Tokyo remains one of the worldโs great cities โ bustling with energy, steeped in history, and filled with some of the kindest people youโll ever meet. That was where I found myself last week with the team at Hamilton watches, not only to get hands-on with their latest releases, but to experience the adventure that the American-founded watchmaker promises.
After the wheels hit Haneda tarmac and my driver whisked me into Tokyo proper, the first stop was a trip to the Hamilton flagship boutique on Cat Street. We werenโt just meeting the rest of the contingent; it was also a chance to pick up the watches we were wearing for the week, with my choice naturally being the recently released Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic.
Then, our journey to Kawaguchiko (at the northern base of Mt Fuji) began. It was a location that made perfect sense โ Hamilton invited us to see Japan through the lens of its adventure watches, and the brief became clear. Wear something built for the outdoors, then go outdoors.
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The towers of Tokyo faded into the distance, replaced by the foothills of the mountains, and as the air thinned, the watch felt increasingly at home โ less of an accessory and more of an instrument. Glamping Villa Hanz was to be our home for the night, a property that blended the comforts of a hotel with the sounds of birdsong, the swaying Japanese maple trees, and the soft quiet of the forest.
There, I found the specific calm that arrives when youโre away from your crowded commute and ever-expanding inbox. Details appear in sharper focus, sounds you might have ignored grab your attention, and you notice more.
Details like the middle link of the bracelet, comprising two separate links shifting so precisely that, at a glance, they look like a single piece of steel. Or the recessed, snailed hour ring on the dial, which, when the light hits, gives a different shade of navy blue to the rest of the dial.
The next morning, we walked a trail in the Aokigahara Forest (also known as the Sea of Trees) at the base of Mt Fuji. The forest floor is built on 1,200-year-old Mt Fuji lava, leaving trees unable to grow too densely, but thick moss as far as you can see and the porous bedrock absorbing much of the sound around us. Add a little mist, some weak sunlight beaming through the branches, and it could have been Tolkienโs Fangorn Forest.
Perhaps fortunately, there was no mist to be seen. The forecast delivered seriously hot conditions that offered their own challenge, especially when we arrived at our next destination โ the steps to the Chureito Pagoda. Just shy of 400 carved stone steps led up to the pagoda itself, which featured a viewing platform behind it to offer some of the best views of Mt Fuji you can get.
With the sloped roofs of the pagoda in the foreground and the gently increasing incline of Mt Fuji behind it, I couldnโt help but wonder if the roofs were shaped as a nod to the natural spectacle of Japanโs tallest mountain. Then, it was time for the descent, a cold drink, and the drive to our accommodation for the night.
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We spent the evening at a traditional Japanese hotel on the banks of Lake Kawaguchiko, complete with Tatami mat floors, a kimono to wear to the rooftop onsen, and windows overlooking the rippling waters below. My bags went in the corner, the contents of my pockets dumped on the bench, and the Khaki Field on the bedside table, where all good travel watches earn their keep.
Robust design, solid water resistance, and a strong bracelet donโt make an adventure watch; the adventure does, and that was the beauty of this trip. It wasnโt trying to convince me of the Khaki Fieldโs potential; it was showing it to me.
Back in Tokyo, we looped back to where weโd started, and the watch Iโd been wearing felt just a little bit different. Gear becomes yours when it keeps pace with your plans, shows its worth, and moves from a question mark on your packing list to a tick.
From exploring an ancient forest to looking the part wandering the streets of Shibuya, thereโs something timelessly simple in a field watch: the numbers you can read at a glance, the case that sits low on your wrist, and the bracelet that doesnโt feel like a cuff. It doesnโt need to prove what it can do, because you know itโll do whatever you need it to when the time comes.
