38 mm case  /  20 mm lug width  /  10 mm thick  /  47 mm lug to lug  /  sapphire  /  50m water resistance / 80 hour power reserve

The Absence of Color

Back in March of 2019, I’d read on Hodinkee and Worn and Wound that Hamilton was to release a white-dialed Khaki Field Mechanical watch that was available for pre-order exclusively at Topper’s. Since I work in a business environment and am pretty much set on dress pieces (famous last words), the release caught my interest, but I didn’t put much thought into it. As the weeks went by, it kept popping up in my brain as something I might like to try. It was like the Seinfeld episode where George gets stuck in that girl’s brain: “Co-stan-za!” to the tune of “By Mennen!”

Ruggedly Handsome

Inspired in part by how classically cool John Lennon looked with his Vietnam gear in the 70s and how rough Hank Moody from Californication comes off, I decided that I needed something a bit more rugged. Because then I’d totally be as cool as those guys, right?

Every so often, I like to force myself out of my comfort zone to try something new; my collection mostly revolves around dark-dialed watches like the Speedmaster, some Seiko divers, and a blue vintage Tissot that I tend to favor more than anything, but I wanted something different for summer; something I could wear to with polos, jeans, and tan suede chukkas. It only made sense for me to pre-order the white-dialed Khaki Field with a green NATO strap- which suits it perfectly, by the way.

Liquid Courage

After ruminating about it for a few weeks and, admittedly following a few glasses of dry red wine, I worked up the courage to put down the $200 deposit. It was well worth it to quell the voices in my head; sometimes you just have to remind yourself that life is short- just do it. And really, it was only a couple hundred bucks.

Topper’s shipped it out a day earlier than anticipated, which was a modest yet delightful surprise. As a delivery signature was required, I missed the first attempt while I was at work that Thursday. I tried to reschedule by pre-signing online with my UPS account, but that option was conveniently “restricted by seller,” so I had no choice but to wait over the weekend until the following Monday when I was able to work from home to sign for it.

The Reveal

After the third and final delivery attempt it was finally mine; upon opening the packaging, I was surprised to find a light wood looking box, rather than the ordinary black you see with most Hamiltons. The seams were a little wavy which was a giveaway that it wasn’t real wood, and it felt slightly cheap, but I appreciated the effort. The hinges were just as tight as on any other Hamilton’s I’d unboxed, but the rest of the inside was the usual thin, albeit semi-soft-touch material, which is the minimum expected at this price point. On par with the interior of a Hyundai.

As one does, I gently lifted the watch off of it’s pillow, removed the retail price tag ($495) and wound it up. The tight feel was as premium as the general aesthetic, and the soft, yet audible clicks were smoothly satisfying. The seconds-hand driven by the H-50 caliber movement was a bit more jaunty than prior versions, but was a worthy trade-off considering its massive 80-hour power reserve. Even if you’re in a hurry and forget to wind up before venturing out, chances are it’s bound to have energy left. While I normally prefer a balance of form and function (a “spiritual union” as Frank Lloyd Wright likes to overstate), this is a valid compromise of utility over aesthetics.

Larger Than Life

As I was winding it up and admiring how the slightly raised numerals on the dial reflected the sunlight, I realized that this was a larger dial than I had anticipated. It is a stunning, unmistakably bright white, but combined with the long lug-to-lug length, it wears much larger than one would think. I know it’s a style thing, but I just think it looks off when paired with the current trend of slim fitting shirts, tight jeans, and short hair. The watch world has simply not caught up to the slim aesthetic of the era. The Khaki Field would undoubtedly wear a bit better if it were 36mm with a short lug-to-lug length, but what can you do (I know The Urban Gentry agrees- smaller is classier)?

The included NATO is fantastic for what it is: a soft green material with brown leather loops and accents around the holes. It looks and feels rugged and the buckle mechanism has a tight feel. The only oddity is that, because it is also finished with brown leather on the end of the strap, it is not possible to fold back the excess, leaving it just sort of hanging if you are buckled into the last few holes.

Ultimately, I chose to send this gem back, as it wore much larger than I had anticipated. A field watch should be small, no larger than 37 mm, and this one just doesn’t make the cut for me.