Hamilton Lands a Starring Role in Oppenheimer

This week, British film director Christopher Nolan, the mastermind behind Interstellar, The Dark Knight, and Inception, released his latest magnum opus, Oppenheimer, and for those who haven’t seen it yet (or rejoiced in the whole Barbenheimer phenomenon) let’s just say you’re in for an explosion of emotions.

For those who’ve been stuck in Barbie’s Dreamhouse for too long, Oppenheimer retraces the story of American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man who worked on a secret project in the desert of New Mexico’s Los Alamos during WW2, ultimately leading to the creation of a world-changing/ life-threatening invention: the atomic bomb. Irish actor Cillian Murphy plays Oppenheimer, so already, you know you’re in for a thrill. Alongside the Peaky Blinders hero, you will find a five-star cast of actors, from Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh to Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr. (sadly, no Michael Caine this time

A creature of habit, Christopher Nolan has always preferred working with familiar faces but also with familiar partners, including Swiss American watchmaker Hamilton. As the ultimate “Movie Brand” of the watch industry, Hamilton has long been starring in major Hollywood productions, from the 1932 film Shanghai Express with Marlene Dietrich to more recent blockbusters: Nolan’s mind-twisting Tenet or the latest Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, in which Indy sports the American Classic Boulton. For his cult film Interstellar, Nolan personally collaborated with Hamilton watch experts to create a bespoke piece: the Khaki Field “Murph” watch, which plays a central role in the film’s denouement.

For his new cinematic masterpiece, Nolan skipped the whole watch-making process to summon instead watch collectors keen to lend their vintage, period-specific Hamilton watches to the Oppenheimer cast. In a promotional video for Hamilton, Christopher Nolan reflects on his collaboration with Hamilton in Oppenheimer: “They [Hamilton] were incredibly helpful in securing the appropriate watches for these characters. It’s that kind of detailed work, in combination with all of the costume work and the prop work in the film, that becomes so important to involve the audience and the story in a world that they can recognise and has a nice, tactile, relatable sense to it, but that is historically accurate.”

For the film, six vintage watches from the 1930s to the 1940s were selected to join the Oppenheimer universe. Cillian Murphy sports not one, not two, but three vintage Hamilton watches: the Lexington, the Endicott, and the Cushion B, three models which according to the Hamilton team “embody heritage American design with flourishes of Art Deco styling. The references balance scientific precision and focus with a pioneering spirit of individuality”.

For his wife, the biologist Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer, portrayed by Emily Blunt, the Hamilton team went for a stunning Lady Hamilton A-2 watch from 1947, adorned with 14k gold.

Played by Matt Damon, Lieutenant General Leslie Groves wears the Hamilton Piping Rock watch, a robust piece enhanced by a sturdy steel case and a black calfskin strap. He also sports the Military Ordnance, a military-looking piece that reminds us of today’s Hamilton Khaki Field watches.

While Hamilton sadly has no intention to reissue these vintage watches (or retro watches), we fans of the big screen can very much find a modern Hamilton watch worn by our favourite on-screen heroes!

Featured in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023): the watch is worn by Indy, played by the one and only Harrison Ford.

View Hamilton American Classic Boulton Men's Brown, £675.00.

Featured in Interstellar (2014): the watch is at the heart of the film’s denouement. If you don’t know what we’re talking about, go watch the film now!

View Hamilton Khaki Field Murph Men's Watch, £820.00.

Featured in Blue Hawaii (1961): Elvis Presley chose to wear his beloved Hamilton Ventura watch in this American comedy-drama film. The Ventura was also the world’s first electric watch!

View Hamilton Ventura Quartz L Men's Black Watch, £765.00.

Featured in Independence Day: Resurgence (2016): you can spot this breathtaking watch on the wrist of Earth Space Defense member Jake Morrison, played by Liam Hemsworth.

View Hamilton Khaki Aviation XWind Auto Chrono Men's Brown Watch, £1,595.00.

Featured in Jurassic World Dominion (2022): the watch is worn by Barry, played by Omar Sy.

View Hamilton Khaki Field Quartz Men's Black Watch, £550.00