The History of Hamilton
Hamilton first made its name during the early days of the American railroads. As the country built its crucial infrastructure, Hamilton began supplying accurate watches that were credited with helping to prevent and reduce accidents by synchronizing timing on the rails.
In 1918, as the age of aviation developed, Hamilton began timing the skies and their watches helped to keep the new coast to coast U.S. Airmail service on time. Since then, Hamilton has been synonymous with the world of aviation.
Innovation has been one of the biggest keys to Hamilton’s success with major developments appearing in the mid 20th century that changed the world of watchmaking forever. In 1957, the Ventura became the world’s first electrical watch powered by a battery and Pulsar, the world’s first LED digital watch, followed in 1970. Since 2011, Hamilton has produced together with ETA its own movements, that allow for extended power reserves of up to 80 hours to be incorporated into certain calibers.
Since 1974, Hamilton has been a part of the Swatch Group and, in 2003, they moved their HQ and production to the center of watchmaking country in Biel, Switzerland. Hamilton men’s and women’s watches now have the prestigious Swiss made label, but Hamilton is still American at heart, just as it was when it was first established in Pennsylvania in 1892.
Ventura: Inspired by Elvis
The rebellious counter-culture that took off in 50s America, inspired everything from new genres of music like rock and roll to new dress styles that reflected the hedonistic lifestyle.
This time of transition was pivotal in the creation of Hamilton’s initial Ventura watch, which was a model that challenged the norm in terms of watch designs.
In addition to being the world’s very first electric watch, the stand-out triangular shape echoed the rocket ship tail fins of the extravagant American cars at the time. The triangular watch face became a truly iconic Hamilton design feature that fit in perfectly with Elvis’ extraordinary lavish lifestyle and most characteristic looks.
Lights, Camera, Action!
Watch appearances in movies are dominated by Hamilton watches in films. With over 500 movie credits to their name, the movie industry has put Hamilton at the heart of cinema and at the center of the big screen. From Hollywood action films to sci-fi classics, Hamilton is the movie brand, creating memorable watches for popular movies.
Some of Hamilton timepieces’ many cameos include but are not limited to the Venturas worn by Elvis Presley in Blue Hawaii as well as the agents in the Men in Black films, the Khaki Pilot Day Dates in Interstellar (one of which was “Murph,” created specifically for the film), the Pulsar in James Bond: Live and Let Die (now referred to as the PSR), and many many more!
