[Rusty]

Please place your Hamilton watch reviews in this thread. New or vintage? Pocket or wrist? As long as it is a Hamilton, this the place for your review.

 

[Rusty]

Hamilton Khaki SWAT

This 38 mm Khaki automatic is Swiss made, has a sapphire crystal, on a rubber strap.

With an ETA quartz movement, it keeps great time, is very light on the wrist, and has very good lume. The red numbers are a great color combo on the black dial and contrast nicely with the white numbers. The white numbers glow so brightly that you can actually see the neighboring red letters, even though the reds are not treated with lume.

The thin case is not ultra-slim but thin enough to be very comfortable on the wrist. For a 38 mm case, it wears larger on the wrist IMHO.

I love the bead-blasted finish on many of the Khaki models. It looks as if it is a titanium rather than stainless steel case.

In keeping with the style of Hamilton Khaki military style watches, the case size is 38 mm. I wish this model was available in a 40 mm case with mechanical movement as well.

 

[MacDaddy]

Ventura Chronograph Review

I fell in love with the Ventura years ago. When I was finally ready to purchase one I had a difficult decision to make. Do I buy an original vintage one or a new reissue model? Real gold with a 50+ year movement that had it's share of trouble or a brand new SS model with a modern quartz movement and a sapphire crystal? Well, I decided I wanted to wear it and not look at it in a box for the rest of my life.

I went with the chronograph version for two reasons. At the time Hamilton was making these, it was the only model with a sapphire crystal. Next was the chronograph and the cool factor of it being in Men In Black II.

As you can see, it's a decent size watch made very well. It fits nice on the wrist.

I replaced the bracelet with a third party model that copies the original Ventura bracelet design. It originally came with a black leather strap, nice quality, but it was boring. I guess the chrono is busy looking enough without an alligator strap to take away from the dial. I absolutely love my new strap which I bought on the bay. It completes Richard Arbib's design and turns the Ventura into the classy watch it was meant to be. This watch is screaming to be worn with a tuxedo. It looks like it was designed with a tuxedo in mind.

The case is stainless steel, a curved sapphire crystal and the strap came with a deployant clasp. The pushers work easy enough, it has a date feature on it with three silver subdials and the classic round indices that made it famous. The lugs are quite sharp so be careful playing with the kids with this on.

The dial is nicely done. It's not too busy and has an inside track running through the subdials with silver hands. My only complaint about the watch is that the crystal could have used some anti-reflective coating on the inside. It really gets hard to read in certain lighting and is probably the worst feature on the watch.

The back of the watch has the Hamilton coat of arms which makes it really nice. I'm not a fan of the new "H" on the backs. Yes, it gives it a modern look, but it'd be nice if they kept it for the American Classic and Khaki series.

All in all I made the right decision. I want to get a yellow gold version since I think it's still the most beautiful combination for the Ventura. Here's a photo of it next to my Boulton (on a SS bracelet) for a size comparison. It's the large version of the Boulton.

The Hamilton Ventura Chronograph is a great modern alternative to a vintage model and a great looking piece next to the anniversary and regular editions. I'll give it "FOUR AND A HALF WINDS" out of FIVE WINDS.
It makes me smile every time I wear it and you'll smile too. :thumbup:
MacDaddy

 

[epmtl]

X-Wind Limited Edition - Rose Gold - H776960

X-Wind Limited Edition - Rose Gold - H776960

Background: A limited edition of 2000 pieces that was released at Basel 2007. Packaged in a beautiful wooden box with a small Hamilton plane.

Movement: 25 Jewel, Valjoux 7750, turned 180 degrees. 12 Hour-Chronograph with Day and Date. Pros: Amazing movement! Very precise
(+2 seconds/day), and shock resistant. Cons: For a limited edition, it could have been a decorated movement.

Dial: Beautiful black dial with bronze Arabic numerals and calculator for Cross Wind. Running sub-seconds at 3, chronograph hour counter at 12 and chronograph minute counter at 6. Pros: The numerals match perfectly with the rest of the watch.

Case: A 44mm Pink Gold Plated - 10 Microns - 100M water-resistant case. The time/date setting crown is on the left side with the Chronograph pushers. The two Cross Wind calculator crowns are on the right side.

Case-Back: The 4 screws case-back is half open with a sapphire crystal and a degree ruler for Cross Wind. Engraved on the case back: "GOLD PLATED 10 MICRONS 0000/2000 - ST.STEEL SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL - WATER RESISTANT 100M - SWISS MADE - H776960"

Crystal: Sapphire Crystal. Pros: Almost impossible to scratch. Cons: No anti-reflective coating.

Crown: Regular Hamilton screw-down polished crowns.

Strap: A Germany Handcrafted Genuine Leather strap model H600776124.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10 - Stunning watch. Amazing price/quality. Lost points for not having a decorated movement and also not having an anti-reflective coating on the crystal.

 

[mgiraz]

Hamilton Tachymiler..

Designed to fulfill the toughest demands of sport and acrobatic pilots in the cockpit.The Khaki Tachymiler has the facility to record intermediate time - vital to racing pilots. The chronograph has color-coded pushers on its left-hand side in red and black, plus a silver crown, to enable activation even when traveling at speed. An easy to read display completes the 'control panel' look that celebrates its long American aviation heritage by integrating miles as the unit of measurement for distance.

A very soft rubber strap that utilizes the traditional "H" buckle. The strap itself continues past the push pins, becomes thicker, and hugs the case thus having the same effect as a fixed end link on a bracelet. The design or "tread" on the rubber strap is designed to resemble the tread on an airplane tire.

The result is a snug and comfortable fit for a large watch. The strap is also signed on the inside with Hamilton spelled out on one side and Khaki on the other. These raised letters keep the watch from slipping when it gets wet.

This is one of the only signed cases that I know of hamilton making.

A Valjoux 7750 powers the Tachymiler with the pushers at the 8 and 10 position and the crown at 9. The pusher location is very comfortable for the case is 44m (49m including crown) and it doesn't dig in the back of your hand....

The case back is quite different for it has a separated yin yang effect with the openings. It is screwed on by four screws. The rotor is signed but no further movement decoration is visible.

The case is carved around the pushers in a multilevel fashion. it is carved on the opposite side as well with the signature running through it. This is one of the most complex case designs that I have seen from Hamilton.

The dial is very unique. Multilevel with overlapping subdials. The broad sword hands are skeletonized and lumed at the tip. The second hand is broad sword skeletonized and solid red. The chrono second hand is very cool! Black with a skeletonized red box at the pointer end and a checkerboard effect on the opposite end to give it some racing flair! The 6 o'clock dial is a chrono minute. The besel is a black tachymiler with white print...Overall the dial is easy to read.

100m WR, 22m lugs, sapphire crystal and screw down crown....this watch is a super sports watch and comes off a little different than the standard aviation watch. The black, white, silver and splashes of red will catch your eye! On a rubber strap, this watch weighs in at 145 grams rides stady on the wrist...If I have a wish list for it, it would be to lume it better....The lume is only at the tips of the hour and minute hands. I give it a 9 out of 10.

 

[two21b]

The Clinton

The Clinton was introduced in 1949. It was an updated version of the military watch Hamilton produced during the war years. The 747 movement, introduced two years earlier, was used in this watch. The Clinton was one of the first Hamiltons to be made with a stainless steel case. The applied numbers on this one are also of stainless steel.

Two things stand out when you first look at this watch, its small size and the unique lugs. The size was fairly typical for the time period. The lugs set it apart from other watches.

It did not take long to get used to the smaller size of this watch. The period style strap (nearly identical to the ilustration in Rene Rondeaus book) adds to its vintage look. The dial is clean and easy to read.

I am cautious about overwinding my mechanical watches. I feel resistance on this one after about 8-9 turns. So far a single wind has lasted me 10 to 12+ hours. The watch was serviced before I bought it. I don't know if the mechanism will wind more freely with use. If I notice any significant changes I will post an update.

 

[foghorn]

Hamilton Brooke XL aka "Fatboy"

When the Hamilton Forum began 3 1/2 months ago I decided to add another Hamilton to my collection.
Since I already had 3 watches from the Khaki collection I decided to look for an automatic from the American Classics Collection.
I decided on the Brooke XL and couldn't be happier.

It is probably one of the more unique designs among all the "re-introductions"
of various Hamilton classics.

It creates almost an optical illusion as the case is smaller in diameter at the top(27mm) than at the bottom(35mm) yet the depth is greater at the top (12mm)and less at its widest point.(7mm)

The 2 vertical silver stripes on the dial are well complimented by the 2 horizontal stripes on the cas on the crown side.

The lugs at the top (8mm)are smaller than the bottom lugs (11mm) creating another interesting design aspect. (although it may be rough finding a replacement strap from anyone other than Hamilton)

The strap is a very nice quality leather with a double deployant,signed ,clasp.


The watch has a distinctive look reminiscient of the cars designs of the 50's and 60's which is further accentuated by the winged framing of the date window.



The watch is powered by the tried and true ETA 2824 and proudly displays this fact through an exhibition screw down case back.

It is keeping a rate of +8 secs a day which is perfectly acceptable for a non COSC movement.


All in all a great and interesting Swiss Made timepiece which doesn't even come close to duplicating anything in my collection.


----Obscure Reference----


I wouldn't be surprised if Barry Allen wore this watch

 

[HamiltonElectric]

Rusty asked me if I would review a vintage Hamilton, so here's one of my all-time favorite classics, the Altair.

It was introduced in 1961 at $110 with leather strap or $125 with a stunning mesh metal band. The band could be shortened by removing the endpiece and cutting the mesh, but once cut there was no way to lengthen it.

The asymmetric case styling is generally considered to be the most extreme design Hamilton ever attempted, even beyond Hamilton's other unique cases in the 1950s and 1960s. It was perhaps a bit too much for most people -- only 1,600 were sold, making this one of the scarcest as well as most desirable vintage Hamiltons.

Two types of hands were used, dauphine and straight baton. Both are listed on the original spec sheet but no explanation was given for the change. Most of the ones I've seen have straight baton hands.

The dial is two-tone brushed silver, with the center portion brushed in a radial pattern and the perimeter brushed in a straight line toward 1 o'clock. These alternate between light and dark grey as the dial is shifted in the light, giving it a really exciting appearance.

The movement was the Hamilton 505 electric, much improved over the earlier 500 and 500A. However, Hamilton did not use transistor switching (during development, they feared that transistors would be too expensive and/or not available in sufficient quantities) so the contacts that make and break the circuit press against each other physically, 5 times a second. Over a period of 2-3 years this causes the soft gold contact on the balance wheel to wear out. At the time this was not considered a problem since customers were already in the habit of having their watches overhauled every year or two anyway. During routine servicing the watchmaker would simply replace the entire balance assembly with a new one, and send the old one back to Hamilton to be rebuilt and resold. That is no longer an option today.

The crown is somewhat egg-shaped, with a tapered section on the bottom that nestles into the case opening. This style crown is unique to the Altair and was not used on any other watch. Like all Hamilton Electric crown, it is very small. This was meant to make a visual statement that the watch was unusual, since it's obviously too small to be used for winding.

For all its visual clout, the Altair had a serious design flaw -- the lugs were very weak. Both upper and lower lugs are extremely thin and are attached with a narrow section soldered to the body of the watch. Flexing the wrist puts pressure on the lugs and can easily bend them. The watch shown here is near-mint; most have 'wavy' lugs from having been bent and reshaped many times, and it's very common to see evidence of solder repairs. Altairs with excellent, undamaged lugs are very rare indeed.

The case manufacturer also failed to provide for a convenient way to open the case. There is no 'lip' as on most two-piece cases. The only way to open the watch is to slip a knife into the seam on the side. It's extremely common to find these with horrible gouges from careless case opening.

Hamilton never made a ladies' electric watch, but they did use the unique styling of the Altair to make a companion "Style-Mate" watch with a mechanical movement -- the Vesta. Today this is even rarer than the Altair.

The Altair is particularly special to me because this watch literally changed my life... I was already collecting watches long before I bought my first Hamilton Electric (a Pacer), but when I saw a picture of an Altair I became obsessed. Not only did I urgently have to find one for myself, I also needed to learn everything I could about these amazing pieces. There was virtually no information to be had -- in fact, no existing books listed the Altair, or for that matter most other electrics -- so I started researching the story myself. Then I had problems finding anyone to repair my electrics so I had to learn to do it myself. A few years later I quit my job and became a full-time Hamilton specialist. The Altair was what tipped me over the edge, and I will forever be grateful!

 

[mgiraz]

HAMILTON FROGMAN CHRONOGRAPH

Crystal Material: Scratch-Resistant Sapphire Crystal
Clasp: Double push button divers clasp
Case Diameter: 43 millimeters
Case Thickness: 18 millimeters
Case Material: Titanium Case
Strap Material: Titanium
Dial Color: Black Dial, Luminous Hands and Arabic Numerals
Movement: Valjoux 7750
Calendar: Magnified Date
Water Resistance Depth: 200 meters

Never was attracted to this watch until I saw it in person and tried it on..It rides high on the wrist and has a beefy look to it. Sized to a 7 1/2 wrist it weighs in at a very manageable 165 grams and does not slide all around the wrist.

The case back has an exhibition quality to it enhanced by a porthole look adds to the nautical theme. Allows for a view of the decorated rotor of the Valjoux 7750. It is screwed to the case wit 8 screws.

The pushers on the case are covered by "H" signed canteen type screwed on caps that are connected to the case by a double hinged piece of titanium. The pushers, as you can see by the picture, are cut in half...Black half = start & stop the chronograph...red = resets chronograph. A little hard to use if you have large fingers but you get the hang of it after a while. The crown, also covered by a canteen cap is on the smallish side but is not difficult to use.

On the sapphire crystal are two magnifiers...The large one magnifies the chrono minutes (30 min), the small magnifier magnifies the date. The two magnifiers do interfere with the hands..10:04 o'clock is virtually impossible to see.

The other 1/2 subdial is a 12hr chrono hour timer, the subdial rotates the red pointer is stationary.

The dial is one of Hamilton's better lumed pieces.

The bracelet has a dual push button signed divers clasp with only two holes for adjustment. The fixed end links melt very nicely into the case and blend into the titanium bezel.

Overall this watch has exceeded my expectations..I would rate it an 8 out of 10.I think the only drawbacks are that the two magnifiers interfere with the time (2 hrs per day), there are only 2 micro-adjust holes in the clasp and there is no second hand (unless you start the chrono of course).

If you want a great sport watch with some wrist presence, this Valjoux 7750 powered Hamilton Frogman is one worth considering.

 

[Tom Barry]

Review of Hamilton Automatic Chronograph (38mm)

This Hamilton Automatic Chronograph model in 38mm size case has now, I believe, been discontinued. I got it in March at a closeout price at a discount AD for just over $400 including tax. I consider it a bargain, as it contains the Valjoux 7750 chronograph movement, a fine piece of timekeeping machinery. Even though I have a preference for quartz chronographs simply because they can be thinner, I thought this was such a good buy that I would try it and sell it if it didn't ultimately feel comfortable. As it turns out, I like it well, and am keeping it in the collection.

The watch comes in the usual sober Hamilton packaging, with a welcome large size of instruction manual and warranty booklets. The interior box is plastic but looks like aluminum.The cushion for the watch and the surrounding area are in a leather-like material, all stark black.

Hamilton has similar pieces in the current collection, including a 38mm in the Khaki Field subgroup, but the others are larger. And, speaking of similar, the watch face and the hands in particular, bear a strong resemblance to a number of traditional pilots' (or Flieger) chronographs by several manufacturers. It's a quite classic look that I find pleasing, however derivative it may be. Interesting to me is that nowhere on the watch does the word "khaki" appear, though it was described as such on the sales slip.

Since I bought the chrono, it has been an excellent time-keeper, running at a consistent +2 sec. per day, whether on the wrist or in the watch box or just parked on the night stand. That speaks well of the precision of the 7750. The watch has an exhibition back showing a cleanly-finished, though by no means highly decorated, movement. I have yet to experience the famous "vibration" of the 7750's ball-bearing rotor spinning. I can set it to spinning while holding the watch in my hand, and then feel the vibration.

I like the size of the case. The necessary depth of the mechanical chronograph movement means the watch is thick - more than 15mm by my measurement. But because it is not a large-diameter case, the bulge at the back sits nicely between the wrist bones when the austere black leather strap is cinched down snugly. It is comfortable, except on warm, muggy days, when I wear only braceleted watches or a pocket watch.

The bezel is polished bright, but most of the rest of the stainless case carries a more subdued finish. Everything is cleanly done. While a deployment strap looks great, and I have some watches with them, I have always found a plain buckle strap easier to adjust and somewhat more comfortable to wear. So I have no complaints there. The buckle itself is of course signed with the Hamilton name.

The chronograph functions positively, with the traditional round pushers giving a moderate amount of resistance with a precise "click" to start, stop and reset the timer. There is a tachymeter scale (in meters) around the edge of the dial to measure average speed of a vehicle. Some similar Hamilton models use a telemeter scale to measure distance rather than speed (For example, the generic instruction manual notes that a three-second lapse between a flash of lightning and the sound reaching the ear means the storm is 1 kilometer distant).

Because of the strong contrast between the non-reflective black dial and the white numbers, hands and indices, legibility is better than one expects from a traditionally-sized dial/case - I can (with bifocals) discern even the smaller indicators and can easily make out the time even with only my distance vision (at arm's length and squinting). The crystal at first appears flat, but it has a slight domed shape, which makes it difficult to photograph without reflections, particularly outdoors.

As you can see from the photos, the luminescence is good, but my Citizen Eco-Drive watches have "lume" paint that stays bright longer. The watch has a claimed water resistance of 10ATM.

In all, I am quite happy with my purchase. Those who like larger cases will find them available from Hamilton in a similar configuration.

 

[eddiea]

Aviation QNE..............

The Aviation style Hamilton's Khaki QNE watch features a 316 fine brushed 44mm case stainless steel construction on a sapphire crystal, the Champagne/Antique Ivory dial (in my piece)is featuring a pressure-altitude measurement scale (mmHg/hPa pressure scale)for those of you into reading very small numbers and in need to calculate your altitude say… at lunch time, for the rest of us, is always a conversation piece … a date window completes the dial... one of my few complaints if any …lume is poor . The split window exhibition case back features a Zulu aviation alphabet reference list… Lug size is a healthy 22mm and the piece is rated 100meters water resistant with a signed, non screwing down crown . The movement is a modified ETA 2892-2 with 6 extra jewels 27 total ( ETA 2895-2 )for the separate small second hand sub-dial complication locate at 6 on the main dial, reminiscent of those old airplane gauges…. no fine finish applied to the movement (not expected either in this price range) other than the Hamilton name across the rotor… I purchase the watch around December/07 from THE network channel (technically gray market?) for slightly above $400 usd. Very easy to wear, the piece fits very comfortably on my 71/4 wrist, my watch was originally fitted with a very good quality aviation style strap with the traditional "H" buckle but, quickly changed for an exotic tan Alligator.

So far accuracy has been just outstanding, the piece gains two (2) seconds per 24 hours period as per my reference atomic clock (Colorado, USA) that for a watch not rated as a certified chronometer…overall fit/finish is just superb in this price range, making this watch an excellent choice and a real bargain considering the craftsmanship ...

Hamilton, the house founded in 1892 in Lancaster PA is no longer American made yet, the Swatch Group has managed to play the American Heritage marketing game well, making this marquee appealing and trendy yet one more time … and growing

 

[Rusty]

Khaki 3 Hand Automatic Model # H70515153

This is the 42mm case with an ETA 2824-2 25 jewel automatic movement. There are sapphire crystals both front and back.

This dial color is pleasant to view and the lume is excellent but the sweep hand does not light up. In true Khaki military tradition, the numbers accomodate a 12 or 24 time read.

The outer bezel is polished but the other finishes are softly brushed including the bracelet, which has a diver's extension.

I am not certain if the watch is Swiss made since the only mention of SWISS is on the rotor of the movement. I think it may be assembled in the Far East.

It is 50 meters water resistant. The 2007/08 model in this size case comes with 100 meters resistant and only with a black dial.

It is a nice size and wears comfortably on the wrist. Because of some of the polish work, it is both sporty and a bit dressy as well and can be worn comfortably with a sport coat.

It is a classic that will never go out of style.

 

[mgiraz]

Khaki Action Automatic (sorry for the dusty pictures)

Movement: ETA Cal. 2824-2 25 jewels Swiss Automatic.
Functions: Date calendar, window display.
Case: Satin finish solid 316L Stainless steel.
Bezel: Uni-Directional rotating, ratcheted, 0-60 Elapsed-Time.
Crown: Sport style, screw-down (threaded). Wind crown protector.
Crystal: Sapphire. Very slight dome profile.
Dial: Black color. Applied polished Silver color markers.
Hands: Steel color. Luminous filled.
Case Back: Observation crystal. Screw-on style ( held by screws ).
Band: Satin finish. Solid 316L stainless steel. Rubber integrated. Oyster style links.
Clasp: Tri-fold, Sport style, with spring release. Factory Logo engraved/embossed.
Water Resistance: 200m/660ft/20atm.
Case Size: 40.00mm. 12.50mm. 46mm across with crown.


Dial - Great looking dial in matte black with silver numbers..6,9 and 12 are large and play very nice with the over sized numbers on the gear cog styled bezel. The crown is gear cog styled to carry the look forward as well.

Fit and Finish - The watch is extremely tight and well done. The crown guard looks a little fragile but in fact is very sturdy. The crown is on the large side and very easy to deal with. The case is very interesting. For being 40m it has a lug spread of 22m. This gives the illusion that the case is a rectangle and makes the watch wear larger.

Crystal - The sapphire crystal is slightly domed and gives the watch an extra dimension to its look.

Case Back - The case back is windowed and a decorated rotor shows off the ETA 2824-2.

Bracelet - The bracelet is 316L SS with rubber integrated center links. traditional push button signed divers clasp.

Summary - The watch weighs in at 153 grams and is a pleasure to wear. The crown guard, in my opinion, is what sets this watch off. You don't see many designs like this. The dial is easy to read..I rate the lume a 7 out of 10. The watch is comfortable, accurate and can be worn while doing the chores on Saturday and have enough left to go out on the town Saturday night..Overall I give this watch an 8 out of 10.

 

[mgiraz]

Hamilton 50th Anniversary Ventura Limited Edition(Yellow Gold)

Sapphire Crystal
Quartz Movement
Water Resistance：50
Width 37mm
Thickness 7mm
Weight 40g

The world is limited to 1,000 pieces of this special watch. The "dot" that represents the 10 (or in this case the 50 minute mark) on the dial is replaced by a diamond chip that represents this model being 50 years old.

The case back is etched beautifully with the Hamilton Logo and the watch number (274 of 1000) for the Limited Edition.

the crown is signed with an "H".

The case has some thickness and the plating is perfect. The dial is a very dark bronze color with gold tone hands and indices. It has the classic electric bolt running through through middle of the dial.

The strap is a brown croc grained leather strap with a buckle...I added a gold deployant.

The movement is quartz which fits the theme of the first electric watch..This watch is very fun to wear and can be dressed up or sported out....Put on that Nat Nast shirt and go listen to some Chuck Berry or Jerry Lee (The Killer) Lewis! You'll feel 50 years younger:thumbup1:

 

[Rusty]

Posted by Rusty for Bograd

Since this a thread for Hamilton PR i will post my review here.

As my first automatic i have the Hamilton Jazzmaster Power Reserve for about a week.
It is the white dial on crocodile brown leather strap model.
The dial is quit nice with the round guilloche effect and the power reserve indicator. The glass is sapphire back and front. It is a pretty decent size, the diameter is 40 mm (43 mm with the crown). Lugs distance is 20 cm. I like the strap, it's really a quality strap with the butterfly clasp with push button.

The movement is ETA-2897. Accuracy (after first day) is -2 sec/day which is preety good. Regarding the power reserve, i go to sleep with the indicator showing full and in the morning is at about 75-80%. After i wore it for about 2 hours it goes over the top.

The only bothering things i noticed so far is the somehow low contract between the light silvery dial and the darker silver hands and markers. This make the reading of the watch little tricky in some conditions, but nothing too upseting. The other small bothering thing is the low effect of the fluorescent material on the hands and markers. In the dark are not so evident.

All in all is a quality and i am very happy with the purchase.
And in the end, some pics.

 

[johnje]

Hamilton Khaki Swat Watch

Actually this is has a swiss quartz movement. It is highly accurate and is one of the most comfortable watches you can wear. The 38mm size is perfect. The dial is probably the most readable I have ever seen. I put it on a black leather strap with black stitching since it has a black bezel.

 

[undocumented]

My first Hamilton

Hi all I thought I would review my one and only Hamilton; the Khaki Multi-Touch. This isn't the most popular watch around here but a very cool one none the less. The Multi-Touch is the sister to the Tissot T-Touch. There have been many documented problems with early T-Touch watches but I decided to take the leap.
Specs:
Case: 42 mm diameter (45 mm w/crown)
Tactile sapphire crystal
30 m water resistance
E40.305 Quartz movement
Functions:
Altimeter
Barometer
Compass
Thermometer
Chronograph
Alarm
End of Life Indicator
Some pictures

My watch is has a gold/beige dial with an olive green silicone strap with a normal tang buckle (thinking of changing to a deployment clasp). The dial itself is relatively small because of the thick bezel that has all the functions inscribed on it. I have had the watch for about 2 weeks and I am really enjoying it. To activate the touch crystal you press in the crown until it beeps then press in any one the 6 function areas then press in the middle to go back to normal timekeeping more. This watch is all about the tech functions. The ABC functions are very neat and quite useful on hikes and just to impress friends. The altimeter is based on barometric pressure so it needs to be recalibrated as ofter as possible to stay accurate (I just found the elevation at my home online and recalibrate when here). The barometer measures true pressure and thus is 20-25 hPa lower than the weather channel because they adjust for the elevation where it is measured. It can track changes in the pressure for a couple hours and tells you the trend to help all the amateur meteorologists out there. The compass can be calibrated to point to true north rather than magnetic north (again information available online). All of these things are useful when out especially using the altimeter to gauge how far you climbed on a bike ride or hike. The watch's thermometer is not very useful; to be accurate it must be of the arm for 10-15 minutes and in real outdoors situations that isn't possible. Like all Khakis you can read 24 hour time from the watch (can't get a great close up with my camera but the numbers are there). The lume on the hands is bright. The alarm is loud enough. The chrono does lap time but doesn't store any. The digital display can show the time or the date but I wish it would have the day as well. There is no backlight to the digital display so it probably isn't the best camping watch.
As for the problems apparently T-Touch and Multi-Touch watches are allergic to humid conditions like the bathroom when the shower is running, or steam rooms etc. The watch is rated for 30 m which for most techy watch guys is not nearly enough. I have yet to experience any problems first hand but I will keep you updated.
To conclude a very solid product that can be had on the gray market or second hand for a very reasonable price. If you do day hiking or want a watch that will always get a wow when you demo it this is a good choice. However, those with Casio or Suunto ABC watches this probably won't replace them for backpacking/camping use. I like the watch and have found myself ignoring the rest of my collection since I received it.

 

[two21b]

Trent Automatic

REFERENCE H30415531
NAME TRENT AUTOMATIC
STRAP dark brown leather
REF. STRAP # H600.304.101 //

The Trent is part of the Hamilton Vintage Collection. The original design was from the 1950’s. The current version is offered in automatic, quartz and quartz chronograph models. The automatic version is powered by an ETA 2824-2. My watch has a black dial and brown leather band. The dial is clean and simple. Hour markers surround a railroad style seconds track. A date window is located at 6 o’clock.

The case size (37x33mm) is a refreshing change of pace from the 43-46mm range without being small. The square case and the lugs give it the impression of being a little larger. The lugs also enhance the appearance of the rectangular design.

The watch is comfortable on my wrist. The deployment buckle is well executed and enhanced with design cut-outs.

The brown leather strap with white stitching goes well with the black dial. The lug width is advertised as 19mm. However, the lugs are notched inside and the band is actually a little wider.

Overall design, fit and finish deserve high marks.

 

[Rusty]

Hamilton Sutton (circa 1938)

After 48 hours with my new (old) Hamilton Sutton vintage, I am very impressed.

I have wound the watch three times and as of the third wind, the 70 year old movement is only a few seconds fast. Amazing.

The watch has what looks like a new crystal and I believe the previous owner had it polished. It has a 14k gold-plated finish and outside of 70 years of use, it is in beautiful condition.

I love the tubular lugs that run up both sides of the case. And the dial shows just enough aging to make it interesting to view. The sub-dial for the seconds hand really makes it a vintage look.

Size-wise, it is smaller than anticipated and very light on the wrist. The case is curved but after wearing modern day watches, the lack of heft and size takes some getting used to. The watch came with a new black leather strap that is nothing special but certainly fits the vintage of the watch.

 

[GradyPhilpott]

That's a beautiful watch, Rusty.