Affordable Swiss
Is Hamilton a good watch brand?
Yes. Hamilton pairs American military and aviation heritage with Swiss-made Swatch Group movements, and the Khaki Field Mechanical is one of the most recommended first mechanical watches.
Below, the numbers behind that: 15 current Hamilton watches we've measured, what they use inside, and what they sell for once they're used.
What Hamilton does well
- 80-hour H-10 and H-50 movements
- Strong designs: Khaki Field, Khaki Aviation, Ventura, Intra-Matic
- Film credits from Interstellar to Tenet
What to watch out for
- Some models are large for their style
- Resale is moderate
Is Hamilton a luxury brand?
Not really. Hamilton sits in the affordable Swiss tier, mostly between $500 and $1,500, alongside Tissot and Mido.
What's inside
Of the 15 Hamilton watches we've measured with a known movement: 9 automatic, 4 quartz and 2 hand-wound. The movements are made by Hamilton (8), ETA (Hamilton) (4) and ETA (3).
See every movement on its caliber page.
Do Hamilton watches hold their value?
Across the 15 Hamilton references we track on eBay every day, the median asking price is 92% of list. That puts Hamilton at #7 of 18 brands we track; the typical brand is at 88%. That's strong: you lose little if you sell.
Asking prices, not sold prices, from live eBay listings. See the market tracker for every reference.
Where to start with Hamilton
- Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm H69439931
$675 list · $727 on eBay
38 mm case · 47 mm lug-to-lug · hand-wound
- Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Day Date Auto 42mm H64635140
$1,125 list · $898 on eBay
42 mm case · 51 mm lug-to-lug · automatic
- Hamilton Jazzmaster Quartz 32mm H32301171
$475 list · $535 on eBay
32 mm case · — lug-to-lug · quartz
Questions
- Is Hamilton a good watch brand?
- Yes. Hamilton pairs American military and aviation heritage with Swiss-made Swatch Group movements, and the Khaki Field Mechanical is one of the most recommended first mechanical watches.
- Is Hamilton a luxury brand?
- Not really. Hamilton sits in the affordable Swiss tier, mostly between $500 and $1,500, alongside Tissot and Mido.
- Do Hamilton watches hold their value?
- On eBay, Hamilton watches are listed at a median 92% of their list price, across the 15 references we track daily. That ranks 7 of 18 brands we track; the median brand is at 88%.
- Where are Hamilton watches made?
- Hamilton is based in Switzerland and was founded in 1892, owned by Swatch Group. Of the Hamilton watches we've measured, the movements come from Hamilton (8), ETA (Hamilton) (4), ETA (3).