Caught my eye…

Here’s a sweet looking entry-level mechanical chronograph coming in 2011 from Hamilton.  The watch is actually a re-issue of the original Swiss-made Hamilton Pan Europ introduced in 1971.  The modern version is mostly true to the original design, the major difference being the placement of the crown — on the modern version it is between the chrono-pushers on the right side of the case, whereas on the original model the crown was on the left side — as you can see below.  With its cushion-shaped case and sporty chronograph functions, the watch reminds me of another popular watch from the the 1970′s, the Heuer Autavia (a la Jo Siffert, for example).

The Hamilton Pan Europ has a price of $1,900 and will be available September 2011.

Hamilton Pan Europ Vintage 1971 Reissue

limited edition of 1,971 pieces

45mm cushion-shaped steel case, automatic mechanical movement, 100m water resistance

An original Hamitlon Pan Europ from the 1970s:

And here’s another look at the Pan Europ re-issue:

TREND WATCH: Blue Dials!

You may have noticed that this makes the third “blue-dialed” watch in a row that I have shared here on the blog.  This is not an accident – I’ll have yet another one for you tomorrow!  So am I merely “seeing blue”, or are blue dials “in” for 2011?!