Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Hamilton · American Classic
Hamilton American Classic 36 mm Black Grade
Reference 30283OR.62
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Hamilton
- Collection
- American Classic
- Model
- Hamilton American Classic 36 mm Black Grade
- Reference number
- 30283OR.62
- Year / era
- 1957 · 1950s — pre-quartz mechanical era
- Complication
- Time and date
- Movement
- Automatic COSC chronometer
- Case material
- Grade 5 titanium
- Dial type
- Black lacquer
- Strap / bracelet
- NATO textile strap
- Water resistance
- 100 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 36 mm
- Case thickness
- 9.4 mm
- Case material
- Grade 5 titanium
- Bezel
- Fixed brushed titanium
- Crystal
- Anti-reflective sapphire, double-domed
- Dial
- Black lacquer
- Hands
- Rhodium-plated baton hands with luminous fill
- Indexes
- Applied Roman numerals
- Bracelet / strap
- NATO textile strap
- Clasp / buckle
- Triple-folding clasp with safety catch
- Water resistance
- 100 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 69A — Automatic COSC chronometer
- Movement type
- High-frequency automatic
- Frequency
- 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 55 hours
- Number of jewels
- 45 jewels
- Complications
- Time and date
- Functions
- Perpetual calendar, leap year
- Watchmaker
- Assembled and regulated by a single watchmaker, who signs off the piece before casing.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1957 – 1960
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Thin secondary-market supply — pricing is set piece by piece at auction.
Designer
Jörg Hysek
Jörg Hysek left Rolex and Seiko's European studios to build a design practice in Geneva, giving houses such as Vacheron Constantin, Breguet, Seiko and TAG Heuer their sculptural, architecture-led cases before founding his own brand, HD3.
Historical significance
Hamilton American Classic 36 mm Black Grade sits within Hamilton's American Classic line, introduced in 1957. It carries the house codes established since 1892 — grade 5 titanium case, black lacquer dial and automatic cosc chronometer — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The bracelet tapers across its length, which is why the profile looks thinner on the wrist than the specification suggests.
- Early production dials show a slightly different minute track, and collectors pay a premium for them.
The House
Hamilton
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1892
- Founder
- Adam Bopst & Charles Rood
- Headquarters
- United States
- Tier
- Affordable & Tool Watches
- Major collections
- Khaki Field, Khaki Navy, Jazzmaster, Ventura, American Classic
- Signature technologies
- In-house hairspring production · Composite and ceramic case materials · Anti-magnetic silicon escapement
- Famous movements
- Automatic COSC chronometer · Quartz · Automatic Powermatic 80 · Automatic, 38-hour reserve
- Notable watches
- Hamilton Khaki Field 37 mm Blue Carbon (1976) · Hamilton Khaki Field 44 mm Salmon Grade (1952) · Hamilton Khaki Field 37 mm Mother-of-pearl Sapphire (1982) · Hamilton Khaki Field 37 mm Meteorite Stainless (1985)
Brand history
Hamilton has spent more than 134 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Khaki Field, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Adam Bopst & Charles Rood established Hamilton in 1892, working from United States at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Hamilton calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1892
Adam Bopst & Charles Rood founds Hamilton in United States.
1899
Hamilton earns its first international recognition for precision timekeeping.
1969
The quartz era forces Hamilton to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Hamilton enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Hamilton continues to produce Khaki Field, Khaki Navy, Jazzmaster and other icons in limited numbers.
More American Classic
Hamilton American Classic 36 mm Mother-of-pearl Quartz
Ref. 54554OR.49
Hamilton American Classic 38 mm Black 18k
Ref. 82191OR.21
Hamilton American Classic 42 mm Green Stainless
Ref. 83862ST.81
Hamilton American Classic 43 mm Silvered 18k
Ref. 41022OR.13
Hamilton American Classic 43 mm Meteorite Stainless
Ref. 80620ST.58