The 1857 Limited Edition Club: Hamilton Intra-Matic 68
- 20 Feb 2018
In what was generally a very safe year for a lot of the Swiss Watch brands, Hamilton really pulled out all the stops in BaselWorld 2017, releasing a re-interpreted, modernised Intra-Matic chronograph based on the original from 1968.
Re-releasing vintage models with success isn't always an easy task to pull off. Many brands have re-invented heritage watches with great success, while others haven't quite hit the mark. It certainly isn't ground-breaking stuff, however, finding the perfect formula that will appeal to today's market while staying true to the original is a tricky balancing act“ and I have to say, Hamilton have hit the nail on the head here.
Hamilton have tried not to overcomplicate things with the new Intra-Matic 1968, they've adapted the watch to suit the current trends without diluting the beauty of the original piece and it is still recognisable as the 1968 model. The case has had an upgrade, growing from 36mm (considered quite a large watch in 1968) to 42mm. The dial has been blessed with a single date window at 6pm, courtesy of the Hamilton H-31 movement, a modified version of the workhorse Valjoux 7753, a great chronograph movement. This has been further upgraded with an extended 60 hour power reserve which pushes us over the weekend mark, take this watch off at 7pm on a Friday and put it back on at 7am on Monday and nothing further is required! The Tachymeter scale on the outer dial has been given with a white background to match the Bi-Compax subdials which really improves the aesthetics of the watch, it gives the dial a smaller appearance, giving the impression it is slightly truer to its roots than the actual size suggests.
Hamilton have made use of the reverse panda dial' - as it's affectionately known amongst watch aficionados“ which is most definitely a throw-back to the golden era of vintage watches, particularly the Rolex Daytona 6241, worth a small fortune in today's market. The strap, with its vintage-style perforated black leather look, is a far cry from the glossy alligator strap of the original. This adds a modern, sporty update while still giving a nod to the history of watchmaking inspired by aviation that Hamilton was founded on.
The watch is a limited edition of 1968 pieces, to commemorate the year of the original release and has a very reasonable price point for a very exclusive automatic chronograph of £1,930.00.
