There’s something about classic motor racing that has a particular hold on the imagination. Not the all-consuming frenzy of modern Formula 1, but the throwback of the 1960s – a refined era when the sport was in a state of perpetual motion and revolution on either side of the Atlantic, from Monza to Daytona.
It perhaps goes without saying that the mid-century spawned some of the world’s great chronograph watches – many of them tool watches developed specifically for the sport and its drivers – but it also spawned the Calibre 11, or Chrono-Matic, movement.
Developed under the codename ‘Project 99’ by a consortium of watch brands, including Hamilton, it was one of the first automatic chronograph movements. It went on to power some of Hamilton’s great watches of the era, and its innovation – along with that of Rolex and Omega – helped pave the way for the chronograph to become a must for drivers on the track as much as astronauts on the Moon.
Hamilton’s Intra-Matic Chronograph H can trace its roots back to those glory days. Building on the brand’s Chronograph A and B automatic references, the Chronograph H leaned into the late-1960s aesthetic when it was first released a couple of years ago.
It was 40mm, in beautiful monochrome panda and reverse panda colourways, and perhaps most significantly brought mechanical winding (with a 60-hour power reserve) into the mix – a tantalising prospect for lovers of racing’s golden age.
It was inching into modern-classic territory then; now, it’s adding a considered injection of colour into the equation with three new variants in red, green and blue.
I sometimes think too many colourways for the same watch model can defeat the purpose, but the Chronograph H’s new collection stays well onside, helped by the fact the new additions aren’t all-out changes, and the dials’ clever design language means the main dial’s colour is a backdrop, rather than a feature.
Burnished terracotta and moss green appear in sunburst, with the dial’s edges close to black and the colour becoming more vibrant towards the centre.
It contrasts beautifully with the machined vinyl-record guilloché on its seconds and minutes subdials – one is art, the other science – with both colourways working nicely with the beige Super-LumiNova of the hands’ inlays and the tops of the applied indices.
A playful detail, though, can turn a good watch into a great one, which is why the navy variant is my favourite of the collection. Instead of a black second hand and beige subdial hands, it renders them all in a vibrant bright orange, contrasting effectively with the deep blue of the dial, and remaining striking without overpowering the design.
Factor in an old-school perforated racing-style leather strap – or a steel bracelet with a more 1970s feel – and whichever you choose, it becomes an unabashed ode to classic motor racing. Enough to make any road feel like a circuit.
£1,980; see more at hamiltonwatch.com
