Ahead of this year’s Baselworld, Hamilton unveiled to the press new additions to its lineup for 2017. For the most part, this entailed new sizes and dial designs for its existing models, but the biggest standout among its new releases is the Intramatic 68, which pays homage to classic Hamilton chronographs from the ’60s, like the Chrono-matic and the Chronograph B (launched in 1968, hence the 68’s name). Powering this new chronograph is Hamilton’s H-31 caliber, a reworked version of the venerable Valjoux 7750 with a power reserve upped from 42 to 60 hours. That’s then housed inside a 42mm stainless steel case, paired with a perforated leather strap. The cost? A reasonable $2,195, but only 1,968 examples will be made.
That’s all pretty standard stuff for an entry-level mechanical chronograph (aside from the limited production), but most notable is the design of the Intramatic 68’s dial — an inverse of the beloved “panda” color scheme, popular on chronographs from the ’50s and ’60s. Though its use waned in the decades that followed, with panda dial watches thriving in a healthy vintage watch industry, and more and more modern panda dial watches — like the revised Daytona and, more recently, the Omega Speedmaster “Speedy Tuesday” — being released and receiving love in the watch press (yes, including us), it stands to reason we’ll see a few more launched at Baselworld in March.
More Classic Chronographs
Iconic Chronographs from the Mid-Century
Why the Speedmaster Is an Icon
