IntroducingThree New Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneers and a New Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Chronograph

Hamilton is kicking off September with a bunch of new releases, and four of them are great reminders that the brand just doesn't do "field," they do "sky", too. These four aviation-related watches can be categorized into three easily digestible groups, so I'll take you through them all quickly. 

First up is the new look of the 38mm Khaki Pilot Pioneer automatic, with a maroon or green bezel and off-white dial. These are compact watches, measuring 11.4mm thick, with 18mm lug widths, and are powered by automatic Caliber H-10 movements featuring hours, minutes, and seconds, as well as an 80-hour power reserve. The watches feature vintage-inspired "Cathedral" hands that complete the look inspired by vintage Hamilton Model 23 pilot's pocket watches used by U.S. Army Air Force navigators. The watch features a display caseback and is water-resistant to 100 meters. The retail price is CHF 950.

Suppose you're looking to go bigger, bolder, and bronze-r. In that case, there is also a new 43mm by 13mm Khaki Pilot Pioneer with a bronze case, powered by a hand-wound ETA 6498-1 movement (at least, that's my guess based on past releases—Hamilton hasn't shared the details there, but it looks as such through the display caseback). The watch has a black bezel with luminous, bronze hands and a 46-hour power reserve. The price is a bit higher at CHF 1,455.

Finally, I'm of the mind that a pilot's watch (meant for navigation) is best when you have a chronograph. That way, you can more accurately time yourself and help with navigating using maps, a slide rule, and your airspeed. Hamilton has that covered, too, with a new Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Mechanical Chronograph inspired by watches supplied to the British Royal Air Force in the 1970s. The chronograph features a blue sunburst dial and luminous hands and indices.

The watch measures 40mm by 14.3mm in a stainless steel case and is powered by the hand-wound Caliber H-51-Si movement. The chronograph has running seconds at 9 o'clock and a 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock. In addition to a leather strap option, the watch also comes with a mesh stainless-steel bracelet, giving it a really nice overall look. The retail price is CHF 2,075.

I might be an oddball in this regard, but I really enjoy the larger, bronze Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer. There's something charming about how that strong workhorse movement looks in the bronze case. No frills, just a hard-working option in a case that will age over time. The chronograph also looks quite nice, with a very eye-catching dial that balances out against the very legible and practical features. The price point feels maybe a bit punchy, but that's where the market is at right now. I think there will be a lot of people who gravitate toward this option as it ditches the creamy lume of the current black-dialed option in the catalog for something that feels a bit more modern.

Brand: Hamilton
Model: Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer and Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Mechanical Chronograph

Diameter: 43mm (bronze time only); 38mm (stainless steel time only); 40mm (chronograph)
Thickness: 13mm (bronze time only); 11.4mm (stainless steel time only); 14.3mm (chronograph)
Lug Width: 20mm (bronze time only); 18mm (stainless steel time only); 22mm (chronograph)
Case Material: Bronze and stainless steel
Dial Color: Off-white (time-only); Blue dial with sunray finish (chronograph)
Indexes: Printed
Lume: Super-LumiNova (time-only); X1 grade Super-LumiNova (chronograph)
Water Resistance: 100m (all)
Strap/Bracelet: Brown, Burgundy, or Green leather strap with pin buckle (time-only); Brown leather strap with H-buckle/Mesh bracelet with folding clasp (chronograph)

Caliber: ETA 6498-1 (bronze); Caliber H-10 (steel time only); Caliber H-51-Si Mechanical chronograph movement (chronograph)
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds (time only); Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph (chronograph)
Power Reserve: 46 hours (bronze time only); 80 hours (steel time only); 60 hours (chronograph)
Winding: Automatic (steel time-only); Manual (bronze time-only and chronograph)

Price: CHF 1,455 (bronze time only), CHF 950 (steel time only), CHF 2,075 (chronograph on bracelet)
Availability: Immediately
Limited Edition: No

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