Tags: Presentation | Hamilton | Men's | Classic | Aerial | Military | Retro
28.6.2022 | 4 MIN
A watch that looks as if it was taken from an old photo, that's the Hamilton way. The stylish way. Where (or when) does the new Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pioneer take us this time? And how authentic is it?
Are you also drawn to watches which don't seem to fit into today's rushing world? The feel of so-called vintage watches is simply amazing. But getting your hands on the right vintage watch with birth certificate older than yours is not as easy as it might seem. And so Hamilton (and other watch-making brands of course) gets its inspiration from the past to revive its most interesting pieces.
And so in May of this year, the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pioneer Mechanical Chrono was created.
This new model is based on one of the most known aviation chronographs called Fab Four 6BB with which Hamilton supplied the RAF in the '1970s (along with companies like CWC, Newmark, and Precista). And the new take is visible to the naked eye.
The original Fab Four model. This photo is used with the kind consent of monochrome-watches.com.
This aviation watch was distinctive thanks to the asymmetric design. The case was thicker on the right side so that the crown would fit inside nicely (and that it would be protected). Thanks to the matte black dial background, the indices and luminescent hands for readability contrasted nicely, and the subdial of the stopwatch was made in the typical horizontal way.
After the Lemania Mono-Pusher, it was the second chronograph generation for RAF pilots, it employed the Valjoux 7733 movement, and it measured 39 mm (1.56") in diameter.
In the '70s, Hamilton was far from a newbie when it comes to military contracts. When the military conflicts of the 20th century (especially WW1) helped the boom of men's wrist watches, Hamilton was there. Hamilton made watches for the American government (it is originally an American brand, not a Swiss one as it is today) for soldiers in trenches, pilots, and marines. This history gave birth to today's collections Khaki Field, Khaki Aviation, and Khaki Navy.
Reviving the legacy of the original watch is, in my opinion, similar to restoration of historic architecture. Yes, it is advisable to keep the authentic appearance and the original dignity, but it's also important to make it so that it holds up in the present. And Hamilton's new mechanic chronograph, as it seems so far, managed to do this.
From the original look, Hamilton kept the typical asymmetric case with the sunk-in knurl crown, colour scheme, and dial arrangement, as well as polished cylindrical buttons. It also added fauxtina to make it feel like an old watch with a universal smooth brown leather strap, which probably went with watches throughout all time periods, yet when combined with the watch, the design gives off a nice retro feeling (and if you wanted to switch the strap for a, let's say, NATO one, I think it would look awesome).
The design is simple and effortlessly readable, the dial is not "ruined" by the date, the hands are painted white, as it is with the original, and with a coat of Super-LumiNova. The case is made from steel with screwed-down case back granting water-resistance up to 100M − a pretty solid depth for a vintage watch. And what looks really good (from photos) is the brushed finish of the case.
Retro lovers will be certainly pulled towards this watch thanks to the manual winding, which is kept from the original model. However, there is a much more modern movement inside which is based on the Valjoux 7753. It is the H-51-Si calibre 4 Hz, which was introduced for the first time in the Intra-Matic chronograph. It comes with an antimagnetic silicone balance spring and the power reserve of up to 60 hours.
Another significant element that got a modern remake is the glass. The domed shape was of course kept, but the material wasn't. Yes, plastic would be more authentic, but we all like to hear that a company used sapphire. So it is nice that the Pioneer got the sapphire, and with the anti-reflective layer as a bonus.
The glass is somewhat tall, though, and by combining it with a thick movement, we get a quite thick watch (14.35 mm/0.56"). The case diameter might have gotten up from 39 mm (1.54") to 40 mm (1.57"), however, I am not sure whether it will really help make the diameter/thickness ratio of the watch a bit more optically balanced in real life... But we shall see that when the watch arrives (we will fill you in on the exact dates later).
We can't wait for the watch and we are glad that it will be a part of the non-limited edition collection. The price point should be around 2 250 EUR, which is quite reasonable for a mechanical chronograph. Especially with the amazing design and high quality. What do you think?
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