Jazzmaster: Elegance in a comfortable, classical design

I was wondering if it will at all look good if I don’t bring in by now some Swiss (not Suisse) touch in my own little watchdrobe. I didn’t mean luxury, btw. I am (and was) always in for affordable Swiss makes, fairly usable on a day to day basis.

It was a hard time choosing between the thin, auto Jazzmaster-s and Intramatic-s, but the Hamilton Jazzmaster allures me more within the permissible price range. The Hamilton Intramatic, though in close quarters and with the Thin-O-matic lineage seem pretty nostalgic; is a bit too practical and at par with the present times. They are high-profile dress watches all right, but don’t exude that jazz-underground spirit. I wanted a purely vintage appeal minus the infamous vintage headaches, so here I got mine.

Now, don’t expect me to go on with my opinion on my purchase; it’s obviously good, else, I wouldn’t have gone for it. We can talk about the ETA 2892.A2, the heart that makes the Jazzmaster-s tick. A fair comparison would be the Goodyear (or, maybe the Bridgestone) among tyres and though a basic movement, can take a lot more than several higher-end ones. Even the lowest-grade 2892 sports better shock-protection measure than many of the other movements within the same price range. It is; however, a more upscale version of the basic ETA, fitted with top-end components. And more accurate and reliable than an in-house Rolex.

This auto-wind, 21-jewel movement comes in three grades (executions): the elaborated, the top and the Chronometer. The differences are chiefly in the pallet stones, the regulator mechanism and in the balance wheel and hairspring.  An easy way to know which is which; take note of the accuracy. The elaborated 2892 grade is adjustable in four positions and accuracy varies between +/-5 to +/-20 seconds/day while the top has 5 adjustable positions with a +/-4 seconds to +/-15 seconds of /day, with a maximum daily variation. As for the Chronometer, see the COSC standards (-4 to +6 seconds a day).

No doubt the ETA 2892.A2 is a part of more expensive watches and its 3.60 mm height is a determining factor. See IWC’s Portofino line, for example; or the Omega Co-axial or the Seamaster line. The last two are built on the ETA 2892.A2, only bit more embellished.