Strap Showcase: Hamilton Khaki Mechanical Watch Straps Suggestions (Updated 2021)

Strap Showcase Episode 1: Want to make your Hamilton Khaki Mechanical more unique? This is where you will want to be...

Replacement watch straps. If there is one thing we’re pretty hot on here at WatchGecko is watch straps. We’ve been online retailing straps since 2010 and almost every day since we receive emails, messages, calls and questions asking us for ‘the best straps for my watch’. This is where our strap showcases come into play.

We want to create a go-to place for you all to check out what our straps really look like in person, on the wrist fitted to your favourite watch. We explain the thought process behind why certain straps work over other options available, things to consider when looking for a strap and the best colour options.

Let’s kick things off we have the Hamilton Khaki Mechanical…

The Hamilton Khaki Mechanical

This is a popular field watch which means it will lend itself to more practical, durable styled straps. The watch is also more old school in its design so it will naturally suit straps that are similar. ‘American spirit and Swiss precision’ is the message behind Hamilton’s creations and this is clear with the whole line up of the Hamilton Khaki Field line up.

The use of vintage lume on the Hamilton means we can create some pretty cool combos as we can use contrasting stitching to pick that colour out. Oh, and we shouldn’t forget that the watch comes with drilled lugs making its ideal for strap changes.

The military green look

To start with, if you like the general look of the watch on the standard green Military Nylon watch strap but want a 2 piece strap, then take a look at the ZULUDIVER Cordura Premium in Green and Yellow. This strap really has that military look as with its green colour, its a tough Cordura material so you can wear it anywhere and also really breathable. One of the key reasons this combo works so well is the way the stitching colour on the strap is the same as the vintage lume of the hands and indices.

This leather strap stick with the traditional military theme however with the use of soft quality leather means it is more suited to everyday wrist time where the watch isn't pushed to its limits as much.

Does it work with dressier straps?

The Hamilton works pretty well with slightly dressier straps as well. If you work in an office for example, then you may find that something like the Kington Leather Dress is a little more up your street. The Dark Brown and Camel would be our go-to options here. The camel really brings the lume colour out well and, with the slight, subtle use of padding you find this is a great go-to option for regular comfort.

It's a similar story with the Contoured Italian in Reddish Brown as well. This coloured strap really lifts the whole watch helping it feel a lot brighter on the wrist. Once again the stitching colour matches the lume of the hands really well. This use of continuous stitching down each side also picks up on details on the dial such as the seconds' markers and the 24-hour scale.

Similarly, the Simple Handmade Leather strap is a great thickness and taper for the Hamilton. Once again Brown and Dark Brown would be our recommendations here as they both effectively play on Hamilton’s design features. It's worth mentioning the black option and in fact, most black straps don't really suit the warmth of the Hamilton's dial.

 

A combo that may surprise you is the Kudu Racing Leather. This strap has perforations throughout the strap which I admit, is normally more suited to racing and chronograph style watches. However, as this watch is a field watch, wearing a strap that is breathable for the wrist is a big bonus. The leather has a great slight waxed finish to it as well which helps to build on the character and charm of the watch.

Time for some Military Nylon straps

Moving more towards Military Nylon straps now and the ZULUDIVER Crazy Horse Leather Military Nylon. This is a Military Nylon strap, but as it's made from leather it avoids the watch becoming too sporty. Once again both light brown and dark brown work perfectly on the Hamilton so I'd go for whichever you prefer. This Military Nylon comes with nice stitching details around the keepers and buckle which brings in those dial details nicely.

The Marine Nationale is a very popular strap for us here at WatchGecko, and because we offer it in a wide selection of colours it basically means there is a combo that will work for most watches. For the Hamilton, the Desert Sand and Beige stripe option are the ones to go for. As the name suggests, this option really doubles down on the beige colours of the watch and results in a really unique looking combo.

 

Finally, we have the Canvas Military Nylon in army green and Charcoal. These straps really take the military look to a whole new level. The green is the classic option that also emphasises the dial features more, whereas and the charcoal suits the matt dial more.

 

Things to look out for

It's worth noting that not every strap works with the Khaki Mechanical and there are a few key straps and types of straps to avoid.

Metal straps for the Hamilton

 

First up I would try to avoid metal straps. The bead-blasted stainless steel case finish of the Hamilton will be hard to find a perfect match for so it's best to avoid them. Here's the Hamilton is fitted to our Satin Shark Mesh strap. Although the finishing of the two metals is similar, you can see they're slightly different and the presence of the polished ends of the bracelet doesn't quite sit right with the watch.

Rubber straps for the Hamilton Khaki Mechanical

Secondly, chunky rubber straps. You may assume that because the watch is a durable field watch that equally durable rubber straps would also work, however as the watch is slim and has the old school styling, we would recommend going for more of a Cordura style strap or Military Nylon as previously mentioned.

Here's an example of the Hamilton on our ZULUDIVER 295 rubber strap. This is a thinner strap so is one of a few that can work with the Hamilton.

Mesh straps for the Hamilton Khaki Mechanical

And finally, mesh straps would give the Hamilton watch a more dressy look which wouldn't complement the watches style that well. It would be a similar issue with combining the finish much like the bracelets as well.

Here we have fitted the Classic Mesh in Satin to show you how it can clash with the style of the watch.

To find out more about the Hamilton Khaki Mechanical as well as our full thoughts of the watch after spending some real-time with the piece, check out the full review here.

First published in 2019