Hamilton started its lasting and deep relationship with Hollywood in 1951 – underwater. Actors playing naval diving heroes wore Hamilton watches to film the Oscar-nominated movie The Frogmen, shot off the coast of Florida. A true story, this film portrayed heroic US naval divers during World War II as they prepared safe landings for supplies and troops on hostile shores. It was also the first movie ever to document scuba diving with all the technical and practical challenges that presented. This movie not only marked the first screen appearance for Hamilton, but also put its watches through an extremely tough resilience test, which they passed with flying colours.

Making the 60s swing

In 1961 Elvis Presley personally selected a Hamilton Ventura to co-star with him in the feel-good movie, Blue Hawaii. The distinctive shield-shaped watch appears in many scenes, including the opening one when Elvis returns to Hawaii from military service. The watch worn by the star in the film was bought at an Elvis Presley memorabilia auction to raise funds for transitional housing for the homeless in Memphis, Tennessee. The watch is now in the Hamilton historical collection, a travelling exhibition that appears at museums and shows around the world. Hot on Presley’s footsteps was Stanley Kubrick who approached the American brand in 1966 to make unique timepieces for his new, futuristic film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The Hamilton design team provided him with a wristwatch and a desk clock that fit the bill perfectly.

Auditioning successfully ever since

For over five decades the brand’s distinctive watches have caught the attention of the world’s leading screen stylists. Their eye-catching shapes, materials and designs earn them roles in the most diverse movie genres, ranging from action pictures such as Fantastic Four and the rise of the silver surfer, Men in Black, Lethal Weapon 4, Fight Club, Independence Day, Die Hard 4.0, I am Legend (read more here) or Get Smart, to comedy classics like The Pink Panther starring Steve Martin, The talented Mr Ripley or You've got mail. Hamilton watches are chosen for a complete spectrum of character types too – anything from the sensitive portrayal of Nobel price winner, John Nash, in A Beautiful Mind to Superman Returns - demonstrating the brand’s versatile product range and the watches’ ability to communicate every sort of mood and emotion.

With roles in over 300 movies to its credit, Hamilton has certainly earned the title of Hollywood star.
A glance at the list of the Hamilton movies and co-stars reads like an endless list of Academy Award nominations and blockbuster hits. And the tradition is set to continue with many new Hamilton appearances currently in production.

Behind the Camera Awards

The Hamilton involvement in the movie world extends far beyond product. Each year, in collaboration with Hollywood Life magazine, Hamilton hosts the Behind the Camera Awards in Hollywood to honor special artists for their individual impact on the film industry. The awards spotlight the vital and highly creative work carried out behind the scenes to make a movie successful, whether it is screenwriting, or the demanding work of the prop-master or prop-mistress.