Watch Review: Affordable Mechanicals: sub-$300 Range: Hamilton Field Khaki Hand Wind H69419363 Officer Handwinding

With the entry point of Swiss-made mechanical watches approaching - and often well exceeding - the $1000, many newcomers to realm of the watch enthusiasts must limit themselves to Asian-made or vintage Swiss models if their budget only goes as high as a few hundred dollars.  For those individuals, the entry-level brands of the Swatch Group, such as Tissot and Hamilton, offer some of the best value propositions on the market today.

The watch on review today is perhaps the finest and least expensive example in Hamilton's present collection:  the Field Khaki Hand Wind (currently listed as the Officer Handwinding on Hamilton's website), reference number H69419363.  Its simple three-hand design reflects a functionalist and spartan outlook that meshes well with its military aesthetic.  At 38mm in diameter, it is well positioned as an understated timepiece that could be easily dressed up with a leather strap or matching bracelet (more on the latter below).  Its 20mm lug width ensures that it is compatible with a wide range of aftermarket straps, and the drilled lug holes are an increasingly rarefied feature that makes strap changes a breeze and further cements the watch's function-first aesthetic.  The watch comes in a black dial and an olive drab dial, the latter of which can appear black or grey depending on the light and surroundings.  

Notable at this price point is the watch's domed sapphire crystal, whose charming lack of anti-reflective coating makes it evoke the vintage charm of actual military watches that used plastic or plexiglass crystals, while offering the modern scratch resistance of sapphire.  Its movement is an ETA 2804-2, which is the most recent manual-wind version of ETA's workhorse 28XX lines of movements.  For those looking to understand the anachronistic appeal of a mechanical watch in a world where every cellphone can tell you the time, the combination of sweeping seconds hand and daily ritual of winding the watch to maintain its 38-hour power reserve offers the full experience at perhaps the lowest price attainable for a Swiss mechanical watch.

As pictured above, I opted to dress up the watch with its matching bracelet (reference number H605.694.101, available direct from Hamilton for $114 plus shipping at the time of writing).  I found that the solid-end-link bracelet really completes the watch by matching seamlessly with its satin metal finish, and as versatile as the watch is with a wide range of straps, uniting the watch with its bracelet makes it feel suddenly whole.

The Hamilton Field Khaki Hand Wind H69419363 (aka Officer Handwinding) is available on Amazon for less than $300.

Specifications:

Diameter: 38mm

Lug Width: 20mm

Dial Color: Olive Drab

Crystal: Sapphire

Movement: ETA 2804-2 (manual wind, approximately 38-hour power reserve)

Bracelet: H605.694.101 ($114 + shipping direct from Hamilton)

Recommendation:  If you're a fan of minimalism, military aesthetics, handwound movements, and perhaps the best bang-for-buck current production Swiss timepiece on the market today, do yourself a favor and pick up the H69419363.

Watch Review: The Affordable (Under $30) Casio MTP-1239D-2A

Shortly after acquiring the Casio MTP-1183A-2A, I discovered its day-date variant, the MTP-1239D-2A.  I initially dismissed it as I presumed it would be largely the same as the 1183A, but a picture of its bracelet revealed a push-button clasp as opposed to the friction clasp on the 1183A.  The idea that I might be able to swap out the 1183A's friction clasp for a push button made me decide to take the plunge and pick up the 1239D.

When it arrived, the first thing I noticed was the blue of the dial.  While the 1183A's dial is a muted, almost violet shade, the 1239D's is closer to the vibrant blue I've seen in Seiko's SARB series and approaches the "electric" blue of the reference 2253.80 Omega Seamaster I used to own.   Looking at the image above, you might also notice that the positioning of the 12 o'clock indices is slightly more spaced on the 1239D's dial than the 1183A's.  I think it provides stronger proportionality to the entire layout.

The bracelet also yielded interesting differences upon closer inspection.  While virtually identical at first glance to the 1183A bracelet, its links are incompatible.  Moreover, the bracelet's finishing is more of a matte, frosted finish than the brushed finish on the 1183A.  Most surprising however was that the curve of the push-button clasp was less curved than the 1183A's clasp, making the fit much more angular and less appealing on my 6" wrist.  That, coupled with what seems to my eye to be a better, more aesthetically pleasing finish on the 1183A's bracelet, led me to end up choosing the exact opposite combination I intended to when I first acquired the 1239D:  The 1239D's head combined with the 1183A's bracelet.

Because of my watch box rule, the 1183A has been displaced by the 1239D, albeit in a hybridized form.  The assembled package of 1183A bracelet and 1239D watch head costs about $45, which still clocks in at less than the vast majority of watches out there.  And either the date-only 1183A or the day-date 1239D would make a fine single purchase, with the considerations raised above, at $20 and $25, respectively.

Watch Review - Ultra-Affordable Analog: How a $20 Casio MTP-1183A Took On a $2000 Grand Seiko SBGX065 - and Won

(It's the one on the right.)

It's been a few weeks since the Casio MTP-1183A arrived at my doorstep, and I've had sufficient occasion to put it through its proper paces.  From the onset, my goal in acquiring it was unfair:  it was to vie against a quartz Grand Seiko, the previous occupant of the "blue dial" slot in my watch box, a watch selling for literally 100 times its price.  Understandably, this was a contest it would not - and could not - win on raw specifications alone.  It gains or loses up to 15 seconds a month; the Grand Seiko, 10 seconds a year.

The dial is nicely legible, and the blue sunburst tone, while not as deep or reflective as the one on the Grand Seiko, is still impressive given the watch's bare-bones price.  Even more impressive is how well the second hand lines up with the indices - a sticking point that other quartz offerings listed at more than 20 times its price have failed to get right.  (In my watch history, the offender was a $500 Hamilton Ventura, though several comparably priced $20-$30 Timex Weekenders also suffered from a similar letdown.)  The simple hands can be a bit harder to read in certain conditions than the larger and more painstakingly finished ones on the GS, but even the GS hands suffer in low-light situations given their lack of lume, which is more of an aesthetic choice than a deficit of design.

At 38mm in diameter, it is marginally bigger than the GS at 37mm, though the smaller dial size makes the MTP-1183A seems comparatively smaller on the wrist (and somewhat better proportioned on mine).  Lug guards protect the shallow crown and contribute to a slightly more sporty profile, though the MTP-1183A classic enough to fill in as a dress watch if paired with a quality 20mm leather strap.  This, in fact, is where the Casio trumps the GS:  its 20mm lug width allows for far more strap options than the GS's painfully hard-to-find 19mm.  If you're a strap fanatic, the Casio offers far more flexibility.

The folded metal bracelet is serviceable, but nothing to write home about, and easily trumped in comfort and finish by virtually any solid end link bracelet on the market.  I've replaced it with a 20mm Oyster bracelet from Tungchoy Watch.

I bought the Casio on a lark to see how it would compare to the top-of-the-line quartz GS.  It ended up doing so well as a value proposition that it has deposed the GS from its place as the quartz backup in my watch box.

Watch Radar: Crazy Affordable/Value Find: Casio MTP1183E-7ACF

Cruising Amazon's watch selection, I came across what looks like a strong contender to the Timex Weekender series as an ultra-affordable watch:  This Casio MTP1183E-7ACF clocks in around $20, but from all indications would look right at home with a suit:

The leather strap will probably prove stiff and plasticky, but the fit and finish of the case, dial, and hands seem to put the Weekenders to shame.  I have a spare brown leather strap, a couple of NATOs, and the mesh-like bracelet from my Weekender escapades to try on it when it arrives.  At this price, I couldn't help but try it out.  If it's as good in the flesh as it seems on the screen, I may have found my new top recommendation for an ultra-affordable.

A Watch Primer #06: Tiers and Price Range, Part One

Today's Watch Primer entry categorizes the wide range of prices you'll find in the world of horology (from $20 drug store digitals to six-figure bespoke models), some of the noteworthy brands that exemplify each price range, and the bottom line when it comes to getting the most bang for your buck from a watch, regardless of your budget.

Inexpensive: Under $50

The first category covers the watches you'd commonly find anywhere between the electronics counter of your local drug store to the "free gift" portion of a TV infomercial.  My first watch fell into this category; a Lorus Sports digital quartz that I got from Costco for $20.  (Amazingly, I still have it two decades later, and it's still working perfectly with battery changes averaging once a decade.)   Inexpensive watches can run the gambit from cheap plasticy throwaways to dependable, hardworking timepieces, but examples in this range will inevitably use relatively cheap quartz movements (which will still probably keep more accurate time than all but the most fine-tuned of mechanicals).  Noteworthy brands at this level include Timex and Casio.

Examplars of the Range:

Timex Easyreader T2H281, $40 ($25 on Amazon)

The Timex Easyreader series offers dependable analog quartz watches at the appealing sub-$50 mark.  The model above gets a special nod for being clean and classic enough to stand in as a dress watch, especially if you decide to upgrade to an after-market premium leather strap.

Casio F91W-1, $19 ($11 on Amazon) 

At 97 cents above $10, the Casio F91W-1 is perhaps the best deal out there for a rugged digital quartz watch with alarm and chronograph functions.  You can't really ask for a more convenient sports watch that will take a beating and won't break the bank if you're forced to replace it.

Economy: Under $200


The economy range offers more options as far as movements, special features, and finishes go, but remain accessible and affordable to virtually any watch aficionado.  These tend to make for perfect gifts for young adults who will appreciate higher quality features but probably will put their watches through paces that might not suit more costly models.  This is also roughly the lowest price point where mechanical movements and solar-charging quartz movements begin to become available.  Noteworthy brands at the economy level include Seiko, Citizen, and Casio's popular G-Shock line.

Exemplars of the Range:

Seiko 5 SNK793, $185 ($60 on Amazon)

The venerable Seiko 5 series of economical automatic watches (noteworthy for being equipped with "in-house" Seiko movements at an unheard-of price point) fall under $100 if you take advantage of Amazon's hefty discounts across the line.  The model featured above features a subtle dark-blue dial, a display caseback and lugs that will easily accommodate aftermarket watch straps.

Citizen Eco-Drive AT0200-05E, $225 ($129 on Amazon)

This Citizen Eco-Drive model features the brand's titular solar-charging quartz movement, chronograph function, and a highly legible dial and nylon strap.  It's a great casual watch with military styling that equals the convenience of an automatic movement and does away with the hassle of having to replace a battery (or service the movement) every 2-3 years.

Affordable: $200-$1000


The affordable category is admittedly a controversial one, both in terms of its scope and whether the term could - or should - actually apply to watches that cost up to a grand.  In context of watches that cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, I believe that it does, especially since it is in this range that a watch enthusiast can acquire watches with genuinely impressive complications that would only be available at the aforementioned tens of thousands of dollars range in mechanical form.  The affordable category is also where you'll begin to find watches that employ Swiss-made quartz and mechanical movements, though those movements will almost certainly be sourced from large mass producers like ETA and Ronda.  Noteworthy brands include Swatch Group's Tissot and Hamilton, Citizen, Seiko, and smaller independent makers like Prometheus and Bathys Hawaii.


Exemplars of the Range:

Citizen Eco-Drive BL5250-02L, $400 ($240 on Amazon)

This Eco-Drive model is a great example of the impressive complications you can find in quartz watches in this price range.  It combines perpetual calendar, dual time, alarm, and chronograph functions, all complications that could easily run into the five-figure range in an in-house mechanical movement.  In terms of most bang in a watch for the least amount of bucks, it's hard to do better than this watch.  (Only downside for the slim-wristed: its 49mm size.)

Bathys 100 Fathoms in Black PVD, $395 (new batch coming in early 2012 from Bathys Hawaii)

Bathys has a special place in my heart among independent brands because it's located in Hawai`i (and even goes so far as to include "Hawaii" on their dials and engrave an image of the Hawaiian Islands on their casebacks).  They briefly went astray when they tried to price their watches upstream enough for brick-and-mortar watch stores like Ben Bridge - at which point their models simply didn't offer enough value to justify the premium you'd have to pay for the privilege of wearing the Hawaiian Islands on your wrist - but they've recently returned their prices to more modest levels along with a renewed emphasis on internet sales.  The result: my pick of their models, the Quartz 100 Fathoms in Black PVD, will be restocked in early 2012 at what I believe was its introductory price in 2007 - $395, rather than the somewhat overbearing $695 that the same model would have cost you a year before.  It's a reasonable price for a watch with a Swiss-made Ronda movement and sapphire crystal.


Coming up in Part Two: The Luxury Tiers.  What do you think of the ranges featured so far?  Are there any brands to which I should have given special attention?  Let me know in the comments.