# LL Bean Field Watch - Swiss Quartz



## redsrover (Oct 24, 2006)

OK, so it's a $90US quartz watch with a mineral crystal. BUT, as a long collector of the Hamilton / LL Bean field watches I was pleasantly surprised this year to see Bean bringing back the classic field watch dial with it's arabic numerals and triangle markers, 24-hour ring and red seconds hand.

I have 4 other versions, one Hamilton Khaki, and I like them too. They are 34mm or so, and look smaller than this new 38mm.

Dislikes? This is a bigger problem than I thought it would be. The 38mm case, not nearly as big as my Rolex GMT or Seadweller, and certainly smaller than the Traser P6500 I have, dwarfs the dinky strap filling the 18mm lugs! What is up with that??

Any case in the 38 to 40mm range should be fitted with 20mm lugs, not 18!!!

My daily rant is now over. Have a nice day.


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## Janne (Apr 16, 2007)

For $90 you can not go wrong there!
But I beg to differ about the Case/strap width ratio.
A 42mm case should have 20mm. 38-40mm ideally 18mm
If you look around on a lot of watches, you will see that the proportion case/strap width is quite universal.


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## redsrover (Oct 24, 2006)

A matter of preference no doubt. I don't like the thin strap on the wider case...BUT the straps I have for my other field watches will fit the new one. Wearing it now, and it's not terrible at all. Perhaps an 18mm NATO would give it some more beef.


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## Crusader (Apr 30, 2005)

I have found that a 20mm Waterborne fits many 18mm lug widths, and gives a much substantial beef (the strap is thinner and more flexible than a Rhino/Zulu, that's why it works).


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## Janne (Apr 16, 2007)

Well you can also put a Bund Pad on it.


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## redsrover (Oct 24, 2006)

UPDATE...

So the buckle on the LLBean Field Watch broke. I mean, the pin fell out and the tongue and buckle fell apart someplace, all that was left was the strap and keepers. This happened about a week after purchase, and I sent it back the LLBean as a return item, just didn't like the watch at all. The size of the case combined with the 18mm strap just didn't suit me at all.

So last week I found a mid-90's Hamilton LLBean field watch with the unidirectional rotating bezel. Been years since I've seen this, so I bid and picked it up for $88 plus shipping.

Came in today's mail and it's the perfect combination. 38mm case with 20mm lugs (nirvana) and looks like new old stock to me. I'm going to spend some time trying to get a serial number or date of manufacture for this thing since I'm pretty sure LLBean stopped carrying this model in the early 90's.

I dig it, for less than $100!


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## Crusader (Apr 30, 2005)

That's a really nice piece! Congratulations!


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## junlon (Dec 30, 2007)

redsrover said:


> UPDATE...
> 
> So the buckle on the LLBean Field Watch broke. I mean, the pin fell out and the tongue and buckle fell apart someplace, all that was left was the strap and keepers. This happened about a week after purchase, and I sent it back the LLBean as a return item, just didn't like the watch at all. The size of the case combined with the 18mm strap just didn't suit me at all.
> 
> ...


Very curious about if you are really happy with Hamilton LL Bean. I am thinking getting one of these...


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## redsrover (Oct 24, 2006)

I'd say I am 100% satisfied with my LLBean Hamilton field watches. They are inexpensive enough not to worry about abuse, and they keep great time, and they are an easy-to-read classic design. Mineral crystals will scratch and crack, that's my only beef.


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## junlon (Dec 30, 2007)

redsrover said:


> I'd say I am 100% satisfied with my LLBean Hamilton field watches. They are inexpensive enough not to worry about abuse, and they keep great time, and they are an easy-to-read classic design. Mineral crystals will scratch and crack, that's my only beef.


What about lume? Is it excellent?


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## redsrover (Oct 24, 2006)

Lume is a question of age really. All of my Hamilton LLB field watches are 10 or more years old, so the lume is not starbright, but acceptable to me. Even my 2 year old Hamilton Khaki field watch doesn't have the best lume.


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## redsrover (Oct 24, 2006)

OK, update for anyone interested.

The new (to me) Hamilton LL Bean Field Officers' watch I picked up on Ebay has 20mm lugs as noted above. I happened to have an Oyster bracelet in my spares box, and boy oh boy I think it looks terrific. 

Now the case is beadblasted I think, and so appears duller than the brushed finish of the Oyster flip-lock bracelet but the camera makes the difference much more pronounced. In reality, its hard to tell the difference in the two finishes. 

I'm keeping it on the Oyster, it just feels so much like my other Rolex watches only its a true beater. Viva la vida!!


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## jdrodgers (Nov 8, 2006)

Based upon redsrover's excellent review (and answering my numerous private message questions) , I have bought one of the LL Bean Hamilton Khaki watches off the 'Bay.
This will go along with my Hamilton Khaki field "Swat" edition and Hamilton Khaki field "Pearl Harbor" edition watches.
I will give my impressions after I receive the watch.
Thanks again to Redsrover.


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## mixed_signal (May 1, 2010)

redsrover said:


> ... The 38mm case ... dwarfs the dinky strap filling the 18mm lugs! What is up with that??


For what it's worth, I recently purchased the L. L. Bean field watch with tritium self-illumination. It has the same case diameter and strap. The strap is a padded leather 18mm strap with stitching at the sides. This makes the strap appear much narrower than it is.

I swapped it out for a flatter, double padded Momentum strap I had and the watch looks much better. A flat, thick nylon strap looks good too.


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## Crusader (Apr 30, 2005)

Welcome to the forum, Mixed!


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## kaffakid (Aug 13, 2010)

OK so just as a confirmation -- does anyone know for sure whether the case diameters of this white-face LL Bean field watch is *at least* 38mm??

Vintage Field Watch: Watches at L.L.Bean

Classic Field Watch: Watches at L.L.Bean

I did a live chat and the representative said the case diameter on the white one was 31.5 mm and I know that can't be right

The OP said the black one was 38mm... does anyone know about the white-faced one??


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## kaffakid (Aug 13, 2010)

just talked to another live help chat person

white face is 1 1/2 in (38mm)

black face is 1 7/16 (36.5mm) <--- the OP said the black face was 38mm so i dont know which is right


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## francobollo (Oct 8, 2010)

kaffakid said:


> just talked to another live help chat person
> 
> white face is 1 1/2 in (38mm)
> 
> black face is 1 7/16 (36.5mm) <--- the OP said the black face was 38mm so i dont know which is right


Or for $120.00 get this Citizen BM6400 from Amazon. Same look, better build, WR 200m, glows all night like a halogen flash light. 
Amazon.com: Citizen Men's BM6400-00E Eco-Drive Canvas Watch: Citizen: Watches
francobollo


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## wmaker (Aug 2, 2010)

kaffakid said:


> black face is 1 7/16 (36.5mm) <--- the OP said the black face was 38mm so i dont know which is right


I have the black face and diameter incl. crown it is about 40mm. It is a bit difficult to measure due to the shape of the case, but I get about 35mm around the outside edge of the raised part of the case and 31mm crystal diameter. Hope this helps..


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## spardas2 (Jan 21, 2011)

Here you have my LLBean classic field. Another interesting piece.


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