Week On The Wrist With the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Mechanical Chrono, Ref H764090 — Rover Haven Straps

It was a snowy, cold evening in January 2025, and I was sitting by the fire enjoying a not-so-wee dram with my long-suffering spouse when I caved and ordered a KPPM from a private seller on Chrono24. I saved well over a thousand dollars from Hamilton’s retail on a watch that had been bought new and literally worn once, more than enough to cover the first service, or so I rationalized. My friend Johnnie Walker agreed that these 2nd-tier Swatch Group watches depreciate like the Titanic post-iceberg, so buying either second hand or on the gray market made sense to Johnnie and me.

The Fab Four.

Vintage military watch collectors are certainly familiar with the UK’s asymmetrically cased, central seconds chronographs produced from 1970 and just into the 1980’s and affectionately known as the Fab Four. Without a doubt, the definitive article on the history of these watches was written by my friend and fellow watch geek Brandon Cripps. The article I linked to above is his, but here it is again if you don’t want to scroll back up. It is highly recommended reading.