PRECISION STORYTELLING

Hamilton & Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan's latest film, Oppenheimer, features prominent Hamilton watches, continuing their partnership since Interstellar and Tenet. In the previous films, the watches played integral roles, not just as props, but as storytelling elements. Oppenheimer takes a different approach, using authentic timepieces from the World War II era to add historical accuracy. Hamilton sourced vintage watches from collectors for the film's major characters. With this attention to detail and the use of vintage Hamilton watches, Oppenheimer promises an immersive experience capturing the essence of its historical events.

In Nolan's films, even the smallest details matter greatly, and the vintage Hamilton watches play a crucial role in achieving historical accuracy. Throughout Oppenheimer, three central characters are seen wearing vintage Hamilton watches. Cillian Murphy, who portrays J. Robert Oppenheimer, wears a Cushion B, Endicott, and Lexington at different points in the film. These watches were chosen for their Art Deco styling, fitting for a leading theoretical physicist and scholar like Oppenheimer. Emily Blunt's character, Kitty Oppenheimer, wears a Lady Hamilton A-2 crafted from 14k gold. Matt Damon's General Leslie Groves dons Hamilton watches with a military heritage, namely the Piping Rock and Military Ordnance models.

CUSHION B (1930s)

Worn by J. Robert Oppenheimer.

LEXINGTON (1940s)

Worn by J. Robert Oppenheimer.

ENDICOTT (1940s)

Worn by J. Robert Oppenheimer.

LADY HAMILTON A-2 (1947)

Worn by Kitty Oppenheimer.

PIPING ROCK (1920s)

Worn by Lieutenant General Leslie Groves.

MILITARY ORDONANCE (1940s)

Worn by Lieutenant General Leslie Groves.

Timepieces for male characters in films are akin to jewellery as they enhance the characters personality, style, and look in the film. Nolan spoke highly of working with Hamilton and the importance of historical accuracy in recreating the past for the film. The watches chosen for the characters were instrumental in creating a world that the audience could recognize and relate to while remaining true to historical accuracy. Hamilton have been collaborating with the movie industry since 1932 given their prevalence in a variety of industries in the U.S. and in turn, Hamilton watches have been featured in 500 TV shows and films.