Hamilton Intra-Matic-Matic Chronograph H38416541 Review & Guide
Hamilton is a brand that has been away from many people’s radars in the last couple of decades but has started to appear more and more in the last couple of years. The brand has grown in popularity substantially, much as a result of the introduction of new models that have been released, which of course have proven to be big successes and have been well-received by the general public.
What adds to the appeal of the Hamilton brand is its long and interesting history, which most interestingly has a close relationship with the US military (and other militaries, for that matter).
Hamilton has also become a popular brand amongst watch enthusiasts due to its vintage-inspired models which pay tribute to the brand’s interesting history, but also because the watches offer great value for money. Hamilton’s watches offer a good balance between price, history, finish, and build quality. All of these things go together to create rather good timepieces, but at prices that are still relatively reasonable.
Hamilton Intra-Matic-Matic Chronograph h38416541 Review
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
As mentioned, history plays an important role in Hamilton’s appeal, but also in its offerings in modern times. It has led Hamilton to pay particular focus on making modern and durable timepieces, yet with design inspiration from the past.
Speaking of the past, Hamilton was founded in the 1800s, when the company was founded in the USA. Eventually, the brand relocated to Switzerland which is a reasonable step for a company that is serious about watchmaking since, after all, Switzerland is the ”official country” of watchmaking. With that said, this has led Hamilton to combine Swiss watchmaking expertise end know-how with inspiration from its American roots.
The Hamilton Intra-Matic-Matic Chronograph h38416541 is one of those timepieces, which combines the best of both worlds. It has an appealing vintage design that is clearly inspired by its USA roots but doesn’t compromise on build quality and reliability, either.
If you have discovered the Hamilton Intra-Matic-Matic Chronograph h38416541 and found that it speaks to you, you’ve come to the right place. To learn more about what makes this watch so great, we are going to review and look closer at it in this article.
Photo: Monochrome Watches
Hamilton Intra-Matic-Matic Chronograph h38416541 case
The Hamilton Intra-Matic-Matic Chronograph h38416541 has a classic design yet a modern appeal. It is presented in a stainless steel case with a diameter of 40mm, which is more or less standard for medium-sized men’s watches today. The case has a thickness/height of 14.7mm. and a lug-to-lug of 49.2mm. The case has relatively thin lugs which makes it relatively small and classic.
The case is simple and clean in design. A distinctive feature of this case is that it has a very thin polished bezel. This allows the dial to be large, which thus greatly improves the legibility and makes it become the highlight of this watch.
The whole case is polished which is an interesting decision by Hamilton. It really makes the watch more elegant and thus more suitable as a dress watch. In my opinion, it would have been nice if Hamilton would have created contrast by making the sides of the case brushed. But obviously, Hamilton has thought about this, but likely just decided that polished sides would be more suitable for this watch.
The lug design is simple and clean, with a rectangular, squared-off shape. The case back is solid and engraved.
Since this is a chronograph, it of course needs pushers, and the pushers of this watch have a ”mushroom shape”, which was common on older chronograph watches. Sitting between the two pushers, we have the crown. In relation to the case, the crown is actually rather big.
To advance the date, the case has a pusher at 10 o’clock.
Photo: Monochrome Watches
Hamilton Intra-Matic-Matic Chronograph h38416541 dial
Moving on to the dial, the h38416541 has a panda-style dial made in blue and cream-white color.
The outer part of the dial has a cream-colored ring on which the tachymeter scale is printed in black. Inside this ring, the dial is dark blue. The dial has two chronograph registers (sub-dials) which are made in white as well. The sub-dials are recessed and have a circular pattern. This gives the watch more personality, and the dial more depth. It also shows that Hamilton has really paid attention to the details. It’s things like these that separate affordable watches and watches that offer exceptional value for money.
This contrast between blue and off-white gives it a unique and appealing look. And since this watch only has two counters, the dial is symmetrical and well-balanced. On the dial, we have applied metal hour markers which are polished. Against their outer edge, Hamilton has applied some luminous material to help with the legibility in the dark.
The applied markers are polished and angled which makes them reflect the light very well and also enhances the impression of quality and finish of this watch.
At 6 o’clock, we have a date window with a white background and the date printed in black. Some people would prefer to see this watch without the date, but there’s no denying that it does serve a practical purpose and makes it more versatile. The off-white color of the dial adds to the vintage appeal and retro look.
In terms of layout, the dial is very well executed, but at the same time, there is a lot going on and to some, it may be perceived as busy. Having said that, I find that whilst the dial is busy, it doesn’t feel cluttered.
To minimize clutter on the dial, Hamilton has kept the dial printing at a minimum, with only the Hamilton logo printed in black at 12 o’clock and the text ”Automatic “beneath the center of the hands.
Speaking of the hands, they are very simple and clean. The minute and hour hands are made of metal, polished, and have applied super luminova applied to them. The chronograph hand is black for contrast.
Photo: Fratello Watches
Hamilton Intra-Matic-Matic Chronograph h38416541 movement
Inside this chronograph watch is Hamilton’s H-31 automatic chronograph caliber. This movement is based on the ETA caliber 7753, but has been refined and upgraded for better performance. This means beating at a frequency of 28800 BPH, having a power reserve of 60 hours, and 27 jewels.
Compare this to the standard specifications of the ETA caliber 7753, which only offers a power reserve of 42 hours. Safe to say it is quite a substantial improvement.
With this movement, you adjust the date through a push button.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Hamilton chose to start with an ETA caliber seeing that the Swatch Group which owns ETA also owns Hamilton. As such, it is a very practical decision. Plus, the 7753 has proven to be a durable and reliable timepiece.
Photo: Monochrome Watches
Hamilton Intra-Matic-Matic Chronograph h38416541 strap
The Hamilton Intra-Matic-Matic h38416541 is presented on a light brown leather strap that fits into the lug width of 20mm. The strap tapers slightly in order to make for an even better fit.
Since this watch originally comes on a leather strap, it is evident what type of watch Hamilton is trying to achieve. This is made as an elegant and classic everyday timepiece with a dressy appeal that is extremely universal. It is dressy enough to work with a jacket and business attire, but also casual enough to work with jeans and a shirt.
The strap is well made and feels qualitative, but it is of course rather simple.
Photo: Monochrome Watches
Specifications
- Diameter: 40mm
- Lug width: 20mm
- Thickness: 14.6mm
- Lug-to-lug: 49.2mm
- Movement: Hamilton H-31. Using the ETA caliber 7753 as a base
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal, double-domed
- Water-resistance: 10BAR/100M/330feet
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Power Reserve: 60 hours
- Frequency: 28800vph
- Jewels: 27
- Water Resistance: 100 Meters / 10 Bar
Conclusion
To conclude this article, the h38416541 is a well-made formal-casual vintage-inspired chronograph that has a perfect balance between casual and formal, and vintage and modern.
You can expect high quality from this watch, and that is exactly what it delivers. From the sharp and precise printing on the dial to the recessed sub-dials, as well as the case.
If you enjoy chronographs, in particular vintage chronographs, but want modern quality, and are looking for a versatile everyday timepiece, there are few brands that offer as great value for money as the h38416541.
The Hamilton Intra-Matic-Matic Chronograph H38416541 is available to order on Amazon.
Main Photo: First Class Watches
