Introducing: The Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 Limited Edition In Blue And Orange

In 2019, Hamilton launched a limited-edition Chrono-Matic 50 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Calibre 11. Along with Breitling, Heuer, Dubois-Dépraz, and Buren, Hamilton was one of the original partners in the development of the automatic Calibre 11 that debuted in 1969. The 2019 version of the Chrono-Matic 50 had a black dial, white sub-counters, and red accents based upon the highly collectible vintage “Chronograph E” from 1972. The new Chrono-Matic 50 has the same bold 48mm helmet-style case, but this time, the dial is blue, and the accents are orange. It’s also a limited edition of just 150 pieces.

It’s not completely clear why this new version of the Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 is coming out right now. There doesn’t seem to be any kind of anniversary that needs celebrating. However, Hamilton says that the watch’s blue and orange colors pay tribute to the racing spirit of the ’70s. Let’s take a look.

The Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 Limited Edition

Of course, I’ll start with the impressive 48mm stainless steel helmet case. Its umbrella shape serves as a shield for the multiple pushers and crowns (more on those later). The case has a radially brushed finish, which stands out nicely thanks to the absence of conventional lugs. The strap comes out from underneath the case, which measures 51.5mm at its longest point. Including the box-style sapphire crystal up top, the Chrono-Matic 50 measures 16mm thick. No, this certainly isn’t a watch for those with skinny wrists.

As mentioned, the dial of this new Chrono-Matic 50 is navy blue and has two white sub-dials. There’s also an internal bidirectional countdown bezel with one white and one blue half. This was inspired by the GMT function on the original Chronograph E, which is not there anymore. At almost every hour, there’s an applied and lumed index. The only exceptions are at 3 and 9 o’clock due to sub-dials and at 6 o’clock because of the nicely executed circular cutout for the date. Finally, the chronograph hands and the running seconds hand are orange.

Not Calibre 11 but H31

One of the signature features of the famous Calibre 11 was that the chronograph pushers and the crown were on opposite sides of the case. However, inside the new Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 Limited Edition is the Valjoux 7750-based H31 automatic chronograph movement. That is why the chronograph pushers and the crown are all on the same side. The pushers are orange to match the chronograph details on the dial. Instead of the chronograph pushers on the left side, there still is one black pusher and a screw-down crown. With that third pusher, you can quickly set the date, and with the secondary crown, you can turn the inner bezel to set it to the desired countdown time. This way, the watch still resembles the Chronograph E from the ’70s.

The H31 automatic chronograph movement runs at a frequency of 28,800vph, features 27 jewels, and holds a power reserve of 60 hours. It hides behind an all-steel case back with the Hamilton logo and the LE number. It’s good to know that the watch is water resistant to 100 meters. If you plan to take it swimming, though, make sure to swap out the perforated blue and orange leather strap.

On the wrist

On my 17cm wrist, the 48mm Chrono-Matic 50 is a real apparatus, especially with its multiple crowns and pushers. The helmet-style case makes it wear a little more ergonomically, but I can’t deny that this is a seriously big watch. Though it’s too big for my taste, I still kind of like the look of this quirky beast. The radial brushing is nicely executed, and the transitions are sharp. The box-style sapphire crystal has a slight dome to it, and the date window is nicely finished. I’m also a fan of the blue and orange hues. All these fine details make this a seriously fun watch — for the bigger-wristed folks, that is.

It’s a shame that the original GMT complication of the Chronograph E isn’t there anymore. The look lives on in the white and blue background of the inner countdown bezel, but the city ring and the fourth hand are gone, unfortunately. Another thing that bothers me a bit is the black pusher at 10 o’clock. Hamilton was able to change the chronograph pushers from red to orange, but the black one is still black, not blue.

All in all, though, the new Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 in blue and orange is a great limited-edition watch. It costs €2,545 / US$2,545 / £2,300, and only 150 will be made. If you prefer the black and red version, you’re in luck, because that watch is also still available for purchase.

Let me know what you think of the new Hamilton Chrono-Matic 50 in blue and orange in the comments below.