Screen time: How Hamilton became Hollywood’s favourite watch brand

Screen time: How Hamilton became Hollywood’s favourite watch brand

Time+Tide

When it comes to making scene-stealing appearances in film, Hamilton has been a fixture on the A-list since the 1930s. No other watchmaker has enjoyed the same presence, recognition or sheer amount of screen time in Hollywood history.

Perhaps it’s down to Hamilton’s broad range of models with everything from delicate dress watches to rugged pilots’ instruments on offer. Or perhaps it’s down to their sheer wearability that means they’ll rarely look out of place on a character’s wrist. At any rate, the fact remains that if an actor is wearing a watch in a movie, the chances are pretty good it could be a Hamilton.

From Quantum of Solace to Men in Black and A Space Odyssey to The Martian, Hamilton has made a wide range of cameos. In fact, the brand has notched up over 500 movie credits from Hollywood action films to sci-fi classics. It’s a history that stretches right back to 1932, when the Hamilton Flintridge appeared in Shanghai Express featuring Marlene Dietrich, a sumptuously shot black and white film that won the Academy Award for “Best Cinematography”.

Hamilton became Hollywood's favourite

On some of these occasions, a Hamilton watch isn’t just a mere accessory but a major plot device. In Interstellar, for example, NASA pilot Joseph ‘Coop’ Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) gives his daughter Murphy a Hamilton Khaki Field Murph Auto that features prominently in the film as she later receives messages on in Morse code from her long-gone father. Enthusiasts spoke, and in an incredible bit of fan service, the movie watch became available to the public several years after the film’s release.

Hamilton became Hollywood's favourite

In our latest video, Andrew and Luke comb through Hamilton’s history via Hollywood archives. From divers to dress watches and military themes galore, Hamilton’s modern catalogue is still able to reflect this long and varied timeline with ease. Sit back, take notes for your next movie marathon, and see just how Hamilton inserted themselves into the cinematic landscape forever.

In Australia? You can buy Hamilton watches here