Hamilton Khaki Field Auto Watch

This Hamilton automatic watch is of high quality at an exceptional value. The design elements are flawless and it’s a perfect size at a 38mm diameter. There’s nothing goofier than those gaudy, saucer-size watches with nonsensical and unnecessary dials, buttons, bells and whistles. This Hamiton watch is a no-nonsense watch that would be perfectly at home anywhere from the boardroom to the trout stream. I did replace the band that was supplied with the watch with a solid black, soft leather band. Everyone should have an automatic watch in their collection and if you were to only have one, this is it. It’s an excellent, high quality automatic watch.

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This watch is pretty stunning in person. The contrasting black on the dial looks fantastic. The red tip on the sweep hand is a very cool touch. It’s easy to read in all light conditions.

The quality and craftsmanship are beautiful. I respectfully disagree with any complaints about the band. Like the leather of high quality boots, it takes a little time to mold to your shape. When it does, it’s very comfortable and is holding up great. I wipe my watches and bands down real quick with a microfiber cloth after wearing.

I’m about 6′ and 175 lbs, and my wrist is 7.5″ around. This band fits me perfectly. I use the center of 7 holes. I think the 38mm case is perfect for my size, and I can even pull off a 40mm case. Anything larger than that on me screams “look at my watch” and that’s not my taste.

I got tired of batteries going dead in quartz watches, and I tried a light powered watch with bad results. I’ll suggest you not try to charge your light powered watch too close to a halogen bulb! This automatic movement watch seems right for me. It does no harm if it winds down completely after the 80 hour reserve expires, and you simply power it up when needed again. And it’s pretty cool that you continue to power it as you move.

I received a Hamilton watch as a gift from my parents more than 30 years ago, and it’s still running flawlessly. The brand has a really cool history with ties to railroads and aviation. I believe you get excellent value for the money. Mine runs less than 1 second per day fast. The watch I received is obviously 100% authentic, and arrived in brand new condition with all the original factory packaging intact. There are a couple of simple rules to follow when setting the watch, so make sure you read the manual all the way through.

If properly maintained, this watch should last a lifetime. Like a high quality pair of boots can be resoled, this watch can be reconditioned by Hamilton as needed.

I’ve had this Hamilton Field about a week now. I’d previously purchased the larger 42mm model and ended up returning it. I have other 42mm watches and don’t mind the size, but I wasn’t happy with the bigger Field. Now having worn both I’m very sure exchanging the 42mm for the 38mm was the right choice. For perspective, I’m 5’11”, 190 lbs. In light of the large crown (more on that later) and where I wear a watch on my 7.5 inch wrist, the 38mm is much better. A 40mm might have been perfect, but that size is not available in this style. I think because of the understated nature of this watch, going big is unnecessary. Although watches the size of saucers seem to be the current style, I think it’s important to remember this is a watch reminiscent of an era when watches weren’t huge. It is of course styled after the Hamilton military field watches from the last century. Those were functional, purpose built watches that didn’t come in 42mm plus cases. Pardon the pun but this is a timeless design. Long after ‘style’ decides that huge watches are passé, this watch will endure. Another word about the crown: Proportionally it is somewhat large, particularly on the 38mm case. This might be a turn-off for some, but I look at it in keeping with the nature of the watch. This is an automatic movement with a manual wind capability. That means it needs some form of human interaction in order to function. The crown provides the manual interface and in this case it’s easy to access and manipulate. Note it is signed with a large “H”. Love it or hate it, you won’t ignore it.
Much has been written on the ETA 2824-2 movement used in these Hamiltons. I’ll not repeat it all here but it is without question a very successful and respected design. Hamilton claims an accuracy between -10/+15 seconds per day which is reasonable for an automatic not certified by the COSC as a chronometer. Checked against the U.S Naval Observatory time signal, mine is gaining 10 seconds per day. That of course may change as the watch “breaks in”. With a modicum of care and proper servicing the watch will last a very long time. Recommended service intervals of three to five years seems to be the norm. Ignore those who say “Just wait until it quits to get it serviced.” This is an example of precision mechanics and should be treated as such.
Yes, a quartz watch, or even the clock on your phone, is more accurate. If atomic clock accuracy is paramount, don’t buy an automatic.
A couple of minor complaints:
Antireflective coating on the crystal would have been nice. So would a locking crown. Without that feature I intend to be cautious about getting the watch near water.
As mentioned by others, out of the box the band is very stiff. But after only a few hours wear I can already tell a difference, and I doubt it will take long to break in. The texture is smooth with even, white stitching and the brushed stainless branded buckle is a handsome choice. The band is 80x120mm excluding the buckle and I am using the fourth hole from the tip. Personally I like the black band vs the brown, although I am considering swapping it out for something with more texture, like a distressed or embossed croc leather band. It would also look great on a NATO strap if that’s your style. At 20mm between the lugs, the possibilities are endless.
The lume is very bright. The hands appear to be twice as bright as the numbers.
Overall the watch is simultaneously subtle yet striking. There aren’t a multitude of dials, complications or buttons. It doesn’t clamor for attention, but once noticed it definitely holds the eye. If you like simplicity and character in your watch, you’ll find it here.