How does haute horology come together with blockbuster cinema? We find out
Oscar Wilde once famously declared, life imitates art far more than art imitates life, and nowhere does this ring truer than in the unexpected yet interesting overlap between cinema and haute horology. Designed with the DNA of characters, storylines and entire cinematic universes embedded within their mechanics, watches can blur the line between prop and product. They have evolved into storytelling devices, with some of the world’s most popular maisons crafting timepieces that don’t just appear in films, but are inspired by them.
Beyond the screen, houses like IWC Schaffhausen have built collections inspired from aviation culture such as the Top Gun series, while Audemars Piguet has collaborated with popular figures in the world of sports and entertainment, to forge partnerships that transcend beyond viral moments into a sustained presence. But what we look at today, is how timepieces become integral characters in some of the most emblematic movies of modern times.
Omega Seamaster: The Bond Franchise
Omega’s partnership with the Bond franchise dates back to 1995, when Pierce Brosnan wore the Omega Seamaster in the GoldenEye. In the decades since, the Seamaster became 007’s trusted companion on his action packed missions. Later, during Daniel Craig’s Bond era, the Swiss watchmaker worked closely on the re-development of the watch with the final design being influenced by Craig’s own experience of actually inhabiting the character through the years. The result was a 42mm Seamaster with a titanium case for lightness and resilience, tropical brown dial recalling aged military gear and a mesh bracelet inspired by those worn in earlier films. In 2022, the 60th Anniversary edition followed, deepening this cinematic collaboration further with a caseback featuring GoldenEye’s iconic opening sequence of the Bond silhouette and a spinning gun barrel. This special release was complimented with a collection of Bond inspired accessories, including sailing bracelets and cufflinks.
Hamilton Khaki Field Murph: Interstellar
When director Christopher Nolan needed a watch for a sci-fi tale of time, love and sacrifice, he turned to Hamilton. Created as a prop for the 2014 Academy Award-winning movie Interstellar, the Hamilton Khaki Field Murph was never meant to go beyond the set. But with the film garnering the status of a cult classic over time, the watch, which was an integral plot point, became an object of pop culture significance. In 2019, Hamilton brought it to life, recreating every detail of the timepiece as seen on screen: a matte black dial, stainless steel case and oversized numerals for legibility. The detail that elevates this watch to a collector’s piece, though, is the word ‘Eureka’ printed in Morse code on the seconds hand in lacquer—a direct reference to the film’s pivotal moment of communication between the father and daughter across time and space.
Jaeger Le-Coultre Master Ultra Thin Kingsman Knife Limited edition: The King’s Man
Limited to 100 pieces, the JLC Master Ultra Thin Kingsman Knife Limited edition pays homage to the 2020 film, The King’s Man. When Matthew Vaughn brought the origin story of the Kingsman agency to life, he required a timepiece that was a fine balance of sharp and suave. So JLC looked to its past and took inspiration from the archives, with a 1907 ‘Couteau’ (knife) pocket watch and crafted this sleek dress watch complete with rail track minutes scale, blue steel hands and one of the thinnest calibres on the market. Sold exclusively via Mr Porter, as a key part of The Kings’s Men ‘costume to collection,’ the watch features a triangular bow, placed at 12 o’clock in the manner of classic pocket watches and is engraved with the Kingsman logo as well as the inscription ‘One of 100’ to highlight its exclusivity.
Jacob & Co. Opera: The Godfather Collection
Jacob & Co. Opera Godfather is the ultimate movie tribute timepiece. The Godfather was the first movie Jacob & Co. founder Jacob Arabo saw when he came to America from Uzbekistan and it resonated with him so deeply that years later he entered into a partnership with Paramount Pictures to acquire the rights to the movie and develop this cinematic masterpiece. Launched in 2019, with a built-in music box that plays Nino Rota’s iconic score, a rotating miniature Don Corleone figurine, puppeteer strings from the movie poster and a violin shaped crank, the watch is a collector’s dream.
A sequel to this is the recently released Godfather II, a double-melody musical timepiece, playing two songs from the score of The Godfather trilogy: The Godfather’s Waltz and The Godfather Love Theme. With a curved rectangular case in 18 karat rose gold, a black lacquered dial mirroring the film’s noir aesthetic, the iconic puppet strings in three dimensional applique and the rose motif, synonymous with the Corleone family, etched into the case, this is a limited edition run of exactly 74 pieces—a nod to the film’s 1974 release.
TAG Heuer Carrera: Barbie
While not an official collaboration, the hot pink TAG Heuer Carrera worn by Ryan Gosling on the press circuit for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie in the summer of 2023, was a branding masterstroke. With its white Super LumiNova hands and hour markings that glow in the dark, against the vivid pink, the Carrera, traditionally a symbol of motorsports, captured the Barbenheimer frenzy with a playful irreverence. Inside the film itself, Ken wore three vintage Carreras simultaneously and this spotting further cemented the Carrera’s significance in the cultural zeitgeist.
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