The popular Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm gets a trio of new colourways, one of them with a bronze case.The bronze-cased version is available with a white dial for the first time.In steel, we now have a white dial with green lume instead of beige and a first-ever blue dial for the range.One symptom of being a watch journalist is having people constantly approach you with the question: what would be a great first watch for me? Now, my response is always an enquiry into the individual’s budget – I have to get that crucial detail out of the way. While there are certainly a fair number of people ready to drop a sizeable amount of money on a watch, the most common request is a watch under US$1,000. Immediately, there is a common group of contenders that come to mind, one of which undoubtedly is a Hamilton. And one of the best Hamiltons in that price segment is, of course, the Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm. While it technically delivers what most would need or ask for in its price range, what would have people on the fence are the aesthetics. Today, Hamilton introduces three new configurations, some more novel than others, that welcome further variety to a go-to starting point in mechanical watch collecting.To recap, the Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm is expectedly 38mm in diameter, and a slender 9.5mm thick. It carries a sufficient water resistance of 50 metres, but if 100 metres is your minimum you have the similarly sized Khaki Field Expedition at your disposal. And if you must have an automatic watch, rather than a hand-wound one, there is the Khaki Field Auto, available in a range of sizes and configurations, along with the fan-favourite Murph 38mm. To be clear though, the most faithful range in terms of Hamilton’s historic and OG field watches is the Khaki Field Mechanical.Entering the mix are three configurations, the most novel of which is a new bronze-cased reference that utilises a white dial for the first time. The next new option is a stainless steel variant, with a matte finish to its case, that features the first-ever blue dial for the Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm lineup. The most subtle debut comes in the form of another matte-finished stainless steel model with a white dial that, instead of faux-patina beige lume, uses green SuperLuminova. Like the recent Expedition releases, Hamilton now introduces factory NATO offerings into the Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm range as well.This is by no means the most headline-breaking evolution, but as I said earlier, we have more variety within a very popular collection amongst watch collecting newbies and veterans alike. Born as a heritage revival of sorts, the expanded collection offers more flavours that compliment the heritage-driven aesthetics with modern looks that allow the model to feel new and of this era rather than solely looking backward. Considering we still have a modern, 80-hour, hand-wound H-50 within, it makes sense that Hamilton would look to add more modern vibes to the collection lookbook for those who place less emphasis on the backstory, and more on how it fits into their lifestyle today.Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm (2024 models) pricing and availability:The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm will be available later this month. Price: US$595 (steel), US$895 (bronze). Find the entire Khaki Field Mechanical collection in the Time+Tide Shop.BrandHamiltonModelKhaki Field Mechanical 38mmReferenceH69459510H69439940H69439910Case Dimensions38mm (D) x 9.5mm (T)Case MaterialStainless steelBronze (H69459510)Water Resistance50 metresCrystal(s)SapphireDialWhite or blue with beige SuperLuminovaWhite with green SuperLuminovaStrapFabric NATO, steel pin buckleLeather NATO, bronze pin buckle (H69459510)MovementH-50, ETA 2801 base, manual windingPower Reserve80 hoursFunctionsHours, minutes, secondsAvailabilityJune 2024PriceUS$595 (steel)US$895 (bronze)
01.06.24