Hamilton's Khaki Pilot Pioneer Mechanical

1957 — The Rolex MilSub

Then there is of course the Rolex MilSub. Rolex’s history with the Royal Navy starts as of 1957 when the Ministry of Defence received a special Big Crown Submariner designated the A/6538. This timepiece — worn with aplomb by none other than Sean Connery as ex-navy officer, Commander James Bond — was distinguished from the civilian timepiece with soldered spring bars, the addition a nylon NATO strap and a special bezel with a serrated edge that could be more easily manipulated with gloves. The initial order for these watches was a mere 21 pieces.

Rolex ref. A/6538

This Big Crown Submariner was superseded by two crown guard models, the 5513 and the 5517. They are distinguished from civilian watches by their fixed spring bars, dials stamped with the T logo referencing the presence of radioactive tritium used for the luminous markers, special sword-shaped hour hand that could be more easily distinguished from the minute hand in the dark, and bezels with full 60-minute markers to more accurately read dive time. Interestingly, while both the Dirty Dozen watches and the Mark 11 featured the Ministry of Defence’s Broad Arrow logo on the dial, MilSubs have a similar logo engraved on the casebacks.

1973 — From Smiths to Hamilton, the W10

Created concurrently with the Mark 11 and the MilSub was perhaps the true workhorse of the British Army, the Smiths W10 watch. In the ’60s the Ministry of Defence reached out to Smiths, an industrial conglomerate famous for producing the gauges on British performance cars and motorcycles, to create a reliable handsome watch that was completely made in England.

The result was the Smiths W10. Smiths had previously demonstrated its unflappable reliability as the watch strapped to Sir Edmund Hilary’s wrist when he summited Everest in 1953. It was actually Sherpa Tenzig Norgay that was wearing a precursor to the Rolex Explorer. However, by the ’70s England’s industrial sector was badly hit by foreign competition and the Ministry of Defence had to turn to another supplier – the Hamilton watch company.

Smiths W10. Image: Mr Jones Watches.

When Hamilton took over the production of the legendary W10, in 1973, it did so with a major technical advancement. The watch, rather than follow the traditional iconography of the round soldier’s watch, was a daringly modern tonneau or barrel shape. This made for a far stronger watch as its lugs were much shorter and thicker, and therefore much less of a vulnerability.

In addition, the Hamilton W10 was created with a kind of monocoque case so that the movement was placed into the watch and fixed in place from the front of the case. Made from 1973 to 1976 to my mind the Hamilton W10 is one of the coolest vintage military watches for several reasons.

Hamilton W10.

The W10 Returns: Hamilton Khaki Pilot Pioneer Mechanical

First, it is totally unique looking and represents a major design departure from the entire pantheon of British military watches. Second, its tonneau shape is both functional in terms of offering a stronger more compact case, and somehow extremely elegant. Note that unlike the Smiths W10 watch, the Hamilton used a sword-shaped hour hand to aid visibility and also to provide an additional design flourish. Third, I like the fact that the Hamilton W10 was used ubiquitously by every branch of the British armed forces, such was its popularity.

The way to tell which branch a vintage watch was commissioned for was to look at the back. W10 denotes British Army issue. 0552 refers to the Royal Navy, 0555 refers to the Royal Marines and 6BB means that the watch was issued to the Royal Airforce. All watches used the Hamilton manual wind calibre 649 hacking movement — important for coordinating watches before missions —based on an ETA 2750 movement. Unfortunately, Hamilton had to cease production in 1976 as all of the Swiss watch industry came face-to-face with the destructive reality of the Quartz Crisis. However, so revered was the Hamilton watch that a British Hamilton executive took over production of these watches under the name Cabot Watch Company or CWC.

So what was the purpose for this retrospective on British military watches? Well, we at The Rake and Revolution are pleased to announce that Hamilton has for the very first time since 1976 brought back its W10 tonneau shaped military watch, in almost identical spec to the original timepiece, in particular related to the size of its 33 x 35 mm case. And we are even more pleased to announce that The Rake and Revolution have been selected to be Hamilton’s exclusive e-commerce partners for a selected period, meaning that if you would like to get one of these spectacular timepieces, you can only get it here for now.

OK, so let’s begin with what I think is the most incredible element of this handsome timepiece, which relates to its jaw-dropping value at just US$750. I mean, how refreshing is it that a totally authentic Swiss watch brand is able to deliver a watch that by any price category would be attractive, that is this accessible? It’s just kind of bonkers and kind of awesome at the same time.

I recall when I first strapped on a Hamilton Khaki Field watch and casually asked for its price and did a massive double take. I genuinely thought someone had left a zero out. Says my friend Hamilton CEO Sylvain Dolla, “We took a conscious decision to create watches that anyone would love but that represented the single greatest value in the market, hands down.

“We are able to do this only by planning our industrial process incredibly accurately. For example, for the movement in this watch, or the Khaki Field Mechanical, we had to take a very strong position on when we ordered them. When our partners at ETA called me and said, ‘Are you sure? No one orders this many movements at one time!’ I replied, ‘Yes, because then I can pass on the savings to the consumer.’”

Dolla adds, “To me it is incredibly important to have really compelling and handsome watches like this, which is essentially a re-edition of our legendary W10, come in at a price point that is below US$800. Because that way, I can have a real possibility to connect mechanical watchmaking to the next generation of consumers. I cannot overstate the importance of this, to bring tomorrow’s consumer to real watchmaking today.”

Beyond that, the styling of the Hamilton W10 is absolutely fantastic. The case at 33 x 35 mm is perfect for today’s vintage obsessed young collectors, who might wear this watch with a field jacket, an aviator jacket or a tailored blazer with equal stylistic aplomb.

The quality of the case as well, as its brushed finish is beyond reproach. Holding it in your hand and running your fingers over all its surfaces and edges, you’ll find every area smooth to the touch. The dial is a masterpiece of retro modernism with a matt black faded just the right touch to make it feel as if it’s been affected by long exposure to sunlight in the field. All luminous markers have been rendered in caramel SuperLuminova to replicate the look and emotional feel of vintage aged tritium. And the timepiece comes in an array of different NATO strap choices. The thing is this: we are now amid a period where it pays to be a little discreet, what with the rash of violent watch robberies happening in the UK and across Europe.

And I for one have been searching for an accessibly priced, smaller sized military styled watch that is equally at home on my wrist when I’m riding one of my vintage British bikes or in a suit. The new Hamilton ticks all those boxes and more. It’s not just a great watch for the price. It’s a great watch, period. With an incredible and iconic history. Add the fact that the price of the watch is US$750 and suddenly to me buying one is no longer a choice, it’s a moral imperative.