The Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 Auto Chrono Limited Edition, now in Blue

Hamilton’s US chapter is marked by its legendary area watches for the US Military, interpreted within the standard Khaki line, and its spectacular quantity of Hollywood display debuts. On the horological entrance, maybe probably the most thrilling second in Hamilton’s historical past came about in Switzerland, the place it participated within the race to develop the world’s first automated chronograph motion – often called the Calibre 11 or Chronomatic. As we speak, Hamilton returns to the fore with a vibrant and vibrant interpretation of its maxi-sized Chrono-Matic 50, based mostly on the extra complicated Seventies Chrono-Matic GMT Rely-Down.

In 1966, Hamilton acquired the Swiss manufacture Buren and closed its American operations shortly after. The Buren years noticed Hamilton’s involvement in Challenge 99, a code title for the event of an automated chronograph motion uniting Hamilton-Buren, Heuer, Breitling and motion specialist Doubtful-Depraz. Though Zenith crossed the end line in January 1969 with its El Primero calibre, in March 1969, Hamilton and companions adopted with their Chrono-Matic/Calibre 11.

One of many peculiarities of the Chrono-Matic or Calibre 11 was the situation of the pushers on the left aspect of the case reverse the crown. The Seventies Chrono-Matic GMT Rely-Down, often known as the Chrono-Matic E, was an offshoot of the Chrono-Matic calibre and mixed a chronograph with a GMT operate. Though the brand new Chrono-Matic 50 jettisons the GMT complication, it retains the count-down operate and captures the spirit of the Seventies sports activities watch to perfection, identical to the black non-limited version did in 2019.

Retaining the helmet-shaped case and enormity of its Seventies ancestor, the Chrono-Matic 50 is a colossal piece of {hardware} – nothing has modified on this aspect, in comparison with the traditional black panda. Its chrome steel case has a 48.5mm diameter, a size of 51.1mm and a prodigious girth of 16.05mm. Groovy but practical, the helmet-shaped case shields the pushers and crowns from unintended knocks and, mixed with the closed caseback, ensures the 100m depth score. The whole thing of the case is radially brushed and options recessed areas to accommodate the orange pushers flanking the crown on the correct and the black pusher and crown on the left aspect of the case.

Like the unique, the case retains 5 crowns, however the fashionable H-31 chronograph motion means the crown and pushers at the moment are on the correct aspect; the black pusher on the left is a fast date corrector, and the second crown is for the countdown bezel.

With its eye-popping Seventies color scheme, the Chrono-Matic 50 has a reverse panda dial with white sub-dials, a blue background and full of life orange accents. A blue tachymeter scale on the sloping flange is adopted by the blue and white rotating countdown bezel activated by the crown on the left case flank. A lighter blue precision minutes/seconds monitor results in the darker blue dial with its two sub-dials relaying the small seconds at 9 o’clock and 30-minute elapsed instances at 3 o’clock.

The quick, polished hour markers and hour and minute fingers are stuffed with luminescent materials, and the central seconds hand is vibrant orange, matching the fingers within the sub-dials and the numerals of the countdown scale. Finishing the capabilities, there may be additionally a spherical date window at 6 o’clock. The Chrono-Matic 50 is powered by the automated calibre H-31 (based mostly on Valjoux 7753 structure) with an prolonged energy reserve of 60 hours.

Matching the color scheme of the dial, the Chrono-Matic 50 comes with a blue rally-style leather-based strap with perforations revealing the orange lining. The watch is a restricted version of 150 items and retails for CHF 2,495, EUR 2,620 and USD 2,545. Extra info at HamiltonWatch.com.