This sub-£2k Hamilton trio is my favourite watch of the year so far

Hamilton is a watch brand that I’ve respected from afar but never truly engaged with – until now, that is, thanks to a trio of new timepieces.

The three-watch collection is called the American Classic Chronograph H and, to my eyes at least, it’s a beautiful throwback to racing-adjacent watches of the 1960s and 1970s.

All three models have the same 40 mm stainless steel case with prominent push buttons for the chronograph function and an unguarded crown. They all have a sapphire crystal protecting their dial, and are driven by Hamilton’s own H-51 calibre automatic chronograph movement with 60 hours of power reserve.

Water resistant is to 100 metres and there’s a tachymeter scale around the outer edge of the dial. This can be used in conjunction with the stopwatch to calculate the average speed of an object traveling a known distance – such as a race car completing a lap of a circuit or a quarter-mile sprint.

The nod to motor racing continues with the perforated calf leather strap, and I especially like the colour of the blue dial, with its pale tan strap and distinctive orange central second and sub dial hands. It’s clearly a riff of the iconic Gulf racing liveries of the era, but doesn’t distract from the rest of the design.

The watch is also available with a brown or green dial, each with a matching leather strap. All three models come with a mesh steel bracelet to bring the aesthetic forward from the 60s to 70s.

It’s a lovely watch, and one I am seriously considering adding to my collection. The blue dial especially looks fantastic against the orange hands, tan strap and mesh bracelet.

There’s more good news when you get to the price too, since at £1,980, I think the American Classic Chronograph H feels like good value – especially given the two straps and lengthy power reserve.