The Hamilton G.S. is amongst the various Hammys issued to the British during the mid-60s to the mid-70s. These Hamiltons alongside its variants are known as the ‘Poor Man’s Mk 11’ due to its strong resemblance to the IWC and JLC Mk 11 and relatively accessible price point. After all, it was built according to the same specs and for those who are seeking an entry into military pieces, this is the best watch to start with. I say this because you get a lot of watch for the money.
The G.S. on the dial of this watch stands for General Service, and while the 6B variants were issued to the RAF, the G.S. versions were specifically made for government personnel. This included government agencies overseas, foreign and commonwealth office aid groups and for former military men who worked overseas on behalf of the British government.
While that is the case, this example is an extremely rare and unusual variant, with ‘A.D.D.F.’ markings on the back. These were issued to the Abu Dhabi Defence Force and there is not much known but enough have surfaced to confirm this.
It is the history of vintage watches that really gets me excited, and as an avid fan of military watches this one really ticks all the right boxes.
