Perhaps Hamilton is one of the brands with the most right to constantly review its own catalogs in search of inspiration to launch new models, something common in recent years and which today brings us the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto-Chrono.
Its more than centenary history (it was founded in 1892) is full of emblematic pieces, and its Khaki Field, an iconic watch for several generations of Americans, is still valid eighty years after its launch. Not to mention the once impressive Ventura, the first electric wristwatch, made famous by Elvis Presley and which these days reappears on the wrist of Agent M, in the fourth installment of Men in Black.
More than 500 film appearancesThe brand has been accounted for.
a little history
Hamilton was founded in Lancaster (Pennsylvania, USA) in 1892. It was initially dedicated to manufacturing watches for the railroad, which needed decent precision to put an end to the horrible accidents that occurred precisely due to a lack of it, when trains arrived at stations from which others had not yet left, or collided when changing points.
The watch company ended up being a benchmark, and its production of pocket watches went as far back as 1969, when the last 992B came off the assembly line. In 1966 Hamilton bought the Swiss company Buren.
Hamilton, together with Buren, Breitling, Heuer and also Dubois-Depraz, developed the famous caliber 11, the first automatic chronograph movement in history. This caliber 11 equipped the Hamilton Chronomatic, ancestor and reference of the Hamilton Intramatic AutoChrono.
But there is another ancestor, prior to the Chronomatic and manually loaded. The unfortunate name “Poor man’s Race” gives an idea of who the star was at that time: Heuer had launched a collection based on automobile competitions, and many brands joined the trend. In 1968, before the appearance of Caliber 11, Hamilton presented several “panda” chronographs with Swiss Valjoux caliber: 7730 (two counters), 7732 (adding the date at six o'clock).
And it is on the latter that our protagonist is based. Almost perfectly faithful in terms of aesthetics, there was a first limited edition - and already sold out - “reverse panda”, black dial with white subdials, 42mm in diameter. This measure, although it made it more current, distanced it from the essence of the first 36 mm models. Now, in a non-limited series and in two colors (Panda and blue reverse panda) the new Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto-Chrono is presented in 40mm, a balanced compromise between “tradition” and “modernity”.
Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto-Chrono
Overall impression
The first thing that catches my attention about the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto-Chrono is the relative size of both the crown and the pushers... well, relative and absolute, because we would have to talk about diameters greater than 45 so that they would go unnoticed. Even so, and after a few days of using it, this feature becomes one of the main aesthetic attractions, which gives it a vintage look while hiding its true diameter, which as I said is 40mm although it seems larger. This is due to the inclination of the bezel, which “opens” to reveal the tachymeter scale of the dial. Comfortable to wear, one is not aware of its presence on the wrist until one decides to look at it (to see the time or not). This is helped by relatively long handles with just the right inclination to make the strap come out at the ideal point for my wrist of just over 17 cm in circumference.
Readability is very good thanks to the contrast between the hands and the background on which they run, whether the hour or chrono hands. The strap, although having a somewhat fair appearance, matches perfectly with the blue of the dial. Good choice. And something that cannot be seen but is appreciated, especially if one changes watches frequently: the 60-hour power reserve of the H-31 caliber fitted to the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto-Chrono means that you can leave it “parked” for two days and recover it still on time.
Sphere
As we all know, “the sphere is the mirror of the soul”, or at least the first thing we notice and that largely decides our choice. In the non-limited edition Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto-Chrono there are two variants, the “panda” (white dial with black counters) and the “reverse panda” which in this case replaces black with blue. A matte ultramarine blue and therefore somewhat flat, but which contributes to the legibility mentioned above. The subdials for the continuous seconds (left) and the accumulated chrono minutes (thirty, right) are slightly recessed from the plane of the main dial.
These subdials have a smooth concave bezel, and a flat bottom lined in concentric circles. The white tachymetric scale runs along the perimeter of the dial to contrast with the main blue. This differentiates the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto-Chrono from the '68 models, which do not have that scale, but brings it closer to the Chronomatic, from which it takes many references. The graphics, both the figures and the lines, are practically perfect, with no errors or lack of paint evident.
Two types of indices: the rectangular ones (different sizes depending on location) have two parts, one polished and faceted and the other covered in Super-Luminova. Those corresponding to three, six and nine are square and only have lumen. The one at twelve is double, helping to identify orientation in the dark although, in the absence of a specific test, it does not seem that the lumen lasts long. The date window is framed by a white line, and the date disc is also white. This, which for some is an aesthetic sacrilege because they prefer the disc to be the same color as the dial, is in this case a good help for readability. Additionally, white is part of the color palette for this watch.
In this model, Hamilton has chosen, as in the first AutoChrono, to recover the logo of the time – the 60s – and, apart from the brand name, it has only added the word “automatic”. Something that is appreciated in a chronographic dial sufficiently 'reloaded' with date and tachymeter. By the way, the font of the numbers is the same as that of the original '68 version.
Las agujas
Without being a prodigy of visibility, the hands or hands of the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto-Chrono more than fulfill their function: the hour and minute hands are chrome (matching the indexes) and are furrowed in their center by a line of Super-Luminova. The length is “almost” perfect, because while the minute hand reaches the outer edge of the indexes, the hour hand remains one millimeter from the inner one. The minute hand, by the way, is slightly bent towards the dial to increase its legibility. The chrono treadmill is painted white and is longer to reach the points on the external tachymeter scale. The small needles of the subsidiary – white – counters are painted black.
Caja
40 mm in diameter (had I already mentioned it?), its shapes are at first glance copied from those of its predecessor, but there are significant differences. Starting with the bezel that protects the sapphire crystal – very slightly domed, almost flat, double anti-reflective treatment. Bezel that does not exist in the original, nor does sapphire exist because it is a “glass” type plexi, with vertical walls. Or the rear, which in the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto-Chrono is slightly domed around its perimeter to accommodate the rotor of the automatic winding mechanism, while in the other it is completely flat as it is a manually wound caliber.
The lugs have a flat facet, parallel to the horizontal of the watch, before taking the “downward” inclination and, in addition to the crown and chrono pushers, it has another on the case at 10 o'clock to be able to change the date using a punch supplied with the watch, inherited from the Valjoux caliber 7753 from which the H-31 is derived. Completely mirror polished, both case and bezel, it is not a watch for maniacs, because any friction, even with buttons or cufflinks, will leave its mark, no matter how small. On the other side are those of us who think that clocks are there to be used and not to be seen unless it is Big Ben. Perhaps to compensate for this 'scratchiness' is why Hamilton decided to engrave the back with... the current logo, which in my opinion detracts from the whole. Thank goodness you can't see it with the watch on.
With a water resistance of 100m announced, it is worth remembering here that “100 meters” does not mean that the watch is prepared to be submerged to that depth on the user's wrist, but rather it is a convention that is explained in this article. In any case, water does not seem like the ideal environment for the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto-Chrono. And its crown – embossed logo – is screwed. A crown of generous dimensions (6 mm in diameter) that together with the pushers (not threaded, attention) gives it that personality and brings it closer to the model from the 60s. These pushers with a traditional 'pomp' shape have a diameter of 4 mm, and are comfortable enough when operating the start-stop-reset of the H-31 caliber, which is not particularly smooth.
Caliber
This caliber, the H-31 (it seems like Hamilton's H, although it would also be mounted by Tissot), is an evolution of the renowned Valjoux (now ETA) 7753, which in turn comes from the famous 7750. The evolution basically consists of the elimination of the hour counter at six o'clock and the modification of the mainspring to achieve 60 hours of power reserve (in addition to redesigning the entire barrel-exhaust transmission and eliminating the latter's regulator). Like the 7753 from which it originated, it charges in a single direction and beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour. It has a stop-seconds hand and, as I have already said, it can quickly change the date, although not through the crown, but rather through the push-button via the punch at ten o'clock on the case. Although the back of the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto-Chrono is blind, the decoration of the H-31 is relatively neat, with the bridge of the automatic engraved with “Cotes de Hamilton” (a repeated H) and the rotor itself showing the brand and the 27 jewels with which it is equipped (two more than the 7753).
Belt
The only strap that accompanies the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto-Chrono is made of cowhide, although it would fit anything we want to install on it (a NATO, for example). 20mm and ridged in its closest part to the watch, it thins in thickness and width, up to 18mm, as it gets closer to the side of the holes. The one in question is camel in color with very similar stitching. The belt loops, which should be the same color, darken with use. Nothing serious, but I think it should be mentioned. The buckle, polished like the entire watch, bears the standard Hamilton logo, which once again contrasts with the history of the dial. And that is something to review, in my opinion. Comfortable to handle, the general perception is on par with the watch and does not detract from it at all.
Conclusion
The Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto-Chrono sits well on the wrist and is comfortable to wear. It is visually attractive and achieves that vintage look that is so in vogue right now. It has a perfectly tested caliber that could adjust to COSC parameters without problems, and it has a recognizable name among fans and laymen. Furthermore, belonging to Hamilton and therefore to the Swatch Group guarantees after-sales assistance for many years if you need it. All this for less than €2,000. Exactly €1,995 with taxes included. Being priced in the mid-range, it seems difficult to improve the quality/price ratio. And of course the perception is of a more expensive watch.
More information atwww.hamiltonwatch.com
