Hamilton Khaki
This is one Hamilton model that I have always wanted, because it has great, clean looks and superior functionality all at a true value price. On many occasions I've mentioned that I pretty much only feel comfortable wearing a quartz movement based hamilton khaki when that movement offers functionality you can't find in a mechanical watch. Analog/digital watches such as this are a prime example. Offering the grace of analog time telling, the dials are enhanced with digital LCD screens that offer lots more functionality – as only an electronic watch can offer. New from Hamilton is this Khaki Flight Timer. Done in collaboration with the Air Zermatt helicopter rescue team in Switzerland, this is their new high-function pilot watch with a Swiss ETA quartz movement. You can see the Air Zermatt logo engraved on the caseback. Functionally this watch should do a lot even though I don't have a full spec sheet. The dial is broken up into a few negative LCD screen sections and the case has a crown along with three pushers. You can still read the time easily enough, and I like the large applied metal minute/hour markers. You'll of course see that the dial is a available in a silver or anthracite tone. Skeletonized hands make it possible to see the screens below them without too much interference. So what does the watch do? According to Hamilton one of the price features is log data for recording details of up to 20 flights and a total of 99 landings. I assume the means take off and landing times as well as total flight duration times. The movement also likely offers a stopwatch, timers, calendar, alarms, multiple time zones, and world time information. I also like that it has a rotating timing bezel on the case. The steel case is 40mm wide, making it a medium-sized watches. The case is water resistant to 100 meters and has a sapphire crystal. The overall design helps bridge the gadget and sport watch look together pretty well. This is a function-oriented watch and I like that Hamilton is still keen on making a lot of these pieces. Not having played with the piece myself yet I can't comment on all the functions or its easy of use. Hamilton will offer the Khaki Flight Timer with at least two dial options and on a rubber or leather strap. There is also thankfully a metal bracelet option. Prices for the leather/rubber strap models is $1,445 and for just a bit more you can get the metal bracelet model for $1,495. Never liked the seemingly market research derived name of the line.."Khaki". That aside, I don't really see anything innovative here. A watch that "logs" time intervals for recall? Nothing new in that. Sure, it might be good for a pilot that doesn't have an on board flight computer. Interesting watch. I agree with you though, Ariel, about only wearing a quartz watch when it can offer functionality I want that a mechanical watch can't provide. In the realm of gadget watches, I'm not sure anything I've seen can beat the Tissot Sea-Touch for functionality with looks. Too bad about the cheap stamped clasp. normally i'm not attracted to digital/analog watches. every once and a while i look at the tissot t-touch, but no matter how many times i look, it isn't enough to convince me to completely choose function over the lackluster style (imo). this hamilton blends both very well. i've been wanting a hamilton for a while, but this is out of my price point. plus, i don't think i would use it to its full potential, since i'm not a rescue pilot. i'd rather spend the money on the ww2-era hamilton cgt i've recently been eying. maybe i'll come across a windfall and i can purchase both! thanks for bringing it to my attention, ariel!. The Hamilton Khaki Navy Pioneer is designed to resemble a vintage marine chronometer. The effect is even better when the watch is placed in the hevea wood presentation box that comes with the watch converting it to a table clock The name of the watch sounds like it was made for some make-believe military force, but it looks pretty cool. I like how standard Hamilton Khaki watches look like they are made for actual military personnel, and the Khaki models with some extra term after them look ripe for wrist time on GI Joe character. You can decide for yourself what the "X-Patrol" does. They say "no" to drugs though, you can be sure of that. The watch contains Hamilton's exclusive H21 automatic movement that is essentially an upgraded ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic chronograph. It has a power reserve that is bumped up to 60 hours, and according to Hamilton is specially regulated to be more accurate than standard 7750s (that can be COSC certified themselves). All the 7750 functions have been retained (12 hour chronograph, time, and day/date calendar). The Khaki X-Patrol will come in a 42mm wide steel case that is really nicely shaped. I like the curvy structure and how the chronograph pushers sort of continue that case shape. It is actually elegant – something that you probably would not assume about a watch with this name. The case is further water resistant to 100 meters and has a sapphire crystal with AR coated on the inner side of it. Overall quite nice and I look forward to seeing the rest of what Hamilton has to offer this year at Baselworld 2012. Prices are $1,295 on a leather strap or $1,345 for the watch on rubber or a metal bracelet. At last Hamilton make something worth talking about. It seems an accomplished piece although I don't know what use the x-patrol dial has. Quite nice, but could easily be mistaken for any other generic brand. OK so what Planetary system does the "X-Patrol" actually patrol? This Hamilton line needs a cartoon character, an adventure comic book and a posable action figure. As an American expat living in Europe and traveling a lot, this watch has a really appealing complication. I love that Hamilton is thinking about complications of use today and applying them. Give me a second timezone and an annual calendar while dropping the chronograph and it would be a perfect travel watch. As it is, it's still awfully tempting. Way to go Hamilton. I think these look great. I'm normally not a fan of slide-rules on watches as they look too busy, but these models are slick, and seem well finished. I'd love to own either one, and being Hamilton i'd expect a fairly reasonable price-tag too. I like the black dial better too, but you know some "New Panda Hammy!!!111one1!" thread is going to start in WUS at some point soon for the other version. What's the deets on the H21 – why is it exclusive? Is it Hamilton that has done the modifying? What did they do to increase the PR? Bigger barrel? Another barrel? Better spring? Talked nice to it and gave it some cookies if it stayed up late?.