Although rappers often glorify watch brands like Rolex and Richard Mille in their songs, it is Breguet and Hamilton that set the records. Breguet is undoubtedly the most cited watch brand in literature, while Hamilton is the brand that appears most frequently on the big screen. This is also why Hamilton annually presents the ‘Behind The Camera Awards’ (BTCA), akin to the Oscars for the creatives behind the scenes.
Text by Anja Van Der Borght
Hamilton, the watch brand from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which once made waves as the official timepiece of the American railroads, is now best known as the “Watchmaker of Filmmakers.” Since its debut on the big screen in the classic Shanghai Express in 1932, Hamilton watches have appeared in more than 500 Hollywood films and TV shows. From Men in Black to 2001: A Space Odyssey and the recent blockbuster Oppenheimer, Hamilton watches have played a crucial role in completing characters and supporting the storyline.
“All these collaborations came about organically,” explains Vivian Stauffer, CEO of Hamilton. “Hamilton does not, unlike other brands, pay to be included in films. It’s enthusiasts of our brand, creations, and expertise who approach us to set up collaborations. We fund the watches they wish to use in the film and invest in their development. For instance, in his movie Tenet, director Christopher Nolan wanted every soldier to wear a watch with an external battery on their wrist. That involved as many as 200 watches. Developing and supplying them cost us several hundred thousand euros. But the good news is that the watches return to us afterward, and we can use them as showpieces at events like the Hamilton Behind The Camera Awards (BTCA) or as inspiration for models for our fans.”








This year, Hamilton collaborated exclusively with Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures to create the ‘Desert Watch,’ a custom-designed watch requested by filmmaker Denis Villeneuve for his movie Dune: Part Two, the highly anticipated sequel to his cinematic masterpiece Dune. Although the ‘Desert Watch’ was exclusive to Dune, Hamilton recently introduced two limited-edition Ventura watches with luminous blue dials reminiscent of the blue eyes of the Fremen. The Ventura Bright features a button that mimics the glowing blue lines of the ‘Desert Watch’ dial, while the Ventura Edge has a matte black PVD-coated angular case with a blue digital display that replicates the relief elements seen on props in the movie. The limited edition comes with packaging inspired by the film.

Also, the 42mm Hamilton Khaki Field Murph, which debuted as a custom prop for the protagonist in Interstellar (2014), was recently released as a watch for fans. The 2019 Khaki Field Murph was an immediate hit and remains one of Hamilton’s most popular references. Building on that popularity, Hamilton is now expanding the Murph lineup with two new 38mm variants in a stainless steel case. One features a bright white dial contrasted with a black leather strap evoking the spirit of space exploration and discovery, while the original black dial is paired with a stainless steel bracelet.

Magic Makers
This year, Hamilton hosted the 13th edition of the Hamilton Behind The Camera Awards (BTCA) in Los Angeles and plans to continue doing so annually. “Since introducing the award in 2006, we have emphasized the immense work done behind the scenes and all the passionate people who bring stories to life on the big screen, contributing to the magic of films,” says Stauffer. “They create the atmosphere, evoke emotion, and do so with passion, precision, and creativity.”
From Watchmaker to Kings to Watchmaker of Filmmakers
This year, thirteen categories were highlighted during the BTCA, including Editing, Stunts, Animation, Sound, and Hair & Makeup. “Hamilton is actually the only one in the world to present an award for all the creatives behind the camera and, until this year, also the only one to recognize prop masters,” explains actor, production director, and prop master Guillaume DeLouche. Two years ago, DeLouche won the Prop Master Award for his props in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). “Prop masters are often overlooked, yet we play a crucial role in the industry,” DeLouche says. “We are responsible for finding, creating, and managing all the props and set pieces, and we often move heaven and earth to do so. Recognizing this importance, the Property Masters Guild launched the MacGuffin Awards this year.”
Watchmaker to Kings
Abraham-Louis Breguet also moved heaven and earth in his time as the watchmaker to Napoleon Bonaparte and many royal courts. Constantly surrounded by aristocratic circles, this legacy is still evident today. “Breguet is such an integral part of European culture that the name naturally comes up when describing aristocracy, the bourgeoisie, or simply a luxurious and refined world,” says Emmanuel Breguet, the seventh generation of the Breguet watchmaking family and Vice President and Head of Patrimony at Montres Breguet. “The references to Breguet watches in both French and foreign literature highlight the exceptional renown of the brand and its founder.”
Prominent writers mentioning Breguet include Honoré de Balzac, Nikolai Karamzin, Prosper Mérimée, Alexander Pushkin, Paul Siraudin, Stendhal, Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev, Jules Verne, Victor Hugo, and more recently, Alexander Ivanovich Kuprin. The latter two chose a Breguet watch as the central theme in, respectively, a novella and a novel. The name Breguet also appears in English-language works, such as Blue at the Mizzen by Patrick O’Brian, Vanity Fair by William Thackeray, and The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles.

Time as a Key Element
For those wanting to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the new models in the Breguet Marine collection, the new film adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte is a must-see. Breguet watches are featured in Alexandre Dumas’ original adventure novel, and the film highlights how the ambitious banker Baron Danglars owns a beautiful Breguet pocket watch with a cream-colored dial, one large central hand, and two decentralized hands. The pocket watch and its precision play a significant role in one of the story’s most crucial moments. A marine chronometer by Breguet is also prominently displayed on the desk of shipowner Morrel. More about Breguet’s connection to the marine world can be discovered at the Musée National de la Marine in Paris, which exhibits one of Breguet’s first marine chronometers.