The Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Auto Watches are the Commercial Pilot’s New Best Friend
Tuesday - 23 January 2024
The new Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Auto and Khaki Aviation Pilot Auto Day-Date watches expand on the brand’s role, serving professional pilots with an aviation tool packed with purpose.
Aviation and military heritage are the key ingredients to a beautiful pilot’s watch recipe. Blend them both and you will appeal to a mass audience. Hamilton has proved this many times over, yet the new Khaki Aviation Pilot Auto watches still offer the collector something new.
The Inspiration Behind the New Hamilton Aviation Khaki Pilot Auto Watches
The new Hamilton Pilot Auto Watches from the esteemed Khaki Aviation collection are inspired by an earlier pocket watch produced by the company during the Second World War. There are a total of seven variations of the new rugged pilot’s watch to enjoy across two case sizes and various dial colours to suit all tastes. Each of the models is crafted from stainless steel with a 100-meter water resistance and is protected by a sapphire crystal glass front for shielding each of the respective dials from scratching, colour fading, heat, light and moisture damage.
Three of the new Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Auto watches are distinguishable by their day-date aperture, while the remaining four go without a date feature completely. The three day-date models measure a 42mm diameter and are powered by the H-30 automatic movement. They are joined by four non-date models, powered by the H-10 movement configured to a 36mm case size. There’s also a choice of straps to go at. We’ll cover those a little further down.
Hamilton Pilot’s Watches Are Going Nowhere
Don’t ever underestimate the role of Hamilton’s pilot’s watches in modern-day aviation. Although pilot’s watches are collected for their aesthetics alone, they still serve a very useful purpose on the wrist of pioneering aviators. Pilot’s watches are an essential tool in navigation and timekeeping, ensuring safe and efficient flights. The primary function of one of these tool watches is, of course, to keep accurate time. This action alone is critical for ensuring flights run to schedule and that pilots can make accurate calculations or fuel consumption according to their flight duration.
Secondly, pilot’s watches can sometimes feature a range of additional functions like slide rule bezels, chronographs and tachymeter bezels. These features can be useful for calculating airspeed, fuel consumption and distance. Chronographs can also serve as a tool to time critical procedures during malfunctions like engine restarts or emergency descents.
Overall, pilot’s watches like those from Hamilton’s Khaki Aviation range ensure safe and efficient flights. Despite the technology onboard aircraft today, they will always be an essential backup, plus they look stylish and professional. The use of pilot’s watches in today’s world is a testament to the enduring importance of horology used by commercial pilots. As such, they are likely to remain a fixture of the cockpit for many years to come.
The new Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Auto Watches
These new Pilot Auto and Pilot Auto Day-Date watches belong to the Khaki series, which is split into three sub-categories; the Khaki Aviation, the Khaki Field, and the Khaki Navy. Within each sub-series is a mix of wartime and vintage-inspired models and modern tools for tackling adventures on land, in the sea, or up in the sky. The new Khaki Aviation Pilot watches aren’t entirely new. Formerly the Khaki Pilot Auto Day-Date watch began as a 42mm model with a very obvious day window at 12 o’clock and grew to a beefy 46mm size with a more subtle day-date feature at 3 o’clock. The new day-date versions keep this latter dial set-up but return to a much more manageable 42mm and 36mm size (the 36mm models of which go without the day-date feature completely).
The 42mm Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Auto Day-Date watches come in a choice of blue, green or silver dial options. They each measure a case thickness of 12.10mm. They also feature crown guards that shield the crown at 3 o’clock and boast a mix of brushed and subtly polished accents that enhance the base of the bezel and the ridges of the “H” on the crown.
In both the 42mm and 36mm models, prominence is awarded to the hour markers at the cardinal locations around the dial. These have been treated with green-emitting Super LumiNova. These are accompanied by a 05-55 minute scale that replaces the need for Arabic numeral hour markers, promoting a tool-like aesthetic. Luminous sword-shaped hands also emit plenty of glow for timekeeping at night. A 12-hour scale features on the inside of this minute ring. Interestingly, the hour hand is tipped with a hollowed-out triangle that frames the hour in question as it moves around the inside of the dial. Meticulous attention to detail has been applied to the seconds hand too. Its tip is coated in luminous material to cover the section that crosses into the seconds track, illuminating the flange only.
As mentioned, the smaller 36mm models are powered by the Hamilton H-10 movement, adapted from an ETA calibre. It offers a power reserve of 80 hours and contains a Nivachron balance spring, as does the Calibre H-30 that powers the 42mm day-date models.
Strap Choice
The new Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Auto watches come on straps that complement their dial colours. The smaller models measuring 36mm come in a choice of a silver dial with a white leather strap, a blue dial with a stainless steel bracelet and a brown leather band option, or a black dial with a steel bracelet. The larger 42mm day-date models come in a choice of a blue dial with a steel bracelet, a green dial with a brown leather strap, or a silver dial with a light brown leather strap.
If you’d like to learn more about the new Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Auto and Pilot Auto Day-Date watches, you can check them out in more detail at Jura Watches. You can also call and speak to a member of our sales team on 01335 453453 or email us a question at help@jurawatches.co.uk.
