Back in 2019, Hamilton introduced the Chrono-Matic 50, which reimagined the brand’s vintage Count-Down GMT Chrono-Matic watch from the early 1970s. Featuring a chunky rounded case with two crowns and three pushers, the modern Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 visually recalls the appearance of the 1970s model that serves as its inspiration, although it is a fundamentally different timepiece that eliminates the multi-timezone functionality of its predecessor in favor of a more streamlined chronograph-oriented format. Now, for its most recent release of 2025, Hamilton has created a new version of the Chrono-Matic 50 with a blue and orange racing-themed colorway, and the new Hamilton American Classic Chrono-Matic 50 Auto Chrono Limited Edition will be produced as a small-batch run of just 150 examples.
From a core design and construction standpoint, the new Hamilton American Classic Chrono-Matic 50 Auto Chrono Limited Edition (ref. H51606640) is very much the same watch as the original iteration from 2019, although it takes the model’s 1970s-themed styling in a racing-inspired direction with a vibrant blue and orange colorway. The decision to include the words “Chrono” and “Auto” in the official name of the watch admittedly feels a bit redundant, as the “Chrono-Matic” moniker more-or-less already describes an automatic chronograph watch, and it also results in the word “Chrono” appearing twice in its official title. That said, Hamilton is hardly the only Swatch Group brand guilty of redundant watch names, and if you would like to see some more egregious examples, I invite you to browse through Omega’s current catalog and see how many times the word “Master” will appear within the name of a single watch.
Crafted from stainless steel, the case of the Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 Auto Chrono Limited Edition measures a properly sizable 48.5mm in diameter by 16.05mm thick, with a dramatically sloped upper profile that is slightly reminiscent of the Omega Flightmaster. Rather than protruding from either side of the watch, the 22mm lugs are simply cut into the underside surface of the middle case to create an overall lug-to-lug profile of 51.5mm, which is actually somewhat compact when you consider the watch’s objectively massive on-paper diameter. The top of the case is furnished by a box-shaped sapphire crystal, while the caseback is engraved with each watch’s limited-edition number out of 150 pieces (although no photo of the caseback is provided by the brand), and water resistance for the Chrono-Matic 50 Auto Chrono series comes in at a respectable 100 meters, which should be more than enough to satisfy most collectors.
The sides of the Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50’s case extend to partially shroud and protect the two crowns and three pushers that are used to operate the movement and the internal rotating bezel. The right-hand side of the case offers a traditional chronograph configuration consisting of a signed winding crown flanked by a pair of pushers that are dedicated to the chronograph. With that in mind, the secondary crown at 8 o’clock is used to rotate the internal countdown bezel, and the additional pusher at 10 o’clock serves as a corrector button for the date display. Additionally, the three pushers on the Chrono-Matic 50 are color-coordinated to correspond with their respective functions, and while the date-corrector button is black, the two chronograph pushers are given a bright orange finish to further complement the racing-themed colorway of this limited-edition watch.
The dial fitted to the Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 Auto Chrono Limited Edition follows the same layout as what can be observed on the original model from 2019, although it features a dark blue surface punctuated by crisp white and orange accents. The running seconds are displayed by a speedometer-inspired register at 9 o’clock, while a 30-minute totalizer for the chronograph sits opposite it at the 3 o’clock location, and a circular date window reveals a white calendar disc at the 6 o’clock position. Luminous hands and applied hour markers display the time, and surrounding the dial are two separate scales that add to the functionality of the Chrono-Matic 50 series. Directly under the crystal is a tachymeter scale, and sitting between the tachymeter and the central dial section is a rotating internal bezel with an orange 60-minute countdown scale and a white and blue split-color finish, which allows the Chrono-Matic 50 to either count-up or count-down when measuring elapsed time.
Hamilton’s vintage Count-Down GMT Chrono-Matic from the 1970s ran on the historic Caliber 11 (one of the world’s first self-winding chronograph movements), although the brand’s modern Chrono-Matic 50 watches receive contemporary internals shared by other models from its current lineup. Powering the Chrono-Matic 50 Limited Edition is a two-register version of the brand’s Caliber H-31 automatic chronograph movement, which is based upon the architecture of the Valjoux 7753. Despite maintaining the same 28,800vph (4 Hz) operating frequency of the base caliber that serves as its foundation, Hamilton’s Cal. H-31 is optimized to feature a longer 60-hour power reserve, and it is fitted with an open-worked rotor that incorporates Hamilton’s H-shaped logo. Lastly, completing the Chrono-Matic 50 Limited Edition is a blue calfskin leather strap that matches the hue of its dial, and the strap features a perforated design that reveals a bright orange internal layer peeking through the holes in its blue leather.
Particularly here in the United States, Hamilton is one of the more recognizable watch brands, and when you think of a limited-edition model from a similarly-sized manufacturer, you typically imagine a production run totaling somewhere in the thousands of units. With two crowns, three pushers, and a chunky vintage-inspired case, the Chrono-Matic 50 Limited Edition is objectively a rather unconventional timepiece; however, arguably the most unusual thing about this new model is that it is being produced as a small-batch offering of just 150 examples. Additionally, with an official retail price of $2,545 USD, the Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 Auto Chrono Limited Edition (ref. H51606640) costs the exact same as what the brand charges for the original Chrono-Matic 50 that debuted in 2019, which makes this blue and orange version a fun and fleeting expression of one of the brand’s most unconventional chronographs. For more information on the Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 Auto Chrono Limited Edition, please visit the brand’s website.
