Hamilton Jazzmaster: Viewmatic, Open Heart, Performer and Thinline

The Hamilton Jazzmaster is the brand's contemporary dress and everyday collection: classic round watches with automatic and quartz movements, open-heart dials and chronographs. Where the Hamilton American Classic revives specific historic designs, the Jazzmaster takes Hamilton's mid-century American elegance and updates it, and it is one of the brand's best-selling lines.

Origins

Hamilton presents the Jazzmaster as a modern descendant of its 1950s Automatic K dress watches and of the 1967 Lord Hamilton . The current Jazzmaster name dates from the mid-2000s, when the line replaced the Linwood Viewmatic; Hamilton has not published a firm launch date. The name reflects the brand's mid-century American roots and the jazz age of its Art Deco watches.

Viewmatic and Open Heart

The Viewmatic is the core Jazzmaster, an automatic three-hand watch with a display caseback, listed at about US$775 in 2020. The Open Heart cuts an aperture in the dial to show the beating balance wheel; the 40mm automatic costs around US$940.

Thinline, Seaview and Face 2 Face

The Thinline is the Jazzmaster's slim quartz dress line, including a gold version launched in 2016. The Seaview adds 100m of water resistance and a sportier, 42mm case, and the Face 2 Face II , a limited edition of 1,999 pieces with the H-41 movement, uses a rotating case with two dials.

The Performer (2023)

In 2023 the Jazzmaster Performer refreshed the line with a new, more angular case: three-hand automatics in 34mm and 38mm from US$995, and a 42mm automatic chronograph from US$2,195. In Independence Day: Resurgence (2016), Jeff Goldblum wore a Jazzmaster GMT.

Jazzmaster at a glance

• Price range: about US$475–$1,545 for most models; Performer chronograph from $2,195
• Key models: Viewmatic, Open Heart, Thinline, Seaview, Performer
• Film: Jazzmaster GMT in Independence Day: Resurgence

How It Compares

The Jazzmaster competes with Tissot's Visodate and Le Locle, with Longines' entry dress watches, and, at lower prices, with the Orient Bambino. For more historic character, look at the Hamilton American Classic or the Hamilton Ventura.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Hamilton Jazzmaster?
Hamilton's modern dress and everyday collection, with the Viewmatic, Open Heart, Thinline, Seaview and Performer lines.

When was the Jazzmaster introduced?
The current Jazzmaster name dates from the mid-2000s; Hamilton links it to its 1950s Automatic K and 1967 Lord Hamilton dress watches.

What is the Jazzmaster Performer?
A 2023 Jazzmaster line with a more angular case, in 34mm and 38mm automatic and a 42mm chronograph.

Is the Jazzmaster automatic?
Most models, including the Viewmatic, Open Heart and Performer, are automatic; the Thinline and some others are quartz.

Related Reading

• Hamilton: Brand History
• Hamilton American Classic
• Orient Bambino