I will start by saying this: The Hamilton Khaki King II is a great way to get yourself into a Swiss Made timepiece, through a brand that carries a ton of heritage. Before we dive too deep (Water Resistance pun intended), lets get the notable specs out of the way:

– 316L stainless steel case/bracelet, with solid end links
– 40mm diameter, 11mm thick, and 20mm lug width
-50m WR
– Sapphire crystal (absent of any anti-reflective coating)
– Hamilton H-40 Movement with 80 hr power reserve
– Exhibition caseback

While this watch isn’t perfect, I do believe it makes a great case for a “one watch collection”. For starters, the 20mm lug width means that there are plenty of options if you decide to take it off the stock bracelet. It looks just as at home on a NATO as it does on leather, giving you the freedom to make it look as sporty or dressy as you’d like. It also ticks the boxes of other important “everyday” factors such as versatility, durability, and practicality. The black dial goes with most everything, the sapphire crystal offers superior scratch resistance, and it has both a day and date complication. The dial features a gorgeous subtle sunburst in the center, with the numerals printed over a grooved ring, making it a pleasure to view. The H-40 movement is rock solid, and the 80hr power reserve means you don’t have to worry if you take it off for the weekend.

However, there are some things here that could be improved. The lack of any AR coating on the crystal means reduced legibility at times, especially outdoors. While 50m WR likely is enough for day to day activities, I would have liked to see more water resistance here, as is offered with the Skymaster GMT. The lume is also definitely not LumiBrite quality.

Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons, and to me, the Hamilton Khaki King II represents one of the best ways to enter the Swiss made realm of watches.