Hamilton Intra-Matic Chronograph Watch In Olive Green (With Date)

Within our team, the Hamilton Intra-Matic Chronograph is a popular beast. I know for a fact that a couple of the Fratelli will be racing out to buy this new green version that, on balance, is one of the best value propositions in the industry today.

High praise? Indeed it is. But is it justified? We’ve all known for a long time that when it comes to branding, genuine heritage, and bang-for-buck, it is really difficult to get past the entry-level Swatch Group brands. When Hayek went on his industry-wide sweep up in the early eighties, he corralled several established powerhouses that had, thanks to the quartz crisis, fallen on hard times. Names like Longines, Certina, and Tissot joined the portfolio. Each one has its own specific market and continues to enjoy considerable success. But perhaps the best of the bunch — at least in this writer’s humble opinion — was the acquisition of Hamilton.

You could pick any of the brands the Swatch Group acquired in the latter part of the 20th century and make a case for it being the “best” pick-up. Really, it comes down to personal preference. Hamilton models have always spoken to me a little more, and while I have had and moved on from my X-Wind phase, I always found the catalog full of very tempting options.

There is a watch for everyone here, but making a single watch that appeals to the whole customer base is no mean feat. Perhaps the closest the brand can claim to have come to that lofty goal, is this, the Hamilton Intra-Matic.

Why is it so good?

Beyond the obvious specs that give you an automatic chronograph from an established industry maker in a case that boasts water-resistance to 100 meters and manages to straddle the divide between modern and classic, you get all of this for a shade over €2,000.

To be quite frank, models like this make it really hard for newcomers to carve out any kind of profitable existence in the industry. This is the perfect example of the economy of scale. It is the Swatch Group flexing its muscles. As one of the industry’s most visible superpowers, the Swatch Group is basically goading the rest of the industry.

…a respected, long-standing Swiss-based brand with a rich American history…

So you have a great idea for a microbrand? Cool. You want to disrupt the industry by installing a transparent business model. Cool, cool. Wait — you want to earn enough to eat as well? Sorry, pal — no dice. Haven’t you heard? The Hamilton Intra-Matic chronograph is made by a respected, long-standing Swiss-based brand with a rich American history, with specs that make your estimable effort look decidedly half-baked.

Oh, and it’s gorgeous too.

The heart of the matter

And that really counts. Pretty much every product from brands like Hamilton, Longines, Tissot, Mido, and Certina, comes up smelling of roses when you study the spec sheet and the spec sheet alone. The Hamilton Intra-Matic Chronograph in green is powered by the tried and true H-31 automatic chronograph (a variant of the 7753). This mechanism sits with the 40×14.45mm stainless steel case, offers a 60-hour power reserve, and beats at a respectable 4Hz.

As amazing as these specs are for this price, not all of these “value propositions” from SG brands pique my interest aesthetically. Fewer still actually coax me to consider buying them. The ones that do have featured heavily on the pages of Fratello (because we love them). As you’ve probably noticed, the Intra-Matic has popped up recently here and here, and even in our shop. But this new colorway is probably my favorite of the bunch.

Green with Envy

I recently discussed (at length) the effect a simple colorway shift can have on my perception of a brand or model in my coverage of the new NOMOS Glashütte Automatic Club, which also came out in a limited olive dial variant last month. This is a color we’re seeing more and more and, I must say, I’m very glad about it.

This is not a vivid or crowing green. It is a muted shade of sage that looks particularly awesome next to the kind of rugged outdoor clothing Hamilton wisely chose to drape its wrist model in for this photoshoot.

This watch is available on either a brown leather strap with a pin buckle (€2,045) or a Milanese-style mesh bracelet for a few euros more (€2,095, to be precise). The reference numbers are H38416560 and H38416160 respectively. If you like these models you can check them out in more detail on Hamilton’s official website here.

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