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There are few brands as storied as Hamilton. Founded in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Hamilton quickly became one of the most important American watch companies, manufacturing within The States well through 1969. Today, Hamilton is part of the Swatch Group, but the brand hasn’t forgotten its roots. Hamilton regularly taps into its archives to bring back iconic watches. Today, we’re taking a look at three watches from Hamilton’s catalog and the three historical pieces that inspired them.
In partnership with Hamilton
Hamilton Watches: Pulling from the Archives
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical
Hamilton was a well-known producer of military field watches, and the Khaki Field Mechanical honors that important history. Measuring 38 millimeters, the watch is a wearable size that’s been upsized from the original 34 millimeters to great effect. The dial is pure mil-watch throwback, with the most noticeable departure being the addition of branding below 12, though the branding is minimal and in keeping with the spirit of the historical piece. Otherwise, the numerals, markers, and hands are near one-for-one reproductions, and the latter two are topped off with some vintage-toned luminous paint. And yeah, there’s no date window.
And the watch that inspired it—well, there were many, because Hamilton produced several different watches under spec for the American military. Shown here is the Hamilton GG-W-113, which denotes a specification put out in 1967 that called for a totally sterile dial and a 17-jewel movement. As our own Jon Gaffney put it, “these were made for pilots who wanted the cleanest dial possible.”
Ventura Elvis80
In 1957, Hamilton created the world’s first electric, battery-powered watch. Today, Hamilton boasts an entire family of watches under the Ventura line, from simple quartz pieces to modern interpretations that honor the Ventura legacy while looking ahead. The Ventura Elvis80 is the perfect example of the latter, blending a space age aesthetic with the Ventura’s iconic template. It’s not all looks either. The watch runs on Hamilton’s H-10 caliber, which boasts an impressive power reserve of 80 hours.
And the watch that inspired it was absolutely revolutionary. Shown here is a Ventura from circa 1961. It was designed by the famous Richard Arbib, and aesthetically the Ventura was a total departure from Hamilton’s normally more restrained watches. As vintage Hamilton collector Jarett Harkness points out, “Hamilton was a conservative company when it came to styling, but they were wise enough to know that a watch that was so futuristic on the inside should look equally futuristic on the outside.”
Pan-Europ Auto Chrono
A watch that boasts a design heritage from the past, but one that also looks totally modern, the Pan-Europ Auto Chrono is one of Hamilton’s coolest chronographs—both past and present. Boasting an eye-catching dial, a restrained two-register layout, and a 60-hour automatic chronograph caliber, the Pan-Europ Auto Chrono gets you a lot of watch in a relatively affordable package. And if chronographs aren’t your thing, Hamilton also makes a couple of versions with just three hands and a day/date complication.
And the watch that inspired it first came into existence in 1971. That timepiece, dubbed the Pan-Europ 703, housed the legendary Calibre 11 automatic chronograph movement (one of the first automatic chronograph movements brought to market), and it was a direct competitor to other well-known chronographs of the time. The GMT version shown here is highly coveted. Nicholas Pelzer, the lucky owner of this watch, explains, “the GMTs were the rarest Hamilton chrono-matics, so I’ve never seen another one on someone else’s wrist.”
