Hamilton Khaki Field: From WWII Issue Watch to Interstellar's Murph

The Hamilton Khaki Field is the archetypal American field watch: a simple, legible, durable watch descended from the timepieces Hamilton made for US soldiers in the Second World War and Vietnam. It is Hamilton's best-known collection, the starting point for many enthusiasts, and the family that includes Interstellar 's Murph and the watch John Krasinski wears in Jack Ryan.

World War II

From 1942 to 1945 Hamilton stopped civilian production and made more than a million watches for the US armed forces. The ancestor of the Khaki Field was a 34mm chrome-plated wristwatch with a radium-lumed dial and the hand-wound Calibre 987 , issued to soldiers through the Army Ordnance Department. Military watches of this era introduced hacking , a seconds hand that stops when the crown is pulled so soldiers could synchronise their watches before an operation.

Vietnam and MIL-W-46374

In 1964 the US Department of Defense codified the MIL-W-46374 specification for a standard-issue, disposable field watch. Hamilton's version, issued in bulk from 1965, had a 33mm case, a black dial with large Arabic numerals and an inner 24-hour scale — the design that defines the Khaki Field Mechanical today. When the specification lapsed in the 1980s, Hamilton began selling civilian “Khaki” field watches through retailers such as L.L. Bean and Avirex.

Khaki Field Mechanical

The Khaki Field Mechanical is Hamilton's “faithful recreation” of the 1960s issue watch: a 38mm, 9.5mm-thick case, 50m of water resistance and the hand-wound H-50 with an 80-hour power reserve. It costs US$675 on a fabric strap (H69439931, H69439910, H69439940) and US$1,025 in bronze (H69459510). For the US's 250th anniversary, a 2026-only 36mm special edition (US$725) revives the circa-1970 FAPD 5101 Air Force navigator's watch, and a 40mm Power Reserve Mechanical with the hand-wound H-23 arrived in September 2025.

The Murph: Interstellar

The watch from Interstellar

In Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (2014), Matthew McConaughey's Cooper gives his daughter Murph a watch that becomes central to the plot. Hamilton made it for the film, and fan demand turned it into the Khaki Field Murph in April 2019: 42mm, H-10 automatic with 80 hours of power reserve, and the word “Eureka” in Morse code on the seconds hand. A 38mm version followed in 2022, and the 2026 blue “Stardust” dial in September 2026.

The 42mm Murph (H70605731) costs US$1,095 and the 38mm (H70405730) US$995.

Khaki Field Auto, Titanium, Expedition and King

The wider family offers automatic movements and more robust cases. The Khaki Field Auto (42mm, H70555533) costs US$795. The Khaki Field Titanium , launched in 2020 at 42mm and in 38mm from 2022, uses the H-10. The Khaki Field Expedition (37mm and 41mm) adds a compass bezel, screw-down crown and 100m of water resistance (US$1,125–$1,245), and the Khaki Field King is a 40mm day-date with the H-40 automatic.

Jack Ryan's Khaki Field Auto Chrono

In Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan , John Krasinski wears a black PVD Khaki Field Auto Chrono , a 42mm automatic chronograph with the H-21 movement and 60-hour power reserve, through the first three seasons. In Pearl Harbor (2001), officers wore the Khaki Field Mechanical, and Harrison Ford has also worn a Khaki Field, pictured below.

How It Compares

The Khaki Field Mechanical is the benchmark field watch under US$1,000, and appears in our guide to the best watches under $1,000. Cheaper alternatives include the Timex Expedition and the Orient Defender; above it sit the Longines Spirit and Rolex Explorer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Hamilton Khaki Field a real military watch?
It descends from watches Hamilton supplied to the US military in WWII and to the MIL-W-46374 specification of the Vietnam era; the Khaki Field Mechanical is a close recreation of the 1960s issue watch.

What movement is in the Khaki Field Mechanical?
The hand-wound Hamilton H-50, with an 80-hour power reserve.

What is the Hamilton Murph?
The Khaki Field Murph, a production version of the watch made for Interstellar (2014), launched in 2019 in 42mm and in 2022 in 38mm.

What watch does Jack Ryan wear?
John Krasinski wears a black PVD Hamilton Khaki Field Auto Chrono in the first three seasons.

How much is a Hamilton Khaki Field?
From about US$675 for the Khaki Field Mechanical to around US$2,175 for the Auto Chrono.

Related Reading

• Hamilton: Brand History
• News: 2026 Blue Khaki Field Murph
• Hamilton Khaki Aviation
• Best Watches Under $1,000