Cinephile, film buff, or otherwise movie obsessed? These watches are for you

Buffy Acacia

Saying that watch nerds have a love of cinema is a bit obvious, because who doesn’t? Movies have been the most popular form of entertainment for almost as long as they’ve been around. That said, we tend to go especially feral when an attractive watch shows up on the wrist of a favourite character, and frantically pouring over screenshots to figure out what people are wearing will always be a fun obsession. So, whether it’s something worn in your favourite movie or just a watch which reminds you of it, here are five watches that blend a love of watchmaking and cinema. The hardest part will be limiting myself to just one Hamilton.

Hamilton Murph

The Hamilton Murph wasn’t even close to being the first important wristwatch in Hollywood, but it seems to have had the biggest impact in recent years. The Murph was not merely just a costume accessory, rather, it was integral to the plot of Christopher Nolan’s 2014 hit sci-fi Interstellar. In my honest opinion, the Hamilton Khaki Field Murph probably could have been a tremendously successful watch even without the movie connection. The matte black dial and creamy faux-aged printing work so well alongside the cathedral handset, and the H-10 movement is well-regarded with an 80-hour power reserve. It has been such a popular model for Hamilton that they also brought out a 38mm model because 42mm is too large for many people, and although it loses the easter egg of ‘Eureka’ printed on the seconds hand in morse code, that actually makes it more film-accurate.

Price: A$1,500 (38mm) / A$1,650 (42mm)

Omega Seamaster Diver 300m

Although he couldn’t exactly be called a role model in most of his movies, James Bond is a pillar of style, conduct, and escapism for a lot of men. It’s fair to say then that whatever 007 wears is going to have a vast cultural impact, and since 1995’s GoldenEye, that watch has been an Omega. Specifically speaking, the Seamaster Diver 300m has been Bond’s most consistent model, even though the exact references and colour options have evolved with the collection. Still, as cool as the modern editions are, it’s those mid-late ‘90s watches that are forever cemented as Bond watches. Seeing those wavy-blue dials on the wrist of Pierce Brosnan with his equally-blue eyes is an essential part of movie history, no matter what your favourite era is. For the purpose of the price on this list, I’ll use what the modern Diver 300m watches cost, however a quartz-powered reference from the ‘90s will usually cost about A$2,000-A$4,000 at the time of writing.

Price: A$5,900 (Modern version on a steel bracelet)

Casio CA53W-1

I always like to include a watch that anyone can buy in these lists, and although Tom Cruise’s DW290-1V from Mission Impossible is a viable option, I figured I’d stick with a more congenitally attractive Casio. The CA53W-1 isn’t just cool for being a calculator watch—a concept which is still cool with young kids to this day—but it was also worn by Michael J Fox in Back to the Future II. It’s pretty much the same watch as the CA50 he wore in the first movie, but with some water resistance, and it’s still in production. Both the watch and the film are completely unpretentious, embracing a fun and playful attitude that speaks through all generations. Plus, you’ll have a calculator strapped to your wrist if your smartphone ever runs out of battery in a pinch.

Price: A$79.95 (Or much less from third-party retailers)

Seiko ‘Arnie’ SNJ025P

When you see an ‘80s or ‘90s movie featuring a hugely-muscled hunk, there’s most likely going to be an equally chunky watch on their wrist. And if you’re going to pick just one of them to be a fan of, then Arnold Schwarzenegger would be a great pick. Arnie wore the Seiko reference H558-5000 in both Commando and Predator, with his tree-trunk wrists almost dwarfing the 45mm watch. These days, a modern version with a solar-powered movement is called the SNJ025P within Seiko’s Prospex family. The tuna-can case is surprisingly wearable thanks to its tiny lugs only reaching out to 50.5mm, even though the diameter is now a whopping 47.8mm. The Ana-Digi hybrid display offers great functionality as well, ensuring a powerful presence on the wrist in many ways.

Price: A$799

Hamilton Ventura

Okay, so I failed my attempt to only list one Hamilton – it’s not my fault they have such a rich history with cinema! The Ventura is especially fascinating, considering it was among the first of Hamilton’s electric watches which pushed watch technology rapidly. Its theatrical career is defined mainly by two movies, and they’re vastly different from each other. The first is Elvis Presley’s Blue Hawaii, where he sports his original Hamilton Electric from the 1950s, and the second is Men in Black from 1997. There are heaps of modern references for the Ventura, proving that its popularity isn’t solely rooted in movie nostalgia. There’s even a set of new Venturas which were designed to honour Denis Villeneuve’s Dune series, even though they’re not featured in those films. However, it’s an eccentric enough watch that you’ll definitely be answering questions about it.

Price: A$1,500 (Quartz 32.3mm reference)