Collection: Hamilton Khaki Field

The Hamilton Khaki Field collection traces its roots to Hamilton's long history supplying watches to the American military, dating back to the brand's founding in Pennsylvania in 1892 and its role equipping U.S. armed forces through both World Wars. Built around durability, legibility, and no-nonsense functionality, the Khaki Field line has become one of the most respected and widely recommended field watches on the market, prized for its military-inspired design and reliable Swiss movements at an accessible price point.

The collection spans automatic, hand-wound mechanical, and quartz models, typically in stainless steel or PVD-coated cases ranging from 38mm to 42mm, paired with NATO straps, leather straps, or steel bracelets. Signature features include sapphire crystal, clean Arabic numeral dials built for maximum legibility, and water resistance generally between 50 and 100 meters, making these true everyday tool watches rather than dress pieces. The Khaki Field King Auto adds a day-date display for a slightly dressier take, while the Khaki Field Murph, designed for Christopher Nolan's film Interstellar, has become a standout in its own right, featuring a no-date dial, cathedral-style hands, and a hidden Morse code detail on the seconds hand as a nod to the film.

King Jewelers carries a wide range of Hamilton Khaki Field watches, including the Khaki Field Auto, Khaki Field King Auto, Khaki Field Mechanical, Khaki Field Murph, and Khaki Field Auto Chrono, backed by Hamilton's 24-month international warranty covering manufacturing defects. Every Hamilton watch purchase includes free shipping, and our team can help you compare sizes, movements, and finishes in person at our Green Hills showroom in Nashville or online at kingjewelers.com.

Origins: A Century of American Military Timekeeping
The Hamilton Khaki Field's story begins long before the "Khaki" name existed. Founded in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Hamilton first built its military reputation supplying rugged railroad pocket watches, then made the leap to wristwatches during World War I, when trench warfare made pocket watches impractical for soldiers who needed to check the time quickly and coordinate across units.

Hamilton's military production reached its peak during World War II, when the company halted all civilian watch production entirely and delivered over 1 million timepieces to the U.S. military between 1942 and 1945, earning the Army-Navy "E" Award for wartime manufacturing excellence.

The Vietnam-Era Watch That Became Today's Khaki Field
The specific watch that today's Khaki Field directly reissues comes from the Vietnam War era. In 1964, the U.S. Department of Defense codified field watch specifications under MIL-W-46374, and Hamilton produced watches to this spec from the mid-1960s into the 1980s, alongside a related higher-spec GG-W-113 watch for pilots and navigators. These simple, legible, hand-wound field watches, with their clean dials and Arabic numerals, established the design blueprint that essentially every field watch still follows today.

When Hamilton's last military contracts wound down in the late 1980s, the company pivoted its military-proven design toward civilian outdoor enthusiasts, notably through co-branded partnerships with L.L. Bean, Orvis, and Brookstone. It was during this transition that the "Khaki" name and logo first began appearing on dials, marking the birth of the modern commercial collection.

Key Milestones

1892 — Hamilton Watch Company founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

WWI — Hamilton supplies converted wristwatches to U.S. Army soldiers

1942-1945 — Hamilton halts civilian production, delivers 1M+ watches to the U.S. military in WWII

1964 — MIL-W-46374 field watch specification codified by the U.S. DoD

Mid-1960s–1980s — Hamilton manufactures Vietnam-era MIL-spec field watches

Late 1980s — Military contracts end; Hamilton begins civilian "Khaki" co-branding (L.L. Bean, Orvis, Brookstone)

2017/2018 — Khaki Field Mechanical launches globally as a faithful reissue of the original MIL-W-46374 watch

Ongoing — Khaki Field Murph (Interstellar tie-in), Khaki Field King Auto, and Khaki Field Titanium expand the modern lineup

What Defines a Khaki Field Today
The modern Khaki Field Mechanical is built as a direct homage to its Vietnam-era predecessor: a 36mm to 42mm matte stainless steel case, drilled lugs, sapphire crystal, and 100 meters of water resistance, powered by Hamilton's in-house H-50 hand-wound or H-10 automatic movement with up to 80 hours of power reserve and a Nivachron balance spring for improved shock and magnetic resistance. Across the collection, clean Arabic numeral dials with high-contrast lume prioritize battlefield-grade legibility over decoration, true to the field watch's military origins.

At King Jewelers
King Jewelers carries a wide range of Hamilton Khaki Field watches, including the Khaki Field Auto, Khaki Field King Auto, Khaki Field Mechanical, Khaki Field Murph, and Khaki Field Auto Chrono, backed by Hamilton's 24-month international warranty. Every Hamilton watch purchase includes free shipping, and our team can help you compare Khaki Field models in person at our Green Hills showroom in Nashville or online at kingjewelers.com.

The Hamilton Khaki Field lineup spans hand-wound and automatic movements across 36mm to 42mm cases, from the historically faithful Khaki Field Mechanical to the day-date King Auto and the cinema-famous Murph. Whether you want a true military reissue or a modern everyday field watch, King Jewelers carries the full range in stock.

Khaki Field Mechanical — 38mm/42mm, hand-wound H-50 caliber, 80hr power reserve, faithful reissue of the Vietnam-era MIL-W-46374 spec watch.

Khaki Field Auto — Automatic H-10 movement, date window, 100m water resistance, the everyday automatic version of the field watch archetype.

Khaki Field King Auto — 40mm, day-date display, dressier than the standard Field Auto while keeping military-grade legibility.

Khaki Field Murph — No-date dial, cathedral hands, hidden Morse code detail on the seconds hand; the Interstellar-inspired model with a genuine fan following.

Khaki Field Auto Chrono — 42mm, chronograph function with day/date, PVD-coated steel option, for buyers wanting field-watch styling with added complications.

Hamilton watches come with a 24-month international warranty covering manufacturing defects from the date of purchase. To ensure proper service, repairs should be handled by an official Hamilton dealer, such as King Jewelers. The warranty does not cover normal wear and tear or damage from unauthorized service.