Ask on any forum about a first serious mechanical watch and Hamilton will come up before you get five replies. It is no coincidence: few brands combine genuine history, modern Swiss mechanics and such reasonable prices. The thing is that Hamilton has several very different families, and picking the wrong way in is a classic mistake. Let's avoid it.<\/p>\n
Hamilton was born in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and made its name with railroad watches: in the America of the railways, where a minute's error caused accidents, “Hamilton accuracy” was a mark of trust. Then came the military watches of the two world wars, the marine chronometers and, in 1957, a bombshell: the Ventura, the world's first electric watch, with that triangular case Elvis turned into an icon.<\/p>\n
Today Hamilton manufactures in Switzerland within the Swatch Group, with one very specific speciality: modern mechanical calibers with up to 80 hours of power reserve at prices almost nobody can match. And it remains Hollywood's favourite brand: from Men in Black to Interstellar, it has appeared in hundreds of films.<\/p>\n
Into military and understated?<\/strong> Khaki Field, and specifically the Mechanical: hand-wound, 38 mm, an instruction-manual dial. It is THE universally recommended first mechanical watch, and it has not stepped off that podium in years.<\/p>\n Aviation?<\/strong> Khaki Aviation: from the classic Pilot to the Pioneer with its RAF air. The sea?<\/strong> Khaki Navy, with the Scuba as the house's affordable diver.<\/p>\n Elegance?<\/strong> Jazzmaster for everyday wear with a jacket, and Intra-Matic for sixties love at first sight: its “panda” chronograph is one of the prettiest things you can buy without getting into painful figures.<\/p>\n Personality above all else?<\/strong> Ventura. Elvis's electric triangle is still in the catalogue, now in quartz and automatic too. It is not for everyone, and that is precisely its charm.<\/p>\n The price bracket for most of the catalogue runs from \u20ac500 to \u20ac1,300: the territory of a first serious purchase and of a second watch with character.<\/p>\n Because in its price bracket nobody gives more: authentic American history, Swiss manufacturing within a major group, 80 hours of reserve and a catalogue with room for the soldier, the pilot and Elvis. Hamilton is the short answer to this hobby's most repeated question.<\/p>\n Hamilton is part of our editorial section<\/a>, and from time to time selected pieces from the brand pass through our display cabinets, available upon request. If you are looking for a particular one, write to us<\/a>.<\/p>\nWhy It Matters<\/h2>\n
Hamilton at World Watch Museum<\/h2>\n