Last fall, Swiss-based Hamilton unveiled the latest addition to its American Classic collection with the new Chrono-Matic 50 Auto Chrono. The American Classic collection ? which recalls the brand?s historic founding in the U.S. and some of the most iconic watches it manufactured while still stateside ? has been the host of many different watches covered in our “Vintage Eye” series, notably the Intra-Matic 68 Autochrono, Intra-Matic Auto, and Pan Europ Auto Chrono, among a few other vintage-inspired watches sold by the brand outside this collection.

This latest watch, the Chrono-Matic 50 Auto Chrono, takes its inspiration from 1972’s Chrono-Matic GMT Count-Down, also known as the Chronomatic E (vintage model pictured above, via Unwind In Time). This vintage model was quite the sight in its time, featuring an inner rotating world time-GMT bezel, a chronograph, and heavy 1970s styling all within a large 47-mm “helmet” case. It used the Caliber 14, a GMT-complication version of the historic Caliber 11 movement, released in 1979 and renowned for being one of the first automatic chronograph movements.
The watch ? as if 47-mm size on the vintage model wasn?t large enough ? features a 48-mm steel helmet case with hooded lugs, two red chronograph pushers, an embedded right-side crown to adjust the time, a left-side crown to operate the inner rotating countdown bezel, and an additional black pusher at the 10:30 position for a quick-set date change. Ben...