Khaki Navy Scuba, Hamilton reinvents its dive watch
The most American Swiss manufacturer improved the performances of its dive watch, the Khaki Navy Scuba, by combining new materials and technological innovations to create a true “tool watch” able to function in deep waters.
That’s it. No one will ever be able to say again that becoming successful thanks to the rise of railways and aviation pioneers can stop you from playing a significant role in the world of dive watches. The proof does not come in pairs but in three for Hamilton, which presents three new watches dedicated to the underwater world.
The house, which was founded in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, has a collection made for adventure with its military inspired Khaki watches – to say the least. As a matter of fact, during the 1945 landings, a GI’s bag included a helmet, a chewing-gum pack…. And a Khaki Field mechanical watch.
Khaki Navy Scuba, the heritage of resistance and technicity
At the time, Hamilton had also created the Frogman watch for U.S. Naval ‘Frogman’ teams. This technical tool is featured in the 1951 movie The Frogmen, directly inspired by this elite team. Now, the modern version of the timepiece and its signature prominent crown guards are included in the Khaki Navy collection.
A successful upgrade for Hamilton’s automatic dive watch
The Khaki Navy Scuba, created in 2017, is well liked and is already enjoying a nice upgrade with new 43 mm diameter versions.
The case is larger than the 41 mm models that were already part of the collection. Still, the manufacturer did more than just make the case diameter bigger.
Khaki Navy Scuba aficionados will instantly notice the main aesthetic differences. If the four trapezoid markers stay the same, the eight rectangular indexes are replaced by dots and the date window at 4:30 was removed. The new well-crafted metallic design of the bracelet is also worth mentioning.
Ceramic bezel and improved water resistance for Hamilton’s dive watch
The three exclusive pieces are made of stainless steel and include a unidirectional rotating bezel. This technical element is equipped with a ceramic ring, a durable high-tech material which is as resistant as it is light.
Like in every dive watch, the bezel marks out 60 minutes – and features a 15-minutes countdown to measure diving times and decompression stops. It also integrates a dot at 12, which is luminescent, like the markers and hands.
The dial is blue or black with a grainy texture and features a precise 13/24 hour scale – reminiscent of military watches. It is protected by a case which is water resistant up to 300 m thanks to both a screw-down crown and back. This is a fine improvement considering that the 41 mm models are only water resistant up to 100 m.
The performances of a modern mechanical calibre inside the Khaki Navy Scuba
Concerning the inner workings of the timepieces, Hamilton naturally equipped the new dive watch with the H-10 automatic movement. This last generation calibre benefits from a satisfactory power reserve of 80 hours. It also includes a Nivachron™ balance spring. This alloy is revolutionary and able to resist to magnetic fields as well as temperature changes. This greatly improves the stability of oscillations and the chronometric accuracy of the instrument.
A good value for money
The price of the new Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba is really competitive compared to automatic dive watches with similar performances, as it stays below the 1K mark (€945). Let’s wager that the watch will be featured in Frank Sans C’s next video about dive watches…
Find all the technical information in our detailed data sheets:
Steel, blue bezel, Khaki Navy Scuba
Steel, black dial and bezel, Khaki Navy Scuba
Steel, black bezel, black rubber strap Khaki Navy Scuba
Read also: