Wristwatch Review: Men's Hamlin Ultra Thin Stainless Steel Dress Watch

Once upon a time, an American watch company gained fame for making ultra thin wristwatches. That company was Hamlin. Today, that watch brand has been resurrected to sell imported watches from China with similar ultra thin design features. Modern Hamlin watches are indeed thin, light, comfortable, and elegantly designed.

I bought the Hamlin Ultra Thin Stainless Steel model. According to the Hamlin website, the full retail price for the watch is $90, but Sears had priced the watch very aggressively. In fact, my Hamlin watch was on sale for 50% off the regular price. The Hamlin Ultra Thin watch has a Japanese quartz movement, water resistance to 3 atmospheres (100 feet), a surgical grade stainless steel case, and a fine stainless steel mesh band.

The Hamlin website describes the watch as a "Hamlin Men's Barrel Mesh Watch With Black Sunray Two-Level Dial And Printed Minute Track" (Model HAMM0323:008). The Ultra Thin case is generally rectangular with the right and left sides gently rounded to accomodate a round watch face under the hardened mineral crystal. At its widest point, the Hamlin Ultra Thin is 1 and 7/16 inches across. Measuring the case from north to south, the watch case is about 1 and 5/8 inches long. Finally, the watch is only about 1/4-inches thick. This allows the Hamlin Ultra Thin to fit easily beneath the cuff of a dress shirt.

The Hamlin Ultra Thin has a wonderful mix of contemporary and retro design features. The crown is recessed just under the edge of the case and is not seen when you check the time. The date is provided via a window just above the six o'clock position. There are numerals at twelve and six o'clock and luminous hash marks for all of the other hours. The hands also have luminous material to help them be readable in low light conditions.

The Hamlin Ultra Thin is very comfortable due to its light weight, thin case, and fine mesh band. The mesh of the stainless steel band is so fine that it does not pinch arm hairs. Amazingly, the watch is even
nickel free and hypo-allergenic. I was able to wear the Hamlin Ultra Thin all day and barely remember that I was wearing a watch. The stainless steel is a perfect complement to a grey business suit, stainless steel jewelry like my Walmart Wedding Band, and to a stainless steel belt buckle.

I found only one troubling issue with the Hamlin Ultra Thin. At first, I had a little trouble setting the time. The crown is smooth and provided little traction for turning and setting the time. I would run my finger across the pulled crown and the hands would not move. I thought that gears were failing to engage. However, it seemed that my fingers were simply slipping on the smooth crown. When I grabbed the crown tightly with two fingers, I had no more problems setting the time.

Overall, the Hamlin Ultra Thin Stainless Steel Watch is an excellent quartz watch buy. In an age when many watches are thick and clunky, the Ultra Thin is refined and elegant. It's an excellent watch to wear with your interview suit.

Sources: www.hamlinwatches.net

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