The Hamilton Khaki Field range is choc full of brilliant timepieces. Draped in history, the range has expanded in the modern age to include a suite of watches for every occasion.
That includes classic field watches that the range is known for, but even expands out to dive watches like the Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman. Now, that also includes a new model called the Hamilton Khaki Field Expedition.
The Expedition takes the field watch form and adds a bi-directional compass bezel. That enables users to navigate in an analogue way, but also lends a neat, sporty appearance, which is scarcely found in the Khaki Field range.
I've been using the Khaki Field Expedition in the run up to its launch. And I'm convinced that it's the perfect everyday watch – here are three reasons why.
1. The Dial
When you're looking for an everyday watch, you want something that is really easy to read. It needs to be instantly legible, for reading the time quickly throughout the day.
The dial on the Khaki Field Expedition is perfect for that. It's really clean, with nickeled hands which make it really easy to read in contrast. Plus, with numerals all around the dial, you'll never struggle to read the time, even at a glance.
It's the sort of thing, which, while not a traditionally dressy dial, could easily be dressed up for more formal occasions. Which leads us very neatly into...
2. The Bezel
Forget the complication for a second. Having a bezel on this watch makes it looks like a real sports watch. That's a really important design choice.
We've all seen the changing trend towards dive watches as part of formal attire. Every office up and down the country is filled with suited people sporting a Rolex Submariner. That's something which wouldn't have been normalised in the past, but is now pretty standard fare.
That trend makes this a perfect choice for a variety of scenarios. Slap it on with a suit? No problem. T-shirt and jeans? Right at home. That's something which you need from an everyday watch, and the Khaki Field Expedition has it in abundance.
3. The Movement
If you're going to wear a watch everyday, you definitely need it to be reliable. The Hamilton H-10 used in the Khaki Field Expedition is undoubtedly one of the more reliable movements in the price segment, having been used in swathes of watches for years. It's a proper tried and tested movement.
That's not all, though. See, for most people, an everyday watch means a Monday to Friday wear. If you have a collection, you might opt for something a bit different over the weekend, when you're less constrained by what you can wear.
For that scenario, the 80 hour power reserve is perfect. Take it off on a Friday evening, wear some other pieces over the weekend, and it will still be ticking when you pick it up on Monday morning. No faff, no need to reset the time or wind it up again. Perfect.
