Who Doesn’t Love an Open Heart Dial?
Thee unique Jazzmaster Open Heart is designed to let the exposed movement do the talking. Lacking any complications, the Open Heart is an attractive and understated watch despite the open heart dial. It’s built well and uses an ETA 2824-2 automatic movement. Recommended.
March 18, 2016 edit: I’ve added some photos of the white and rose gold version of the Open Heart. It is a way better looking version of the watch (in my opinion). The review was done of the black and steel version, which is mechanically the same watch. I’d rate Aesthetics & Design for the white/rose gold version 85% (as opposed to the 70% I gave the black/steel version).
About Hamilton
Hamilton was founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1892. Now headquartered in Switzerland, Hamilton is well-respected in the watchmaking industry for making reliable and stylish timepieces. Hamilton watches tend to be priced in the $750 – $2,000 range.
I own several Hamiltons and generally have had good experiences with their watches.
HOW WE REVIEW WATCHES
Our reviews are based on our first-hand experience with the watch. All photos and media are created by us (unless otherwise credited). Learn more about how we review watches.
Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart Technical Specifications
- Model Number: H32565735
- MSRP: $925
- Case Diameter: 40mm
- Alternate Models: Different color combinations available
- Movement: Automatic, ETA 2824-2
- Complications: n/a
- Power Reserve: Approximately 38 hours
- Water Resistance: 50m/165ft
- Crystal Material: Sapphire
Setting the Time
As the Jazzmaster Open Heart does not have any complications it is very straightforward to manipulate. The time is set using the crown.
How To set the time:
- Pull crown to the furthest position (position 2). Turn the crown clockwise to set the time.
Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart Aesthetics & Design
At 40mm, the Open Heart looks small on my wrist. In addition to the small case size, the Open Heart is also quite thin. it tucks easily under cuffs and looks great in a business casual setting.
Despite the open heart display, this Jazzmaster looks far from overdone. The open heart showcases two brightly colored jewels at 12 and 7 o’clock, providing the only splashes of color on an otherwise monochromatic dial. The whole ensemble is low key.
I appreciate that Hamilton has chosen to keep the styling sensible. Many open heart timepieces are overstyled, resulting in designs that are hard to actually tell time on. Despite that, I wish Hamilton had given the dial some kind of texture- I find it too flat for my tastes.
Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart Build Quality
Hamilton builds good watches, and the Open Heart is another example of that. All the Hamilton’s I have reviewed so far have had consistently good workmanship inside and out.
Crystal, Case, and Dial
The case is stainless steel and feels good. The weight is likely ideal for most people, and it gives the Jazzmaster a good quality feeling. It doesn’t feel fragile. The sapphire crystal has a big part to play in that feeling, too. It looks great and has an anti-reflective coating (despite what my photos show).
Strap and Clasp
The black crocodile grain leather strap is a standard Hamilton unit. It sits snugly against the lugs. When clasped, it feels comfortable when worn- even for long duration. I can comfortably wear it for hours at a time.
The stainless steel clasp is good quality too. It shows typical wear after being worn for a few weeks.
More About the Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart
Movement
The Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart features the Swiss-manufactured ETA 2824-2 movement. This movement is extremely popular, powering millions of watches, and is well-respected in the industry for both its reliability and its accuracy.
The ETA 2824-2 is an automatic movement, featuring 25 jewels and a maximum daily variation of approximately 15 seconds (meaning the watch may gain or lose up to 15 seconds of time per day).
The ETA 2824-2 can safely be considered reliable.
Value for Money
The Open Heart tends to average around $650 on Amazon – depending on the version you choose – which is a pretty good price. The build quality and materials are absolutely reflective of that price range, too. With proper care this Hamilton will look great for a long time.
I would place the quality of the Jazzmaster above other open heart/skeleton watches you’ll find in the sub-$1,000 price range. You can get Stuhrlings using clone movements for well under $250, but they won’t have sapphire and they aren’t using Swiss movements.
Relative to its peers, it is priced and made well. I tend to recommend Hamilton watches to people for those reasons.
Photo Gallery
Hi Cameron,
I would like to buy a swiss made, open heart, automatic watch with complication (date or perpetual calendar or both) for about $1000 tops. Same black and silver (stainless steel) combination as this Hamilton.
Do you have any suggestions?
I love this Hamilton, however lacking date indication is quite disadvantageous.
Thanks,
Tamas
Honestly, you’re going to have a hard time finding an open heart watch with a date function, especially at the $1,000 price range. The date wheel is simply too large and is hard to design an open heart face around. You can find some Sea-Gul watches that will match that description though, but they’re obviously not Swiss. The Breytenbach I just reviewed has an open heart/date display, but it’s basically an off-brand Sea-Gul.
Good luck with your search 🙂
Hi,
In terms of timelessness (if that is a word 🙂 ), how do you think this combination of the watch will hold it’s own?
https://www.hamiltonwatch.com/en-gb/h32565585-jazzmaster-auto-chrono.html
Gr,
Karl
Hey Karl,
I originally had a black leather/black dial version of the open heart and didn’t care for it nearly as much as I do for the brown/cream combination. However, that brown leather/black version does look quite striking. I think it’ll look great for a long time 🙂
Hi;
I just bought this model Jazzmaster. Are you sure it has an anti-reflective coating? Mine seems very reflective and is a little hard to read. Part of that might be the shine coming off the dial which, as you point out, could use some texture or other relief. I really like the watch otherwise!
Thanks
Steve