Engineered Garments lends a minimal touch to the Hamilton Khaki Field Titanium
Borna Bošnjak- Japanese-American workwear brand Engineered Garments and Hamilton have created a collaborative Khaki Field Titanium.
- The 36mm size and ultra-legible dial reflect the ethos of Engineered Garments, with surprisingly no dial co-branding.
- The 1,999-piece limited edition hints at the year of Engineered Garments’ founding, and the watch is priced at US$1,145.
The best collaborations are those that manage to yield a product that perfectly fits into the brand’s existing line-up but also make it clear that it’s not just a design that would’ve been made without the coming together of the minds involved. This isn’t always easy, and has resulted in less-than-inspiring slapping-ons of logos or a hint of the brands chasing clout more than respecting their ethos (I won’t name any names, we all know who they are). To flip all of this negativity around, I’m happy to report that the topic of today’s article easily sidesteps all of those worries, and delivers an understated but well-executed product. I’m talking about the Hamilton x Engineered Garments collab, of course, bearing fruit in the shape of a new Khaki Field Titanium in 36mm.
Remember how I talked about those dials with logos that look like afterthoughts? Well, you won’t find any of that on the Hamilton x Engineered Garments Khaki Field. As a matter of fact, the branding is ultra-minimal, as is the rest of the dial, going even simpler than the standard KF Titanium models by omitting the 24-hour scale and bi-colour finish. Instead, we only have white-printed, sans-serif Arabics with legible syringe-sword hands – and that’s really it. The only notable change is that the watch uses a Hamilton heritage logo, which effortlessly integrates into the rest of the utilitarian dial.
The Engineered Garments also becomes the smallest member of the Khaki Field Titanium family, sporting a 36mm case that Engineered Garments founder Daiki Suzuki specifically mentions was a point of consideration. He explains: “For a classic field watch, this size demands something new yet robust, hence I advocate for lightweight and durable titanium.” Couldn’t agree with you more, Mr Suzuki. A limited edition in a new case size is also a smart move from Hamilton, as it can test the waters to see whether anyone’s looking for something outside of its existing 38mm and 42mm options.
As far as the fit and finish go, if you’ve seen a Hamilton Khaki Field (titanium or otherwise), the look will be familiar. If you haven’t, the finishing can be summed up with one word: brushed. While the price point is high enough where you would expect a bit more, perhaps a shiny chamfer or two, it doesn’t quite fit with the idea of the Khaki Field, especially one that’s a collaborative model with a famously minimalist clothing brand. It’s slim, with a 10.8mm thickness, and retains the 100-metre water resistance we all like to see on a watch with sporty intentions.
The watch is fitted to a case-matching titanium bracelet comprised of three links, finished in a folding, push-button clasp. Again, there aren’t really any bells or whistles here, but the overall lightweight feeling is quite fantastic. Finally, the watch is powered by the H-10 automatic movement, for which you’ll already know the spiel. Based on the ETA C07/Powermatic 80 family, it has an 80-hour power reserve as its main drawcard, with a Nivachron balance spring helping with its anti-magnetic properties.
Coming off the back of the quirky but cool Seiko x Porter Classic collaboration, I’m glad to see that more brands are taking a minimal approach towards their collaborative pieces. Hopefully, this is in the realisation that chasing buyers who will buy anything with a SUPREME logo slapped onto it (sorry I had to namedrop, couldn’t help myself) just ain’t it, and that offering even a subtle point of difference that’s done well is the right way to go.
Hamilton Khaki Field Titanium Engineered Garments LE pricing and availability
The Hamilton Khaki Field Titanium Engineered Garments is a limited edition of 1,999 pieces, and is available now from the Time+Tide Shop, both online and in-store at our Melbourne Discovery Studio. Price: US$1,145, A$1,850
| Brand | Hamilton |
| Model | Khaki Field Titanium Engineered Garments Limited Edition |
| Reference | H70235130 |
| Case Dimensions | 36mm (D) x 10.8mm (T) |
| Case Material | Titanium |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front |
| Dial | Black |
| Lug Width | 18mm |
| Strap | Three-link titanium bracelet, folding clasp |
| Movement | H-10, ETA C07 base, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 80 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Limited to 1,999 pieces |
| Price | US$1,145 A$1,850 |