Which Hamilton mechanical watch do you think is the best? Part – I

Hamilton: An account of excellence 

There’s no denial that a lot among us bought a Hamilton as our first nice – even real – watch and as the days passed, many got hooked onto the brand and started procuring every model that appealed to them. Sure, such collectors argue, appreciate and discriminate one model from the other but at the same time; they never throw any qualm regarding the Hamilton build-quality, materials and finish. From the simple Hamilton Jazzmaster Automatic to the highly technical Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman Automatic or the Hamilton Khaki X-Wind Automatic Chronograph, you won’t find any deviation from excellence for the three points aforementioned.

The strange part being…

Hamilton mechanical watch prices start around $400 (at Creation Watches, the starting range is around $250, though), which is quite astonishing for a Swiss brand providing watches of this quality. Their American roots trace back to an era when the United States was a reckoning force in the watch industry heavily emphasizing on railroad accuracy. Since then, every effort they’ve showcased offers strong value which, connoisseurs worldwide continue to appreciate.

Hamilton: Sectors served

• Railroads
• Marine travels and warfare
• Field (including canteen watches)
• Aviation
• Dress

Hamilton exclusives:

• Ventura – The first electric watch.
• Pulsar – The first LED watch.
• Khaki X-Wind – The first ever drift-angle calculator in a watch.

Hamilton: A broad-ranged variety

The $1K to $2k range is what you can claim to be as mid-tier luxury while under the $1k mark it’s entry-level — but this is the section that makes Hamilton an approachable brand promising a lot of fun!

What makes them special?

If you have followed our earlier posts about Hamilton – like one is here – or in that case, about affordable Swiss watches, you must have had noticed we’ve heavily emphasized on three points: Movements, material/components and finish. So let’s see what Hamilton uses to build their watches and by the time you reach the end of this post, you’ll be able to decide which one out of all Hamilton mechanical models shall serve your purpose the best.

Earlier, Hamilton movements were created in-house at the Lancaster, Pennsylvania factory and were highly efficient, reliable and accurate. 2003 onward, they are supplied by ETA/Valjoux and some of them are modified/customized for added efficiency and visuals at the current Hamilton HQ at Biel, Switzerland. ^{Note: Both Hamilton and ETA come under the Swatch group.}

The specially adapted Hamilton movements can be spotted by the prefix H, starting at 10 and continuing till 50. Below is a brief overview of what each has on offer.

• H-10: Automatic movement based upon ETA 2825-2, 80-hour power reserve; 3-hands and Date.
• H-10-S: Automatic movement based upon ETA 2825-2, Skeletonized movement with Cotes de Genève decoration; automatic, 80-hour power reserve, 3-hands.
• H-12: Automatic movement based upon ETA 2825-2, regulator movement with 38-hour power reserve and 3-hands.
• H-13: Automatic movement with pearled finish, date function, power reserve indicator and an extended 80-hour power reserve.
• H-14:Automatic movement with a pearled finish; GMT 24-hour indicator, date function and an extended 80-hour power reserve.

• H-20-S: Automatic, skeletonized movement with laser decoration; 3-hands and a 38-hour power reserve.
• H-21: Based on the VALJOUX 7750; automatic chronograph, day-date function and an extended 60-hour power reserve.
• H-21-SI (Certified Chronometer): Based on VALJOUX 7750; Automatic Chronograph with Silicon hairspring, day-date function, extended 60-hour power reserve.
• H-22: Based on ETA 2825-2; automatic movement with pearled finish, small-seconds and 38-hour power reserve.
• H-30: Based on ETA C07.621; automatic with three hands, day and date; extended 80-hour power reserve.
• H-31: Based on VALJOUX 7753; automatic chronograph movement with laser decoration, quick date corrector and an extended 60-hour power reserve.
• H-32: ETA 2834-2 based automatic movement with pearled finish, with small seconds, date function and 38-hour power reserve.
• H-40: ETA 2834-2 based three-handed automatic movement with pearled finish; day-date function and an extended 80-hour power reserve.
• H-41: Based on VALJOUX 7750; Automatic chronograph movement with pearled finish; day-date and an extended 60 hours of power reserve.
• H-50: Manual winding movement based on the ETA 2801-2; with three hands, w/out date function and with an extended 80-hour power reserve.

What’s next?

Next day, we shall go into the Hamilton ranges and recommendations. Meanwhile, if you think a model requires a special mention, do drop us a line at gonzo@creationwatches.com