Hamilton’s historic field watch has been a mainstay of the genre for generations, and the modern Khaki continues that tradition without losing sight of its original DNA. This is a watch that’s had remarkably staying power, and remains a fixture of the value space that’s still a respected sight in any collection. The Khaki Field has welcomed prominent new additions in recent years, from titanium and bronze cases, to dial colors like white, that feel like they’ve been a part of the watch’s history all along. This week, it’s welcoming a new hand wound movement with 80 hours of reserve, and a visible scale on the dial tracking just how much power remains in the tank.
The new watch is, sure enough, the Khaki Field Power Reserve, and it uses a new manually winding caliber H-23 developed by ETA exclusively for Hamilton. This brings an impressive 80 hours of reserve to the table, along with the power reserve indication on the dial, all without adding much in the way of thickness to the watch. The mechanical Khaki goes from 10mm to just south of 12mm in total, remaining firmly in that wearable sweet spot. Still, the original remains a great option if you don’t need the power reserve displayed on the dial (you still get the 80 hours of reserve from the H-50).
There’s another reason that this particular execution may be of interest to enthusiasts, and it has less to do with the complication, and more to do with its size. This steel case becomes the only 40mm option in the mechanical Khaki family, splitting the existing 38mm and 42mm options. It’s a case size that sits in that perfect midpoint that many buyers will feel more comfortable with, even if it is a touch thicker. The power reserve indication is a nice bonus, or a potential drawback if you prefer a cleaner dial. Still, this case existing here at all is a good sign for the future of the collection as a whole.
I have no doubt that a 40mm titanium or bronze mechanical Khaki Field would be quite popular, and this shows they’ve got the wherewithal to get it made. The power reserve indication itself is handled in a rather peculiar way here, reading like a fuel gauge, with an ‘F’ at the top of the arc, and a red ‘E’ at the bottom, with a ½ in the middle. On any other watch it might look a little ham-fisted, but somehow it fit thematically with the Khaki. This is a watch with a personality all its own, and I like seeing Hamilton explore that in unexpected ways.
The new mechanical Khaki Field Power Reserve is being offered with both a white and a black dial, and both are available with either a steel bracelet, or fabric options. Pricing begins at $945 on fabric, and goes up to $1,025 on a bracelet. Hamilton