The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical offers the best value in watchmaking. In this video I explain why. There are many models, this one is reference no. H69439933 with a modified ETA H-50 movement.
I bought the same watch but with the green strap and olive green dial. I actually like how the dial at time looks black, other times looks grey, and other times olive green. Mine is running at +2 seconds a day. Since I have bought it, some of my colleagues are looking to buy one. Totally agree, it is the best value watch.
Loved that watch, got it for less than 300 dollars before it became popular. Owned the olive dial variant for couple of years and decided to sell it for Sarb033.
David, your views are down to earth, no nonsense, I appreciate it. I particularly enjoyed the one which you talked about the experience of buying luxury watches via dealers in Switzerland. Thank you sir.
Great watch at a great price, you absolutely can’t go wrong with it for $400. I own a very similar watch made by Long Island Watch using a Seiko movement (it was less than half the price) and I love it as an everyday watch. It eve has a flat sapphire crystal!
Thanks for the video and the history explanation. After watching so many videos from different RU-vidrs and stalking this watch for weeks, I finally pulled the trigger on the no date version of the watch (with dark green nato strap). AU$530 inc. tax and shipping to Australia from US. This would be my perfect hiking, camping, hunting, mountain climbing etc. sports' purpose watch. Cheap but reliably built and serves the purpose. I feel this is a real sports watch that you can wear for real sport activities. After owning an AP, a Nautilus, and a Breguet Marine, I feel like these higher end "sport watches" are really "yacht watches", they are luxury fragile watches with sporty designs that you can't really wear for real sport purpose.
Congrats! Yes, as the name says, it is a field watch, to be worn out in the field where things can get rough. But still the movement feels high end when you wind and set it, you'll see for yourself soon. Good choice my friend.
Hola, gran reseña. Tengo el mismo modelo y coincido con tu observacion de la correa (es de gran calidad, pero no es lo que mejor le queda a la caja del Khaki). Saludos desde Argentina! ...
Good review. I bought this same model as you reviewed. The stock strap is well made and comfortable, but the beige/mustard color is terrible. I still haven't found an alternate strap that I am 100% happy with.
Hi David, I'm normally a very conservative buyer but your video was so convincing and informative that I just pulled the trigger on my first ever mechanical watch, a Hamilton Khaki Automatic! I've watched other much bigger YT watch channels but this one was the one that convinced me. Thanks! Or maybe no thanks since my wallet is lighter!
Just picked one up on eBay for $295 (display model, essentially brand new). H69419363, with olive green dial and green leather-backed canvas strap. It looks fantastic, and is very comfortable. Accuracy is about -3 seconds/day, which is more than good enough for my purposes. I especially love the thin profile and the sapphire crystal ... this is a hella nice watch for 300 bucks!
Excellent watch! I have both 38mm versions, one date one non date, I think I am liking the non date slightly more at present. But I know I would like a bracelet for them.
Me personally, I like off black dial and the hands. I also like the white lume. It’s a design that’s a classic look. It’s a field watch that looks like a field watch. I also appreciate the sand blasted look. I ordered this watch but I also ordered the sand blasted bracelet from the H69439131 model. It’s a perfect combo . I do agree the strap that comes with it is horrendous. Good thing is that Nato straps are cheap and also are the perfect combo for a field watch
Hamilton is such an underrated brand because it's an affordable brand. But if you are looking for a great watch for work this is the best option out there in my opinion. It's cheap, matt finish and scratch resistant. And small enough to not get in the way when you use your hands. What more can you ask for as an work appropriate watch? Also, like you said the movement is great for the price. In my 4 months so far with this watch, i adjusted the time once. It keeps the time accurate.
You're right, especially for work it's perfect. I wear mine on a Nato when I do work with my hands, and put it on a leather strap for office work. Very versatile.
I thought it would be Mondaine or some other Swiss name. But, of course, Mondaine lacks the history and legacy that you, rightly, value ! Nice and affectionate review. And nice to hear some of Swiss accent coming through your English !
I've paused on pullin' the trigger on this field khaki model...the H-50 model...I've been running into a lot of talk that the H-50 is prone to over winding and breaking. Supposedly the previous version with the ETA2801-2 movement is more proven than the newer H-50 models. Yeah the power reserve is not as long and the seconds hand is smoother...but supposedly more robust than H-50. 🤷🏽♂️
Thicker and more expensive, but if you don't mind those factors it's a wonderful choice. They also make a quartz model, which is affordable and super-accurate. Good choice if the whole "owning a Swiss made mechanical movement" thing isn't a priority.
I would never wear a Rolex because of the very fact that it is a status symbol and many people buy it just to appear posh. I'd rather buy something that's an underdog and comes with a lot of history and heritage. But that's just me.
Nice video! Great content. About the watch, searching other similar models I found the Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 38mm (reference H70455533), which in my opinion is better than this mechanical model, as it has the same size and almost the same price, and has 2 extras, it is automatic (not manual) and has some polished parts, that permits you to dress up with this watch as well.
After ordering today exactly the same watch I found your video and channel! I also believe it is the best looking and best value mechanical watch. It combines everything in an amazing way. It took me a lot of time to decide which watch I want more but when I saw it I instantly fell in love with it! We absolutely agree! It is a classic and never goes out of fashion. It can even become dressier which is fantastic! The newer version without the date is not for me, it look so childish in my opinion. This one here excels in everything! Just one question. After these months how do you find the H-50 movemenet? Do you think will it be reliable just like its mother ETA? Or even more reliable because it beats lower? I subscribe now to your channel!
I agree with everything you said! Sorry for the late reply. I own it since 1.5 years now and it still gets by far the most wrist time of all my watches. About the movement: mine is still very accurate and can even compete with my Rolex's in that regard. Plus it's just a pleasure to wind and set. Everything feels crisp and precise. Better than many luxury watches.
@@watchcraft That is amazing to know! The thing that you compare it even with your Rolex proves a lot and shows your appreciation and honest opinion. I love its simplicity. The same movement can be found in watches 4 times its value. I hope it will last you for years to come!
Sellita SW200 movement are great. I own an Invicta 9937OB with one. But Hamilton with an ETA or even the H50 is probably more valuable. Performance, pretty much identical. But ETA movements are 3 times the cost of SW200. Also, you can’t compare a micro brand to Hamilton largely due to availability. Micro brands are often times sold out and are a pain to purchase. I know because my Zelos Swordfish meteorite dial with ETA is next to impossible to buy.
well, ...I have had many seiko watches or orient and it is true, officially they say 20secons plus or minus but in reality, mine never ever got over 6 seconds plus or minus per day-mostly 3-4 seconds per day...
As much as I like ETA movements, a Sellita SW200 is a better value. And Seiko are even a better value. Sapphire glass is what puts it apart at anything under $500. But I put a sapphire glass on my Seiko for about $50.
Heritage? Die heutige Hamilton hat mit der alten Tradition, von der Du so schwärmst so viel zu tun wie die heutigen Marken Invicta, Grundig, Telefunken, Blaupunkt bspw. Swatch hat nur den Namen gekauft, sonst nichts. Nur weil sie das alte Design wieder aufleben lassen... von Hamilton ist nur noch der Name übrig. Schade eigentlich, denn die Uhr ist wirklich gut. Die Hamiltons kommen aus der gleichen Swatch-Fabrikation wie Tissot, Certina und Mido. Hat (zum Glück vielleicht?) nichts mehr mit USA zu tun. Das erinnert mich ein bisschen an Ray Ban. Da haben vor ein paar Jahren die Italiener den Namen gekauft und lassen die in Italien produzieren. Die Qualität ist gut, hat nur nichts mehr mit dem Spirit der Amerikanischen Ray Ban zu tun.
@@watchcraft die habe ich leider nicht. Ich wollte es nur der Vollständigkeit halber erwähnen, weil es sonst klingt, als würde die Hamilton noch von der Traditionsschmiede gefertigt. Die schweizer Hamilton ist echt eine super Uhr und ich liebe das Design. Ich habe selber zwei Khakis.
I wouldn't buy this watch, because i don't like the movement , which was mentioned enough. H50 is a major downgrade in comparison with the 2804-2 that you can find in older pieces of the same watch.
Not really depending of what you want. I love the 2824 in my Glycine with that smooth hands, but I’m also surprised with that 80 hours… Both are serviceable and I do find the H10 more precise.
do you care about lume anyway? i mean it looks pretty for 5 minutes right after you "loaded" it. but after 30minutes in the dark, any lume is pretty much useless in my opinion
@@watchcraft I've fond that I can charge mine at night and with some difficulty I can make out the time up to 7 hours later assuming my eyes have been in the dark.
@@watchcraft Khaki Field Mechanical! I'm not saying it pops out, but assuming I charged it and my eyes are dark adapted, yes, a bit of a "eye strain" but yes. It was one thing that really surprised me after hearing all the bad stuff about the lume. Makes me want to try a Seiko though, just to see. (own Seiko, but not with lume)
Best value? Sure it’s a wonderful watch. I like mine plenty, but I’d take my Casio G-Shock Mudmaster GWG-1000-1A3. Far more durability, functionality, legibility, & accuracy. So it doesn’t have “soul”, & it’s not as versatile. There is a time and place for all watches. Hamilton is an excellent watch maker, with a long & storied history. Best value though? No.
rkcasa33 I believe he said that in his opinion this is the best value watch. And that is different for everybody at the end of the day. If your a businessman, you’d probably value your watch on the brand, looks, heritage, mechanical movement and the pure aesthetic of the watch overall. Like a Rolex for example. But if you are a mountain climber or surfer, you’d probably value your watch on how it is accurate or how it can withstand extreme coldness or shocks but not necessarily the looks of it. Like a Casio. It’s all about the perspective
I've never understood why these are so popular. Ridiculously long lugs, with crappy AR coating and horrible lume. Not to mention the most boring dial and an ugly dull finishing on the case. 🤢🤮
Has it ever occurred to you that not everyone shares your experience with this watch? Whatever watch you think is better than this Hamilton will be considered ugly and crappy to others.
@@Ferien7 "Ridiculously long lugs, with crappy AR coating and horrible lume" is not an experience, these are factors... especially on a $500+ watch. The dial & case finish are my opinions. Even if you disagree, that's not much left going for it at that price.
@@TypeSly “Ridiculously long lugs, with crappy AR coating and horrible lime” are your opinions, which are based solely on your experience. Plenty of other people don’t have the same issues with this watch’s specs and performance. For reference, Rolex watches don’t have ar coating and their lume could be perceived as mediocre for the price range. But, we all see how well they’re doing. The khaki line’s main selling point is history/heritage. Not caring about heritage and disliking the specs just means it’s not right for you. The only objective criticism would be any way it doesn’t live up to its history and heritage. Ex. Date windows, logos on the dial, polished cases, or other features that were forbidden on original field watches.
@@Ferien7 The super long lugs create giant gaps between the leather strap and case and makes it wear huge and look horrible. The bad AR and lume are big factors, because legibility is important in a field watch. I have a Hamilton Jazzmaster (that I love) with all three of these characteristics, but being a dress watch on a bracelet, it doesn't factor in for me. Btw, the AR coating on my Rolex OP is great! Again, being a more dressy watch, it doesn't have much lume, but their sporty models have lume that is second to none. Face it, this Khaki is totally overrated, which in turn, makes it over-priced. As an expensive field watch, it's garbage.
@@TypeSly Face it, these are all just your opinions, which are based solely on your experience. The khaki’s lugs, lume, and crystal are just perfect for me and many, many other people who are completely satisfied with them. The khaki is perfectly legible to me and many others. I have never had any trouble whatsoever reading the time by it. You just don’t like the watch, which means nothing except that it’s not right for you.
David. I have a question. How did you come up with your YT name? You go first and I'll be second and we'll see how so different things make the same name
