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Hamilton watches and the Khaki line have become synonymous with field watches. Simple, legible, rugged: The Khaki field watch is the quintessential watch for outdoor pursuits. So, how do you improve upon a watch that effectively defines a genre? Simple: you don’t. Instead, you offer it up in a few new color variations. Hamilton is now offering the Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm in two white and blue dial variants, as well as a new bronze case with a white dial.

For over 130 years, Hamilton has been making watches for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Before the turn of the last century, Hamilton, based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, helped usher in the westward expansion of the U.S. by creating railroad watches — pocket watches that were accurate and reliable enough for the precision timekeeping needed to avoid accidents and ensure the smooth operation of the railways.

Once the First World War began, Hamilton had already established its bona fides for creating robust, reliable watches and began supplying watches to soldiers. It was during this time, in the front-line trenches, that the field watch was born. Soldiers needed watches that were simple, legible, robust, and reliable enough to withstand military service. The large, easy-to-read Arabic numerals, oversized hands, and modest dimensions were exactly what the job called for. Over the years, soldiers returning home and civilians alike found that the attributes that worked so well on deployment worked equally well during outdoor adventures on home soil. The soldier’s watch became the field watch and as the ensuing decades have shown, an icon doesn’t need re-invention, only refinement (and a few new color options).

The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm is a mainstay in Hamilton’s field watch lineup and is, arguably, the truest distillation of a field watch in the catalog. The 38mm case is only 9.5mm thick thanks to the slim hand-winding movement beating beneath. The large 1-12 Arabic numerals are complemented by smaller 13-24 numerals. Hamilton then fills the hands and indices on the hours track with Super-LumiNova®. The white dial and steel case variant receives green Super-LumiNova®, while the blue dial and white dial with bronze case variants receive beige Super-LumiNova®, an aesthetic choice that provides both warmth and a vintage flair to both pieces.

Both the stainless-steel case variants receive textile NATO straps, blue for the blue dial and black for the white dial option. That said, the 20mm lug width will make it easy to swap straps and find exactly the look that fits your mood or occasion.

Rounding out the new collection is the Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm in CuSn8 bronze. The case material isn’t new for Hamilton, having originally launched the Khaki Field Mechanical Bronze in 2021; however, this new combination with a white dial and beige lume takes bronze in a whole new direction.

An alloy of copper (91.78%) and tin (8.18%), CuSn8 bronze has a distinctive, warm hue that’s evocative of Jules Verne and early nautical adventures, which fits as the alloy was used specifically for its anti-corrosion properties and has become popular in dive watches. But, used for a field watch, the bronze case takes on a different demeanor, bringing to mind military metals and decorations — fitting for a watch that became prominent on soldiers’ wrists.

One of the charming attributes of bronze is the natural patina it takes on over time, the bright gold tones mellowing and telling the story of the wearer’s adventures. Unlike most things in life, however, the bronze case can be brought back to its original brilliance with just a bit of lemon juice, baking soda, and a soft cloth. Contrasting against the bronze, the watch’s caseback is made from lightweight, hypoallergenic titanium. Whether sparkling new or sporting a deep patina, the bronze case pairs perfectly with the chocolate brown calf leather NATO strap.

Whichever model you choose, each is powered by Hamilton’s H-50 mechanical movement. Though hand-winding, this movement is anything but archaic, exclusively developed by Hamilton for its hand-wound watches and featuring up to 80 hours of power reserve.

After decades of making field watches for professional and civilian use, Hamilton knows a thing or two about creating a watch built for the wilds. Whether your adventures take you deep into the darkest depths of the rainforest or down to the local park, the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm was built to handle it. And, with three new variants to choose from, there’s a Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm for everyone. The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38 mm is priced at $595 USD in stainless steel and $895 USD in bronze. To learn more, please visit the brand’s website.