Hamilton Introduces the Khaki Murph Now in 38mm
A few years ago when I bought the first and only Hamilton Khaki Field watch that I became a fan of that watch, a simple model without complications and of moderate size, at the time I ended up opting for the mechanical model with a white dial, which had just come out and one of the details that enchanted me and led me to opt for it was the Faustina on the watch’s accents. Later I ended up selling it because I didn’t use it, but my admiration for that model remained, until today I know I’ll buy a new one again I just don’t know which one yet, one of my favourites is the Pilot Pioneer Mechanical for its retro design and its reduced dimensions, however today the range of options is quite wide with the appearance in recent years of many new variants among the various Khaki models. And today I was surprised by the latest release of Hamilton within the Khaki line with the presentation of the cinematic model “Murph” in a new 38mm variant and that left me very excited and makes me question if I have found my next Hamilton Khaki.
The history of the Hamilton Khaki “Murph” as many may know dates back to the year 2014, around the time of the movie premiere “Interstellar” starring Matthew McConaughey (Cooper), the watch was created on purpose for the movie and is part of one of the most emotional scenes in the film when Cooper, before leaving, says goodbye to his daughter Murphy, offering her this watch, there was much more to say about the movie but I will not lift the veil any longer so that all those who have not yet seen this exceptional film can do it and for those who have already seen it can perhaps see it again.
It took 5 years for Hamilton in 2019 to finally make the “Murph” model reach the market, which proved to be very faithful to the model presented in “Interstellar”, despite the excellent reception by the public of the watch, its size of 42mm diameter by 52mm of lug-to-lug distance was always a hindrance in its path, to the point of leading a huge legion of fans to ask the brand to make the watch in a more moderate size.
And today, three years later, after the launch of the Hamilton “Murph”, the brand presents the new “Murph” of 38mm in diameter.
The new “Murph” does not disappoint and unlike many other downsizing models, it is exactly faithful to the original size, with some very welcome exceptions. On the outside, the stainless steel case, as already mentioned, undergoes a significant reduction, in addition to the 4mm less diameter, the most significant reduction is even the lug-to-lug distance, which becomes 44.7mm, a reduction of more than 7mm and that makes all the difference on the wrist, reducing the lug width to 20mm, offering a wider range of strap possibilities to the many fans of the watch. Everything else remains the same, namely the brushed finish on the case that alternates with the polished finish on the smooth bezel, sapphire glass on the front and open case back, fluted crown with the brand logo at 3 o’clock and the same 100m of water resistance.
And if on the outside the differences are limited to the dimensions, on the dial they are almost imperceptible, maintaining the matte black background, which comes without a date window and features Arabic hour markers, brand and model inscriptions at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock respectively and cathedral hands filled with Super-LumiNova, all accents in a beige tone, the only difference to the original model is the central second’s hand that now does not come with the morse code motif, which if you want to know more you will have to watch the movie because we will not reveal anything else.
Inside, there are no changes continuing to operate the Caliber H10 automatic movement, which is based on the ETA C07.611, which runs at 21,600 Vph and offers up to 80 hours of power reserve.
The Hamilton Murph 38mm is offered with a black cow leather strap with a pin buckle for the price of CHF 870, which is CHF 75 less than the original 42mm version.
Our Opinion
Whenever a brand listens to its audience, we can only applaud. The news of the arrival of the new Murph 38mm was a pleasant wake-up call, even more so when they take the motto of “a team that wins doesn’t move”.
If the 38mm diameter was already an extraordinary mark, the reduction in the lug-to-lug distance is fantastic, which brings the dimensions of the new Hamilton Murph very close to the dimensions of my Seiko SKX013 (with the exception of the thickness to the detriment of the Seiko) and that makes me count the days to try it on my wrist, perhaps the successor to my previous Hamilton Khaki Field has been found.
Hamilton, Khaki Field Murph, H70405730. Black dial, stainless steel case, 38 mm x 11.1 mm, saphire crystal, 100 meters water resistance, Blak cow leather strap. Caliber H-10, automatic movement, hour, minutes, seconds, 21,600 Vph, 25 jewels, 80 hours of power reserve. Price CHF 870, Limited Edition: No.
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