Khaki Field Mechanical Handwinding Bronze 38 Ref. H69459530

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 watches. Some of which have also been issued by militaries and appeared in various blockbuster movies (think Elvis Presley’s Blue Hawaii, Men in Black, Interstellar etc.). 

Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Handwinding Bronze 38 Ref. H69459530

The watch we’re looking at today follows this long line of military watch tradition. The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Bronze is the latest line in Hamilton’s Khaki collection - which dates as far back as 1914! 

The newest iteration of the Khaki Field Mechanical watches drew its inspiration from military watches in the 1960s, specifically the MIL-W-46374. First introduced in 2018, the Khaki Field Mechanical line-up received much fanfare and is very popular amongst watch enthusiasts and the casual watch-wearer. As a result of their popularity, Hamilton expanded the range with multiple dial colours, case coating, and strap options. As if the many different combinations were not enough, fans were not placid and were demanding a bronze version of the Khaki Field Mechanical. 

Original MIL-W-46374 specifications

Well, Hamilton has heard us all. A bronze model of the Khaki Field Mechanical has been introduced. Measuring at 38mm in diameter, with a 47mm lug-to-lug, the watch is 9.5mm thick. The original mil-spec watches were around 33mm or 34mm - sizes that would be considered small by today’s standards. It is therefore a no-brainer that Hamilton decided to increase the size to 38mm. This means that the watch becomes an extremely versatile and modern-sized timepiece which hits the sweet spot in terms of aesthetics and wrist presence. 

The case is made entirely of matte bronze, which gives the watch a warm hue and a dash of serendipitous charm. The dial is the exact same as the MIL-W-46374, with double-hour markings and triangle indices filled with Swiss old radium Superluminova. Staying true to the military-spec watch it is based on, the hands are also syringe tipped. This is a time-only watch, with no distractions from other complications like a date window. This enables the dial to be uncluttered and gives the watch a very utilitarian look. This is, after all, a functional tool watch. Covering the dial is a piece of flat sapphire crystal, ensuring that, like the watch, the crystal is robust and will not be scratched easily. The crown and screwed down titanium caseback gives the watch 50m of water resistance. This watch can take on heavy rain, but it’d be unwise to swim in the trenches (sorry I mean swimming pool) with this.

Quality matte sandblasted finished in Switzerland

Such a robust and utilitarian watch requires a worthy movement to power it. The Hamilton H-50 movement is exactly that. It is based on the ETA 2801-2 hand-wound movement. It has 17 jewels and beats at 21,600 BPH. Hold on, didn’t I say the movement is a worthy component of the watch? These specs sound pretty average. Well, I have yet to mention the staggering 80 hours of power reserve this movement brings! 80 hours of power reserve puts this Khaki Field Mechanical right up there with major brands and their offerings, allowing Hamilton to compete at an unprecedented level.

Military watches utilise Military Nylon Strap to prevent the watch from falling off the wrist in the event of a springbar failure. Hamilton offers the Khaki Field Mechanical Bronze on a 20mm brown leather Military Nylon Strap. The strap complements the watch perfectly while staying true to the original military watch the Khaki Field Mechanical is based on.

SuperLuminova for Superb Glow In Dark

Field watches were used in combat because they are sturdy and reliable timepieces that enabled soldiers to coordinate attacks easily. Today, whilst field watches are still being used by the military, the general population has also taken a keen liking to them and it is not hard to see why. The looks, reliability and general affordability of the Khaki Field Mechanical Bronze checks a lot of boxes and offers a unique timepiece that exudes a cool, rugged charm. Watch as the bronze case patinas over time to form a look unique only to your specific timepiece, allowing you to wear your patina beautifully. Get your hands on one of them and take it to the field or the office today.

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