Founded in 1892 as an American company in Pennsylvania, Hamilton was subsequently acquired by The Swatch Group in 1974. Since then, the brand has placed itself as one of the best value for money Swiss brands in the watchmaking world, priding itself as a brand with American Spirit and Swiss Precision - the brand’s tagline. Hamilton clads a reputation for building quality military and pilot’s watches. Some of which have even been issued by militaries and appeared in various blockbuster movies (think Elvis Presley’s Blue Hawaii, Men in Black, Interstellar etc.)
The new Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Bronze Ref. H76709530 draws inspiration from pocket watches used during World War II, most notably the Hamilton Model 23. This particular watch was issued to all branches of the American armed forces. Still, it was predominantly used by the US Air Force. One look at it, and you can definitely see where Hamilton got their inspiration for their latest pilot watch on offer.
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| The Hamilton Model 23 used predominantly by the USAF during WWII |
The new Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Bronze Ref. H76709530 comes in at a case size of 43mm, with a case thickness of roughly 13.5mm, and a lug-to-lug of 51.5mm. While this might seem like Hamilton trying to make the watch unnecessarily large - especially when vintage size matters most - it is thoroughly a pilot's watch. Also, the drawing inspiration comes from a pocket watch, and the case size is actually very apt for such styles of watches. Additionally, over time, the patina on the bronze case will only further amplify the beautiful, vintage styling.
While the sizeable onion-style crown does not screw down, the watch is still certified for 100m of water resistance which is more than enough for this style of watch and for everyday usage. It comes with a satin-brushed bronze case (there is also a
steel version), and features a nicely domed sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective coating. The Hamilton features a bi-directional countdown bezel with 60 minutes markings. This format allows you to measure time remaining in an event, such as a race, or even timing your cookings. Flipping the watch over to the other side, a screw-down titanium display case-back exhibits the hand-wound mechanical movement from Hamilton - more on that later!
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Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Ref. H76719530
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The dial features a black textured finish, with Arabic numerals as the indices and a small seconds sub-dial at 6 o'clock. A railroad minute track surrounds the indices, which is a nod to pocket watches of yesteryears. Large and period-correct cathedral hands are used here, along with Swiss old radium Superluminova to complete the vintage aesthetic with warm hues that match the vintage bronze case.
A significant advantage of Hamilton being under the Swatch Group is its ability to utilize ETA movements - known for their utmost reliability and quality. Powering this Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Bronze is the ETA/Unitas 6498 - a hand-wound Swiss movement with 17 jewels and beats at 18,800 BPH. While this might be a slow beat rate in this modern time, it does come with its benefits. One would be that it should require service at longer intervals than movements with a higher beat rate.
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| Patina on the bronze case amplify the beautiful |
Additionally, this movement does not feature a central seconds hand, choosing to place its second's hand in a sub-dial at 6 o'clock. This means that although the sweep of the second hand would be less smooth, it is hardly noticeable (if at all) in the small sub-dial. The big onion-style crown also ensures that winding the watch would be fuss-free, even while wearing thick gloves. The Unitas 6498 also boasts an impressive 50 hours of power reserve.
To complete the delightful vintage aesthetic, Hamilton pairs the Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Bronze with a supple 20mm vintage-style leather strap. It tapers to 18mm at the signed Hamilton buckle made of titanium.
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| Swiss old radium Superluminova |
With the vintage aesthetic and inspiration from actual pocket watches used in combat, Hamilton has once again knocked it out of the park with this one, taking their stellar reputation for producing the pilot and military watches to the next level. Hamilton combines the bronze case, gilt hands and indices, and textured black dial to give off a perfect vintage style. Hand-wound watches like this new Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Bronze Ref. H76709530 bridges a connection between the watch and its owner, as interactions like winding the crown to power up the watch give it "life." This watch is definitely not one to miss if you are on the market for a visually pleasing pilot's watch from a reputable Swiss brand.
