This is how Hamilton became Hollywood’s go-to watch brand
Zach BlassWatch brands love to tout records they hold – highest complication count, thinnest movements, greatest depth rating and so on. But Hamilton Watch Company holds a record of its own, with its watches gracing the silver screen in over 450 major feature films. As a result, over the last 90 years or so, Hamilton has become known as the movie brand, thanks to its close association with Hollywood productions.
Hamilton watches first appeared in the 1932 Marlene Dietrich movie Shanghai Express, and since then have made cameos in many other productions – notably including many of Christopher Nolan’s latest feature films, including Interstellar, Tenet, and Oppenheimer.
What is nice about Hamilton, and its ties to the world of cinema, is that its timepieces are value-driven and offer high quality at a lower price point. This means it’s relatively easy for film and watch lovers to buy the references they spot on screen. For us to reflect on all of Hamilton’s 450+ on-screen parts would require a novel-length article, so instead, here are some of the most memorable Hamilton watches to make it into the movies.
Blue Hawaii
The Hamilton Ventura is an incredibly distinctive watch design, reaching a wider audience largely due to the fact that Elvis Presley popularised the watch on his wrist. While he notably wore the watch off screen as well, the Ventura had a starring role on his wrist in the musical comedy film Blue Hawaii – where Elvis returns home from the army and decides to go against his parents wishes to join the family business, opting to work with his girlfriend instead. The triangular watch is visible throughout the film and considering the superstar status of the person who wore it, many people left the theatre determined to acquire the timepiece themselves.
Interstellar
Matthew McConaughey as pilot Cooper wears a Hamilton Khaki Pilot Day Date in the film – but this was not the only Hamilton watch to make an appearance in the film. The Pilot Day Date was a standard production model at the time of the movie’s filming, but the Hamilton watch he gives to his daughter Murphy (or “Murph”) was a completely original creation for the film. In a touching moment, Cooper presents the watch to his daughter as he heads off into the depths of space, promising that upon his return, they will compare the time they have on each of their watches to see first-hand the effects of relativity.
As you get to the end of the movie, the watch is a complete scene-stealer as it becomes an integral part of the communication between father and daughter across time and space. While the production Murph was highly modified so that production could remotely trigger the second hand, a production Hamilton Murph model was created for consumers that leveraged the same aesthetic. In addition, the original 42mm consumer model included subtle visual cues, such as the Morse code on the hands, that paid homage to the film’s sci-fi narrative.
Tenet
Another instance where the movie watch deviates slightly from the models available to buy, the Hamilton Khaki BeLOWZERO was prominently featured in Tenet and was a crucial instrument for the characters while traversing timelines in order to destroy or save the world. The watch is available with two different second hand tips, the red and blue signalling whether the character was progressing into the past or the future. Other Hamilton watches can also be spotted in the film, but when John-David Washington and Robert Pattinson suit up in battle gear for a mission, the Khaki BeLOWZERO is always the watch on their wrists.
James Bond: Live and Let Die
Worn by Roger Moore while playing James Bond in Live and Let Die, the forward-thinking and futuristic aesthetic of the Hamilton Pulsar really catered to the gadget-driven nature of Bond and cemented the character as someone who leveraged the latest technology on their missions. It was, and still is, a very fashionable gadget. Interestingly enough, some Pulsar models even retailed by Tiffany & Co. back in the day.
2001: A Space Odyssey
An epic drama of space adventure and exploration, director Stanley Kubrick commissioned custom watches and desk clocks to be featured in the film. The watch did have a commemorative release a year after the films release in 1969, but the latest re-issue of the distinct timepiece came in 2006 with the Hamilton X-01 Odyssey – a limited edition release of 2001 pieces in honour of the film’s title. The cuff design of the quartz-powered watch is unique, with the titanium case 36mm in diameter and lug-to-lug measurement of 77mm. The crown at 3 o’clock adjusts the time and date, while the crown at 4 can adjust the inner bezel GMT 12 hour scale.
Ocean’s Eleven
In Ocean’s Eleven, George Clooney as Danny Ocean is a lovable thief who coordinates high-stakes heists timed and planned to the second. Therefore, it was crucial that his character had a reliable and classy timepiece to accompany him during the planning and enacting of his thefts. As a sort of gentleman thief, the Hamilton Viewmatic was a great option to pair with his character – who again counted on his watch(es) heavily to evade capture and carry out his operations to a tee.
Men in Black
The Men in Black saga also leveraged the Hamilton Ventura in character wardrobes, and its use in such futuristic films as well as older movies like Blue Hawaii is a testament to its timeless design. Like the Pulsar, it’s a watch that had a design so far ahead of its time that decades later it retains a futuristic aesthetic. In Men in Black, the Ventura design is a perfect fit because although the design is forward-thinking, it still has a mid-century element that makes it ripe to be worn with a suit – the heroes’ uniform of choice in the films.
The Martian
The Martian starring Matt Damon alongside a very talented ensemble was an exceptional film, based on a book, that explored an astronaut’s experience being stranded on Mars. Like Tenet, the watch featured was the BeLOWZERO from the Hamilton Khaki Navy series.
The watch is certainly large and in charge, oozing a robustness you would expect for a wrist accessory traversing unknown terrain. The 46mm watch is 100 metres water-resistant, and while there is little water to encounter on Mars, its depth rating at least suggests enough structural integrity to make it a worthy sidekick for an astronaut fighting for survival.
The Matrix Resurrections
When Hamilton released the PSR MTX, a Matrix-branded limited edition PSR, you would be forgiven for thinking that was the watch set to make a screen cameo in the long-awaited The Matrix Resurrections. Alas, the PSR MTX was surprisingly not worn in the film, instead, it was the Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono worn by actor Yahya Abdul Mateen II who portrayed a younger *SPOILER ALERT* Morpheus.
When I interviewed Hamilton CEO Vivian Stauffer in California ahead of the Behind the Camera Awards, he had then explained to me, “The launch of the PSR in 2020 was such a success, and we knew its story of innovation would continue to connect with current narratives. As we explored next iterations of the watch, the link between the first digital watch and the digital universe of The Matrix immediately seemed like the perfect fit, and here we are with the PSR MTX.” Stauffer had also made it very clear that Hamilton’s commercial opportunities will never triumph over or interfere with a film’s artistic vision. So, in this scenario, both parties won. The PSR MTX was a celebration of Hamilton’s small role in the film without interfering with the film itself.
Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny
Normally I would be sensitive about spoilers, but most fans of the Indiana Jones saga probably want to forget the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Dial of Destiny films ever happened. Ok… That was a bit harsh. While and implausible detail only watch geeks would notice, Harrison Ford wore a Hamilton American Classic Boulton Quartz – a modern Hamilton made long after the film was actually set. In fairness, the watch is based on Hamilton’s Boulton design from 1941 which could be period-correct, and since Indiana Jones unlocked the secrets to time travel in the film, he very well could have travelled to the future to buy one…
Oppenheimer
For Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan fortunately knew authenticity was paramount, and that no reissue or prop watch could replace the real deal. Reaching out to the network of collectors, Hamilton sourced genuine vintage watches from the 1930s and ’40s for the production.
Upon the film’s release, Hamilton was kind enough to supply us with all the details and photography of the watches we wanted and needed. Robert Oppenheimer, as portrayed by Cillian Murphy, wore three watches throughout the film – the Cushion B, Endicott, and Lexington. Emily Blunt who plays Kitty Oppenheimer wore a Lady Hamilton A-2 in 14k white gold from 1947. Lastly, Matt Damon as Lieutenant General Leslie Groves wore two rugged Hamiltons befitting his character’s military station — the Military Ordinance from the 1940s, and a Piping Rock from the 1920s.
Many of the above watches are available for purchase directly from the Time+Tide Shop.