Hamilton’s Stylish Khaki Pilot Pioneer Was Inspired by WWII Military Pocket Watches
These rugged beauties are based on Hamilton pocket watches given to American soldiers.
Hamilton is based in Switzerland. That doesn’t change the fact that it was a truly American watchmaker from its founding in 1892 until it ended American manufacturing operations in 1969.
With its new Khaki Pilot Pioneer, Hamilton pays homage to its history in America and the role the company played in providing US servicemen with timepieces in the field during the Second World War.
Here’s some background from Hodinkee:
The new Hamilton Pilot Pioneer Automatic 38mm is a revolution of the original Model 23 design rather than an evolution, given the former’s pocket-watch build. The case is a comfortable 38mm in diameter and features a bidirectional rotating countdown bezel on top, a nice all-purpose touch.
The crown is oversize in the form of classic vintage pilot’s watches, and the black dial has a grained texture complemented by tanned hour Arabic numerals and hands. Although it lacks a screw-down crown, the case has a water resistance rating of up to 100m, more than double what the standard Khaki Field Mechanical is tested to. However, unlike the Khaki Field Mechanical, the Pilot Pioneer does not have drilled lugs.
Hodinkee
Rugged and elegant, the Pilot Pioneer is still a solidly practical Hamilton product with the kind of feature set that pleases both collectors fond of vintage styles and those who prize longevity and functionality.
Features include:
- Hours, minutes, seconds
- Stainless steel case
- 38mm diameter
- Sapphire Crystal
- Black dial
- H-10 automatic movement
- Excellent power reserve of 80 hours
- 100 meters of water-resistance
- Brown leather strap
The Khaki Pilot Pioneer Automatic 38mm is for sale in Hodinkee’s Shop and it retails for $995: https://shop.hodinkee.com.