Why This Watch Matters The "Chronomatic Consortium" has to be one of the best and most important sounding names in all of watch history. The Full Story Sure, the Zenith El Primero was arguably the first automatic chronograph to market by mere months in 1969, but a group of brands under the moniker the "Chronomatic Consortium" was also hard at work on one of the first automatic chronograph movements in watchmaking. Through the culmination of four years' work and the combined efforts of four separate brands – Hamilton, Heuer, Breitling, and Dubois-Depraz – the caliber 11 was born. On March 3, 1969, the consortium debuted its line of Chrono-Matic watches at simultaneous press conferences in Geneva and New York City. You can read the whole story here. For the spring of 1969, the caliber 11 found its way into numerous, and we mean a ton, of different cases under the Heuer and Breitling brands. For Hamilton, there were only three options: The funky Fontainebleau ref. 11001-3, the panda dial ref. 11002-3, and the blue dial ref. 11002-3. Where the Fontainebleau was a bit of a geometric marvel, the later two ref. 11002-3s dialed back the 1970s funk with more traditional round cases and classically angular lugs. There's some belief and scholarship that suggests these three chronographs were actually produced by Heuer for Hamilton as a continuation of the consortium partnership. This blue dial Chrono-Matic is one we're really excited about offering. The color and finish of the dial are what stand out immediately. A blue dial is going to draw attention regardless, but here it has a matte finish invoking a calm sea. The singularly hued and non-metallic blue here creates a truly differentiated look. Hamilton's chronographs in this era from the 1960s into the '70s always featured extremely well done dial details, such as the applied hour markers and silver tension ring here. There was real design and care that went into this dial, and it shows. What sets this simple Hamilton apart from the rest of the caliber 11 crown is the case shape, it is tall and it is really striking on the wrist. With short, sharp, extremely angular lugs, few watches will wear like this one in your watch box, in a good way. We paired this Chrono-Matic with our Reid Strap in Slate Grey. The grey works well with the matte blue tone of the dial, and the slightly pebbled surface of the strap offers an additional layer of dimension. The Fine Print Maker: Hamilton Model: Chrono-Matic Reference: 11002-3Year: Circa 1969Case No: 1693854Material: Stainless steel Dimensions: 36mm diameter; 13mm thickness Crystal: Plexiglass Lume: Yes, tritium Caliber: Hamilton, self-winding, caliber 11 Bracelet/Strap: HODINKEE Reid Strap in Slate GreyLug Width: 19mmBox/Papers: No What We Love And What You Should Know Things We Love: - Blue dial - Black date wheel with white text- Hamilton signed crown Things To Know: - Scratches and nicks on case This Hamilton is in overall nice, honest condition. The case is strong with some scratches and nicks on the edges and lugs. The writing on the caseback is clearly visible with signs of lightening from wear. There are some scratches on the caseback, particularly around the edge from being opened. The dial is clean with light patina; the hands have developed light patina in general. The lume on the dial has developed patina and aged nicely. The lume on the hands has aged close to a matching color to that of the dial. The white paint on the hands shows some wear. The painted hour markers show some signs of degradation. The silver tachymeter scale around the edge of the dial has developed patina. Overall, the dial remains vibrant. The dial, crown, case, and movement are signed by Hamilton. The crystal has light scratches. This watch was photographed on a 175mm/6.9inch wrist.
