The King

The Hamilton Khaki King is the King for a reason: This is, arguably, one of the best values in the affordable watch market. An 80 hour power-reserve, Swiss watch under $400 (grey market) is close to unheard of. Hamilton’s home run of a watch deserves every bit of popularity it has gained.

The Watch

Even on paper, this piece is impressive:

Size: 40mm

• Thickness: 11mm

• Movement: Hamilton H-40 80 Hour Power Reserve

• Complications: Day/Date

• Lug Width: 20mm

• Lume: Minute, Hour Hands, Indices

• Crystal: Sapphire

Just from looking at the specs, there is quite a bit packed into the watch.  At 40mm, this is the perfect size for a tool/field watch.  The different colored dials (black and white) offer high legibility and a no nonsense design.  The lume is subtle and tasteful. 

Room For Improvement?

Is this one of the best field watches in the market? Yes. Is it perfect? Not in my opinion.  There is certainly room for improvement.  One of the things I would have liked to be different is a stronger lume. As mentioned above, the application of it is not the issue; rather, it is the intensity of it.  With Seiko being the new standard of sorts, this lags behind.  I like to see torch lume on tool watches, and this falls just short of that high standard.

For a tool watch, I would like to see an increased water resistance and screw down crown.  While it’s not a dive watch and isn’t meant for extreme water exposure, it would have been a nice touch. Is it a major issue? No.  But, it is something that could be improved.

Finally, I found the highly polished bezel to be an absolute scratch magnet. For a tool watch that is worn in tool-watch environment, this piece gathered scratches quite easily.  Is this a deal breaker? Absolutely not. But it is certainly a bit of head scratcher as to why this approach was taken. 

Note: Luckily, all of the things mentioned in this section have been addressed in other models in the Khaki line.  If any of the things mentioned are deal breakers for you (I don’t see why they would, but to each their own), there is a piece in the Khaki line for you.

Great Execution

Lets be honest, the field watch market is one that is very saturated.  With designs being very similar to one another, there are few things brands can do to differentiate themselves in the market, without deviating too much from the norm.  Hamilton is able to add a complete (entire word) day complication without breaking the field-watch aesthetic and without creating clutter in the dial.  This is something not done easily.  It adds a little flavor to the design.

To me, the real highlight of the King is the 80-hour power reserve and thickness of a watch.  At 11mm thick, this is as thin as many quartz watches I’ve owned, while simultaneously offering some above average power reserve.  Staying true to the field watch aesthetic, a thin case is needed on the wrist.  You get both of both worlds with this watch: A great automatic movement, and you get a thin watch. Win – Win.

Strap versatility is absolutely necessary for a field watch.  This piece has you covered on that front.

Finally, I don’t normally praise dial colors, but this dial is simply fantastic.  Depending on lighting, this dial will range from pale white, light beige, or even sunburst white.  This adds a little spice to the usual monotonous field watch design.

Conclusion
As mentioned above, the King is the King for a reason.  Even within an extremely competitive Khaki line, the King stands out as one of the best values and designs.  It’s a watch that isn’t perfect, but it’s certainly close. I’ll wager you will not find something better within this price range.

Below is an unboxing video that shows what you get when you buy this piece.