The Hamilton Khaki Field Expedition
The Hamilton Khaki Field watch collection already had a reputation as a durable, robust timepiece. The new Khaki Field Expedition line advances these attributes with the addition of a bi-directional rotating compass bezel and a screw-down crown. It is designed for outdoor activities.
Hamilton unveiled the Khaki Field in Zermatt, Switzerland. The world class resort city lies in the shadow of the Matterhorn. The mountain stands as symbol of Switzerland and has taken an almost mythical status among mountain climbers, photographers, nature lovers and just about anyone who has ever seen its jagged summit peeking through the clouds.
The Hamilton Khaki Field Expedition with white dial and green leather strap
As a center for hiking, skiing and many other outdoor activities throughout the year, officials at Hamilton wanted to use this backdrop to show the timepiece’s ability to function well on land and water, and under extreme weather condition.
The Khaki collection has a heritage that began during World War II, when Hamilton, then based in Lancaster, Pa., dedicated all its production to supply the U.S. armed forces with high-quality durable timepieces and other instruments essential for navigation and field operations. There are several Khaki watch models available today that were based on the original watches made for each branch of the U.S armed forces (Army, Navy and Air Force). The heritage of the Khaki Field collection is based on the watches made for Army soldiers.
The compass bezel ring of the Hamilton Khaki Field Expedition watch
“The Khaki Field is the icon of Hamilton,” Vivian Stauffer, Hamilton CEO, told a group of watch retailers on September 20 in Zermatt. “We wanted to create a product that fit with the value of the brand, that fit with the field DNA and to bring the product to the people who like outdoor adventures. So, we took the Khaki Field, and totally reworked the case … to give it this outdoors adventure feel to the product.”
The new Expedition line comes in two sizes, three dial color options and three bracelet combinations, providing enough variety within the boundaries of this specialized field watch to meet the needs of most adventure seekers whether pursuing activities in natural or urban environments.
The Hamilton Khaki Field Expedition with white dial and brown leather strap
The new line is housed in a 37mm or 41mm brushed stainless steel case with a screw-down crown that keeps moisture out of the movement. With this update the watch is water resistant to 10 bar (100m), which is important for a field watch when used in unusually wet conditions. The stainless-steel bi-directional rotating bezel is marked with the cardinal points of north, south, east and west. It uses the sun to help determine location and direction. It’s easy to learn how to use this type of compass guide.
Each case size comes with a choice of three dial colors: black, white and blue. The dial is completed with nickeled hour and minute hands finished with Super-LumiNova; and nickeled second hand with a Super-LumiNova tip.
The Hamilton Khaki Field Expedition with blue dial and brown leather strap
Both sizes are powered by the Hamilton H-10 automatic movement with an 80-hour power reserve and Nivachron balance spring, which minimizes the effect of magnetism. The movement is designed off the base of the ETA C07.611. The ETA Swiss movement manufacturer like the Hamilton watch company are subsidiaries of the Swatch Group.
The caseback of the Hamilton Field Expedition revealing the H-10 automatic movement
The watch is completed with a choice of a green or brown leather strap with pin buckle, or a stainless-steel bracelet with folding clasp.
Both sizes of the watch retail for $995 with leather strap and $1,045 with the stainless-steel bracelet.