The fifth, and presumably final, installment of the Indiana Jones series hits theaters at the end of June, and with a title like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, you kind of had to expect that there would be a watch tie-in. For this film, the watch on Indy’s wrist is a Hamilton, a fitting choice given the character’s occupation (the most heroic archaeologist in cinema history) and the long history of the brand showing up in major Hollywood movies. Hamilton watches have been featured on the wrists of movie stars for nearly 100 years, worn by everyone from Elvis Presley to Matthew McConaughey (with the watch sometimes playing a critical role in the storytelling). While it remains to be seen if the watch itself is a plot point in Dial of Destiny (we’ll let you know as soon as we see the film), the Hamilton Boulton selected for this new installment helps draw in some of the finer details of one of the all-time great movie characters.
Indiana Jones is a character with a well established aesthetic. He’s one of a small handful of characters that movie buffs can easily identify with only a silhouette, or by the sight of a key prop. Indy’s fedora and whip have helped to establish a specific iconography for the character since Raiders of the Lost Ark premiered in 1981, so it’s important to get the watch right as well – it has to exist within an environment that is already well established and understood by fans of the franchise.
The Boulton is part of Hamilton’s American Classic collection, and was first introduced in the 1940s, so it’s period correct for the franchise. The Art Deco inspired gold tone case is somewhere between a cushion design and rectangle. It has soft edges and gentle curves that give it a casual vibe despite the small size and formality of gold. The dial is white with a running seconds register at 6:00. The highlight, I think, is the typeface chosen for the Arabic numerals, which is a serif style that is rarely seen today, and immediately places the Boulton in a very specific time and place. It’s exactly the kind of watch you’d expect to see on an academic type in the 40s or 50s. Other small details that add character to the dial include the simple Hamilton wordmark at 12:00 and an old-fashioned railroad minutes track working its way around the dial’s perimeter.
The Boulton case measures 27mm x 31.6mm and is just 7.8mm thick. The full lug to lug measurement is 41.5mm, which should make this feel very much like an actual vintage watch on the wrist. It runs on a time-only quartz movement, and has a water resistance rating of 30 meters. The case is mounted to a brown leather strap with an alligator finish. Usually that would give a watch like this a more formal appearance, but here I think it comes off as rustic, which seems appropriate given the character wearing it.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny premieres on June 30. Hamilton has told us that the Boulton isn’t the only watch that will be seen in the film: a Khaki Navy Scuba is worn on screen by Indy’s friend Renaldo, played by Antonio Banderas. Sounds like a lot of watch spotting will be taking place later this month. Until then you can check out the trailer here, and find more information on the Boulton, which retails for $695, here.
