Hamilton Launches the Jazzmaster Performer Line with a New Chronograph and a Sporty Three-Hander

Whatever it is you think of when you hear the term “Hamilton Jazzmaster,” the brand seems to be working in the early days of 2023 to turn it on its head. We brought you news recently of an audacious new Jazzmaster Face-2-Face that brings an avant-garde twist to a collection that is best known for fusing classic Art Deco influences with contemporary flourishes, and Hamilton has recently announced a new subcollection within the Jazzmaster camp that takes the line into a more traditionally sporty direction. The Performer series of watches seems at first blush to be a more serene and reserved Jazzmaster, still taking some cues from well trod vintage styles, but here in a more subdued and perhaps easily understood way. 

The Performer line consists of two new watches, each with a wide variety of variants to choose from. The Jazzmaster Performer Automatic Chronograph has a chronograph layout that is as classic as it gets. This is a 42mm three register chrono (with a date at 4:30) featuring a fixed tachymeter bezel. There are dials in blue or black (the black version is available on a bracelet, while the blue appears to only be available on a strap), and there’s also a white dialed version in a rose gold PVD coated case. These watches have a lot of obvious similarities to various vintages of a certain Rolex chronograph that remains just about impossible to acquire, including the silvered borders around each subdial. Still, there are some small touches here that set them apart, and make them feel more “Jassmastery,” like the elongated pushers on the case flank and prominent dauphine hands. 

The second watch in the new Performer collection is the aptly titled Jazzmaster Performer Automatic, which is available in both 38mm and 34mm case sizes. These watches have a sense of midcentury sportiness that is similar to the chrono, but otherwise don’t have a ton in common aesthetically. The handset is notably different, for example, and while the case appears to share a similar line, the three handers seem much trimmer in these Hamilton supplied photos. There’s a simplicity here that some will certainly find appealing, but is hard to place in what we’ve understood the Jazzmaster to be for Hamilton. The 38mm versions of this watch are available with blue, black or white dial options, with the white dial being a gold PVD variant. The smaller 34mm watch has even more variety, with an additional tone of blue on offer as well as a mother-of-pearl option.

The chronographs are powered by the Valjoux 7753 derived H-31 automatic chrono movement with 60 hours of power reserve a magnetic resistant Nivachron balance spring. Both of the three-handers run on the H-10, which shares an architecture similar to the ETA 2824 but has a full 80 hours of power reserve and the same Nivachron balance. Retail pricing for the chronograph starts at $2,195, and the three-hander starts at $995.

For more information on all the new watches in the Jazzmaster Performer lineup, check out Hamilton’s website right here.