The Khaki is among the most famous Hamilton watches. The manufacturer divides this massive military watch collection into three sub-collections: Khaki Field, Khaki Aviation, and Khaki Navy. Each series contains a vast array of manual, automatic, and quartz calibers. Top models boast a GMT function, chronograph, or water resistance of 1,000 m (100 bar, 3,281 ft).
Hamilton Khaki Field: Watches for the U.S. Army
The Khaki Field collection pays tribute to the military watches Hamilton once produced for the United States Army. The 38-mm Khaki Field Mechanical bears particularly close resemblance to its predecessors worn by American servicemen around the globe. Defining features include a matte stainless steel case and a dial with both 12 and 24-hour scales. The hands and triangular hour indices glow in the dark, making it easy to tell the time under all lighting conditions. You can choose from a wide range of dial colors such as black, brown, olive green, and white. More recent models house the manual caliber H-50. This movement has an 80-hour power reserve – that's more than three days. The ref. H69439931 with an olive green NATO strap costs less than 430 USD new and about 320 USD pre-owned.
If you prefer automatic watches, you should take a closer look at the Khaki Field Auto. Unlike the manual editions, most of the automatic models have polished bezels. Hamilton outfits these timepieces with the caliber H-10, available both with or without a date display. Like the H-50, this movement boasts an 80-hour power reserve. Perhaps the most interesting version is the Khaki Field "Murph" Auto, which played a prominent role in the movie "Interstellar." This 42-mm watch has a black bezel, cathedral hands, and a calf leather strap. Luminous material fills its hands and hour indices. Prices for the "Murph" begin under 760 USD for a pre-owned timepiece and go up to around 810 USD for a never-worn model.
The Khaki Field Auto Chrono is a great choice for fans of the chronograph function. This 42-mm watch has a day-date display at 3, and 12-hour counter at 6, and a 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock. Its power comes from the caliber H-21. Based on the Valjoux 7750, this movement has a 60-hour power reserve. The solid black ref. H71626735 appears in the Amazon Prime Video series "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan." John Krasinski, who plays the titular role, sports the timepiece throughout the series. This chronograph sells for roughly 1,500 USD in mint condition, while used watches demand about 1,200 USD.
Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot's Watches
If you're on the market for a pilot's watch, you should check out the expansive Khaki Aviation series. It's home to everything from simple three-hand watches with a manual caliber to automatic timepieces with a day-date display and chronographs with a drift-angle calculator. The chronographs are among Hamilton's most popular models. They offer a truly unique function, enabling pilots to calculate how cross winds will affect their journey. The 44-mm ref. H77616133, also worn by Jack Ryan in the Amazon series, comes with the caliber H-21 and a stainless steel bracelet. You can purchase this timepiece for about 1,200 USD new. Pre-owned pieces change hands for under 1,100 USD.
Fans of vintage and/or retro watches are sure to enjoy the Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Mechanical. This timepiece pays tribute to the pilot's watches Hamilton produced for the Royal Air Force back in the early 1970s. Perhaps its most interesting feature is its 36 x 33-mm cushion-shaped case. The case is water-resistant to 100 m (10 bar, 328 ft) and contains the manual caliber H-50 with an 80-hour power reserve. On the dial, you'll find tan luminous material that underscores this pilot's watch's retro feel. Hamilton offers this model on a gray NATO textile strap or brown NATO leather strap. At around 760 USD, the version on a leather strap costs about 50 USD more than the version on a textile strap.
For Aquatic Adventures: Khaki Navy
The Khaki Navy series is home to genuine diving watches, such as the Frogman, as well as retro models with designs inspired by classic navy watches. The latter belong to the Khaki Navy Pioneer line. Hamilton equips these timepieces with one of three movements: the manual ETA 6498-2, the automatic H-10, or the chronograph caliber H-21. The chronograph movement has a date display at 3, a 12-hour counter at 6, and a 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock. However, it does without a small seconds. A new Khaki Navy Pioneer Chronograph costs roughly 1,600 USD. The 43-mm automatic model demands about 860 USD. Finally, the 46-mm manual edition with a small seconds changes hands for some 1,800 USD.
You can easily recognize Khaki Navy Frogman Auto watches by their unidirectional bezels and special crown guards that cover the entire crown. The 42-mm stainless steel variants are water-resistant to 300 m (30 bar, 984 ft) and available with a black, red, or blue bezel. While the first two are paired with black dials, the blue edition features a matching blue dial. The titanium model is 46 mm in diameter and has an impressive 1,000-m (100 bar, 3,281 ft) depth rating. Both sizes come with the caliber H-10 with an 80-hour power reserve and a date display. A Khaki Navy Frogman Titanium Auto sells for about 1,100 USD in mint condition and 970 USD pre-owned. On the other hand, the 42-mm stainless steel versions cost between 640 and 760 USD.