Hamilton has become one of the most popular, budget-friendly watch brands in the world. They’ve accomplished this feat by producing watches that are well built, look great, and that are quite affordable (especially in the world of fine watches).
This watch brand has a well-earned reputation for creating watches that look like they should cost more than they do- something all of us looking for a quality budget-friendly watch can appreciate.
And unlike most fine watch companies, Hamilton actually started in America (although they are based in Switzerland these days).
In other words, if you’re in the market for a great looking, affordable watch, Hamilton is definitely a brand you should familiarize yourself with.
And that’s where this guide come in.
In this article, I’ll present my top picks for the best Hamilton watches currently on the market. I’ll also provide a little background info on the brand itself.
After reading, not only will you be familiar with the brand, but you’ll be familiar with the best Hamilton watches currently available.
Alright, let’s get to the good stuff.
The 6 Best Hamilton Watches For Men
#1 American Classic Chrono-Matic 50 Auto Chrono Limited Edition
I’ve discovered that I’m a really big fan of racing watches. The more I research, the more I find that more times than not, my favorite picks are often racing style watches.
And Hamilton’s take on this classic watch style is a home run any way you look at it.
Their American Classic Chrono-Matic 50 Limited Edition is designed after one of their earliest automatic chronographs, the Chrono-Matic E, but with a few bold updates.
Personally, I love the red accents sprinkled throughout the dial, I think they add a great punch of color against the black dial and stainless steel case.
The black leather strap completes the sporty look of this racing watch, as well as making it quite comfortable to wear.
This Chrono-Matic 50 comes with everything you’d expect from any self-respecting race watch, including a tachymeter scale, a countdown timer, and a chronograph feature with 2 sub-dials.
There’s also a date window at 6 o’clock and all hands and hour markers are luminous.
The case itself is on the large side, measuring 48 mm in diameter. Inside, there’s an automatic movement with a 60 hr power reserve. The dial is protected by a scratch resistant, sapphire crystal.
This watch is also water resistant to 100 m, so no need to worry about taking it off before going for a swim.
Hamilton only produced 1,972 of these watches, so it’s “limited” indeed. But if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on one of these bad boys, I have no doubt you’ll be satisfied.
#2 Tenet Khaki Navy BeLOWZERO Auto Limited Edition
This Hamilton watch gets the “Tenet” name because it’s designed after the same watch that was used in the new Christopher Nolan movie by the same name.
The watch is very sharp and interesting looking- I wish I could say the same about the movie (although I have to admit, I haven’t seen it yet, the plot is, how should I say… absurd).
But the watch itself is awesome.
The all black Khaki Navy BeLOWZERO reminds me a lot of a classic military watch, with the simple face and large, easy-to-read numerals.
But with the rotating bezel and water resistance up to 1000 m, it’s obviously designed to work as a diving watch as well (hence the “Navy” part of its long name).
The only parts of this watch that aren’t blacked out are the blue tip of the second hand (which apparently is an homage to something in the movie) and the luminousness of the minute and hour hands.
The case here is 46 mm in diameter and made out of titanium- which makes for a very durable and lightweight timepiece.
Inside the case is an automatic movement with a power reserve of 80 hrs. There’s also a sapphire crystal in front to protect your watch from any unwanted damage.
A black rubber strap finishes off the sporty, sleek look this watch has going for it.
And if the watch itself isn’t cool enough for ya, check out the box this timepiece comes in- that alone is almost reason enough to invest in this Hamilton.
#3 Jazzmaster Maestro Automatic Chronograph
Hamilton’s Jazzmaster lineup contains some of the brands most popular watches. I myself was trying to get my hands on one of these Maestros earlier in the year- long story short, I ordered through 2 different sites and both failed in obtaining one for me, so I gave up.
But I still love the look of this watch, and I might come back around and try again (if I do, I’ll use REEDS, they seem to have a good handle on what they do and don’t have in stock).
Moving on, the Maestro is an elegant chronograph watch that could work wonderfully for everyday wear or as a dress watch for more formal occasions.
I love the rose gold numerals and hands agains the white dial- it makes for a simple yet elegant appearance.
Other than the 2 sub-dials for the chronograph function, there isn’t too much going on on the dial, which makes this watch very readable.
There’s a date window at 3 o’clock, as well as a day of the week indicator.
The case is 45 mm and made out of stainless steel. The dial is protected by a sapphire crystal and under the hood you’ve got an automatic movement.
The Maestro attaches to your wrist with a brown leather strap that looks great with the rose gold accents on the dial.
Overall, the Jazzmaster Maestro is just a gorgeous timepiece. If you’re looking for a nice watch that can fit in in any social situation, this is a smart choice.
#4 Black Khaki Field Automatic Chronograph
I mentioned that my time on this website has lead me to realize how much I like racing watches, but it’s almost shown me how much I like all black watches as well.
I don’t know, but there’s just something about a blacked out watch that screams badass.
And Hamilton’s Black Khaki Field Automatic Chronograph definitely falls into this category.
Hamilton’s Khaki Field collection is one of the most popular and they have a ton of great looking field watches to choose from here, but I really like this version.
Again, I think the blacked out dial looks great. It may loose a little something in readability, but it more than makes up for it in style.
The case here is 42 mm in diameter, black, and made out of stainless steel. The black dial is protected by a sapphire crystal and there’s an automatic movement with a 60 hr power reserve inside.
Besides the date window at 3 o’clock, you’ll notice 2 sub-dials that are used to measure 30 minutes and 12 hours with the chronograph function.
This watch is paired with a black textile strap, that adds a little texture to the band.
Overall, I think this Black Khaki Field is a great looking watch that could be worn just as comfortably when going out to dinner as it could when hiking or camping.
#5 Spirit of Liberty Auto Chrono
The Spirit of Liberty Auto Chrono was designed to be a “bridge from history to today”. The simple face and weathered looking brown leather strap provide a throwback in time, while the mechanical prowess inside is an obvious sign of today’s technology.
The classic brown leather strap also comes with the engraving, “without liberty, life is a misery”, which is all too true.
Even though this watch does come with a functioning chronograph feature, it feels like the sub-dials where added more for their cosmetic appeal than anything else.
Other than the sub-dials, the only extra feature on this simple dial is the date window at 3 o’clock.
With its clean face and elegant appearance, I think the Spirit of Liberty would work wonderfully as a dress watch, but you could totally wear it casually as well.
The case on this model is stainless steel and 42 mm in diameter. It comes with an automatic movement with a 60 hr power reserve and there’s a sapphire crystal protecting the dial.
And even though this watch is better suited for indoors, it is water resistant to 50 m if the occasion should arise.
Overall, I think the most appropriate word to describe this watch is “elegant”.
#6 Khaki Field Automatic
I couldn’t finish my Hamilton watch list without a shout out to the old school military watches this company was producing around the time of WWII.
During the war, having durable and precise watches was imperative to success on the battle field- and Hamilton was there to help supply the troops with the accurate time pieces they needed.
This Khaki Field Automatic is designed after the original military watches Hamilton was producing during those days.
These watches come in wide variety of colors and bands to choose from, but I like this version because of how classic it is.
As the name implies, this is an automatic watch, so as long as you’re wearing it regularly you won’t have to worry about winding or changing any batteries.
The case is stainless steel and 42 mm in diameter. The black dial is protected by a sapphire crystal, making this a very rugged time piece.
Being inspired by the classic military watches, you’ll notice how large and easy to read the numerals are on the face. After all, you don’t want to waste any time reading your watch during war.
Another key indicator of a military watch is the 24-hr indicators near the center of the dial, which make it easy to instantly keep track of military time.
Otherwise, the dial is very simple. The only other feature is the date window at 3 o’clock.
This particular version comes with a brown leather strap, but you can also choose between stainless steel bracelets and canvas straps.
If you’re looking for a classic military watch, look no further. This Hamilton Khaki Field is about as classic as they come.
Hamilton Watches 101
I hope you enjoyed my top Hamilton watch picks for men. And if you’ve made it this far into the article, than kudos to you for doing your research before you make a purchasing decision.
I always like to learn a little about a company’s history and reputation before I buy anything, so I thought I’d provide that service to you as well.
I wasn’t familiar with the Hamilton brand before I started this website. Although I guess that isn’t saying much, because I wasn’t that familiar with many brands at all, outside the obvious names like Rolex and Omega.
But the more I get to know Hamilton, the more I like them as a brand.
Hamilton has been around for a long time. The company started back in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. And yes, that’s the same Pennsylvania we have in the USA.
We’re so accustomed to thinking that all watches are created in Switzerland, but no, America has created a few big names in the industry as well.
In the early 1900’s, Hamilton began supply aircrafts with timepieces, which helped keep air travel on time and running smoothly.
To this day, Hamilton is still very involved with flying and they are even the official timekeeper of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.
Hamilton watches have also gained fame by appearing in many movies over the decades. More recently, Hamilton timepieces have appeared in hits like “Interstellar” and “The Martian” (Interstellar is also directed by Christopher Nolan, by the way).
In 1974, the Hamilton brand was sold to the Swatch Group, and now all of their watches are officially Swiss made. So yes, Hamilton is a Swiss brand now.
But unlike most Swiss brands, Hamilton continues to provide quality watches at more affordable prices.
And by affordable, we’re talking the $500 – $2000 range, which is very affordable for a Swiss timepiece.
In terms of price and quality, I think Hamilton is very comparable to Tissot, another budget friendly Swiss brand that makes great watches.
Hamilton watches are readily available to purchase online (although I did mention how much trouble I had trying to get my hands on that Maestro) and sites like Reeds and WatchMaxx have large selections to choose from.
Speaking of selection, Hamilton’s inventory is pretty extensive. Their most popular collections include Jazzmaster, Khaki Aviation, and their Khaki Field.
Although they’re known for their more traditional and military inspired watches, they do offer more modern pieces through their Ventura collection (which I admit, I don’t particularly care for).
Overall, Hamilton is a great brand. They’ve earned their stellar reputation with over a century worth of happy customers. If you’re looking for a quality watch at a fair price, you can’t go wrong with Hamilton.