Thoughts on this Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic?

[magogian12345]

Hello all,

I am thinking I should go ahead and get a watch. When I was younger, I found metal bands to be extremely uncomfortable (pulling arm hairs), so I've largely stayed away from watches. However, I recently tried on several watches with leather bands and found them to be far more comfortable (and, of course, much classier).

I'm looking to spend $500 or less (which I realize is not much in the watch world). For work, I wear a suit, blazer or sport coat.

I have come across this Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic at a local store. I think it is quite lovely, and it does have a sapphire dial. Online, it runs about $470. I would appreciate your thoughts. Is this a good value for the money? Am I wasting my money getting a lesser expensive watch such as this? I am hesitant to spend any more money because I'm not sure how much I will wear a watch regardless of what I spend.

 

[hohneokc]

I have 2 Hamilton's - a tonneau automatic and a square automatic. I purchased both in the past year. I wasn't even looking to buy a watch, but stopped by a shop that carried Hamilton. After looking at the watch and seeing the price, it was an easy decision. I think Hamilton is the best value Swiss automatic on the market today - you won't find a better Swiss automatic for the money.

I really like the watch you show. I am trying to talk my boss into that same watch. I have a couple very similar to that watch, that is the only reason I haven't bought one myself. It's a great size and the classic round shape is timeless.

That watch is a great watch that you can wear with just about anything - it looks good with suit or sport coat and it looks great with jeans for evenings and weekends. About the only thing you wouldn't want to wear it with in athletic wear, but get a Timex Triathalon for that.

There are a couple of other brands close to Hamilton - Oris and Tissot. But for an automatic, I think both brands will run more than the Hamilton.

Chris

 

[magogian12345]

Thanks for your comments!

 

[Slewfoot]

If I was going to buy a silver watch that's probably the one I'd get. it's a great size and classic in style. I need a gold watch due to my gold wedding band and Hamilton only had rose gold in the Viewmatic series so I went with an Orient Star automatic made in Japan.

 

[magogian12345]

Thanks!

 

[magogian12345]

I bought the watch, and so far I love it! I don't know why I failed to try leather straps earlier.

 

[SirGrotius]

Looks good. The name seems a little crazy to me, but when you see it the watch just works.

 

[Warren G.]



I bought the watch, and so far I love it! I don't know why I failed to try leather straps earlier.

congrats! I bought one for my cousin as his graduation gift. He loves it. The watch is a great value.

 

[Cant kill da Rooster]

I have this watch as well, but be warned, it is a stepping stone to buying much more expensive automatics. You should have stayed with the cheap ones while you could. Too late.

Anyway, this is a great watch for work or more formal events. Good choice in that price range.

 

[magogian12345]

How long does it take to "charge" an automatic watch? I wore this watch for a full day, but i was not able to wear it the second. When I checked the watch on the third day, it had already died. The instruction manual says that the "charge" lasts about 40 hours but says nothing about how long it takes to reach full charge.

 

[hohneokc]

It depends on how much your arm moves. The rotor you see inside the back has to spin to wind the watch. If you have a desk job, it probably never gets fully wound.

But you can always wind it manually - usually about 40-50 winds will get the watch fully wound and give you about 40 hours of ticking. Don't worry about overwinding - the ETA movements have a clutch to prevent that.

Chris

 

[Chucydoll]

I would recommend a Hamilton watch anyday, great watches!

 

[SomethingsFishy]

I'm torn on the Hamilton. On the one hand, it's aesthetically a nice watch. I don't find anything particularly inspiring about it, but that's just my own taste. On the other, it's nearly always the first recommendation made by budget-minded horological enthusiasts, so to someone in the know, seeing the jazzy can mean "I went on to the nearest watch forum, asked for a budget choice, and went with the first thing a random person on the internet suggested to me."

It sort of broadsides any originality or soul, which I would argue is sort of the point if you're going to splurge on a timepiece.

I'd recommend, therefore, that you skip the Jazzy, and go vintage hunting on eBay. A vintage Omega seamaster is NEVER a wrong choice