Even though your garden variety gamer might be excited about the characters and action of Resident Evil Requiemsomething else caught my eye. The watch worn by the protagonist Leon S Kennedy.
Created in partnership with Capcom, Swiss matchmaker Hamilton imagined the Khaki Field Auto Chrono x Resident Evil, a watch designed to adapt to the narrative setting of Racoon City, around thirty years after the appearance of the T virus.
The Khaki Field Auto Chrono x Resident Evil is based on the design of the Hamilton Khaki Field watches, with the “Field” bit indicating that this watch is a military-inspired timepiece designed to be easily read and synchronized during operations – or “in the field”.
Picture 1 of 3
And the Khaki Field takes direct inspiration from the watches worn by the US military during World War I, and Hamilton still maintains close ties to the military when it comes to making rugged watches.
So it makes sense that Leon, with his combat experience, would opt for a Hamilton campaign watch. But the Khaki Field Auto Chrono is more than just a timekeeping watch, as it also has a chronograph function for timing elapsed minutes and hours, as well as a day and date complication; I’ve never had to survive in a city ravaged by zombies and other mutated horrors, but I imagine it would be handy to be able to track the time between a meeting point without having to worry about a phone’s battery.
Look on it
There are also plenty of neat touches in the Resi watch, with the crown modeled on a button used to adjust the focus of a sniper rifle scope, and the chronograph pushers are shaped to evoke bullet cartridges. A particular highlight is the black wing pattern at the 9 o’clock position.
Hamilton didn’t mention the specs of the watch, but based on the standard Khaki Field Chrono, you’re looking at a watch with a 42mm dial, 14.5mm thick, and 100 meters of water resistance. Inside, the Resi the watch will likely house the Hamilton Caliber H-21, which is an automatic mechanical watch movement that will continue to run for 60 hours even if not worn; automatic watches wind when you wear them and move. A black fabric strap completes the rugged, action-focused look.
As the owner of the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical, I am a huge advocate of Hamilton watches because I think they offer great value for money and plenty of features because they simply look great in a world where more and more people are wearing ubiquitous smartwatches.
If you don’t like Leon’s watch, Hamilton has one Resi version of the American Classic Pan Europe. Worn by FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, this watch is a bit less rugged than Leon’s and suggests someone who is more likely to be traveling between locations than on operations.
The American Classic Pan Europ is another 42mm watch, but it’s based on the idea of a watch for road trips. As such it has a day and date complication, but rather than a chronograph it uses a rotating bezel which can be used to track elapsed time; such a bezel is commonly found on dive watches, but I have found these bezels to be ideal for timing walks and other similar adventures.
With gold geometric designs contrasting with the black case and running down the black leather strap, I think the Resi taking on the American Classic Pan Europ seems pretty nifty. Again, no exact specs, but going by the American Classic Pan Europ standard, the watch has a wearable thickness of 11.85mm, has a 50-meter water resistance (enough to withstand running under a tap or rain, but not one I’d recommend swimming in), and appears to house the H-30 automatic movement which has a healthy 80-hour power reserve.
If you want one or the other, or even both Resi watches keep in mind that they will be limited to 2,000 pieces each, with the American Classic Pan Europ priced at $1,475 / £1,170 / AU$2,150 and the Khaki Field Auto Chron priced at $2,175 / £1,800 / AU$3,350.
They will be released on February 27 alongside Resident Evil Requiem.
That’s a decent amount of money for a watch, especially when you can get a quartz watch that tells time more accurately for a tenth of the price. But mechanical watches can last a lifetime, and limited edition watches can be highly collectible items.
Of course, I’m a bit biased myself as a beginning watch collector. Likewise, I really like what Hamilton did with these Resi watches and I think they might have a fair amount of appeal beyond weird watch nerds like me.
Speaking of watches and games, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Omega, which like Hamilton is owned by the Swatch Group, makes a real version of the Omega Seamaster that a young Bond appears to be wearing in IOI. 007: First Light.
Time will tell…
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube And TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
