETA 2801 (again, being under the Swatch Group umbrella has its benefits). It’s not just a copy/paste of the movement with a new name but rather it heavily reworks the gear train and mainspring while also taking the operating speed down from 4 Hz to 3 Hz. Yes, the lower frequency is technically less accurate but the tested +-7 seconds/day should be more than sufficient, especially when the tradeoff is the highly impressive 80-hour power reserve. Hacking seconds is an obvious given for a watch that leans so heavily into this kind of history, considering soldiers frequently had to precisely synchronize the time. The H-50 is a seriously impressive manual-wind movement that offers a ton of value for the price, so it’s no surprise that it has reached a near cult-like following in the seven years since release.
Final Thoughts
The field watch market is quite competitive, with options like the Bulova Hack, Seiko SPB243, Timex Expedition, CWC Mellor-72, and Vertex M100 all being solid options at varying prices. Still, the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical represents the quintessential field watch with a legitimate history dating back to World War II. The no-date dial, fairly ideal case sizing, and manual-wind movement with a very long power reserve makes for one of the best deals in mechanical watches, period, let alone field watches. You can learn more at hamiltonwatch.com
