I have to start this one off with an admission: I am not a gamer. I really, really enjoy the Grand Theft Auto franchise and have fond memories of playing them deep into the wee hours of the morning with college friends in my younger, slightly less responsible days, but as a capital A “adult” I’ve never given all that much attention to the gaming world. Movies have always been my thing when it comes to getting lost in a narrative on a giant flatscreen TV. I make the comparison to movies here because it’s been frequently discussed how games have nearly replaced movies for a younger generation when it comes to immersive storytelling. Few things make me feel like an old fuddy-duddy more than talking to twenty year olds who have logged more hours watching Twitch streams than Scorsese movies.
The new watch from Hamilton, a watch brand long associated with the silver screen, is an example of the gradual shift in interest from filmed entertainment to gaming, and represents a pretty big swing for a brand that has carved out a very clear spot in the mindset of most watch enthusiasts. Hamilton conjures thoughts of American watchmaking history, countless appearances in films over the course of many decades, and classically designed value oriented tools (among many other things – their catalog is vast and they make watches in every style imaginable). But one thing they aren’t frequently associated with is the avant-garde, or truly experimental design, their 2001 inspired watch notwithstanding.
The new American Classic Boulton Death Stranding 2 Limited Edition sees the brand taking a giant leap into the gaming world with a watch designed to complement the upcoming Death Stranding 2 game, which I’m told by gamers is among the most highly anticipated gaming releases in years. The game is being pitched as a sci-fi epic in an imagined future, and the watch appears in the game itself. The concept behind the design is relatively simple: it’s a futuristic take on the Boulton, a watch already strongly associated with a movie, and imagines what this refined Art Deco piece might look like after many years of iterations in the unique environment of the Death Stranding world.
When you consider the Boulton as most of us know it as a starting point, it’s really quite impressive what the Hamilton design team has done with this release. It maintains the same general tonneau shape of the Boulton, but dials up the sci-fi influence by a considerable amount. The design element I imagine most will be talking about is the array of seven total sapphire crystals protecting the dial. As anyone who knows anything about the manufacture of these crystals can tell you, this is no easy feat, but what must have been a meticulous process to get these details exactly right pays off in a big way. The use of multiple crystals strikes me as very Art Deco in a certain sense – it’s decoration just for the sake of it.
The case measures 48mm from lug to lug and is just shy of 14mm tall (it’s powered by a Hamilton H-10 movement with 80 hours of power reserve). I had a chance to see and try on the watch very briefly at a Hamilton preview event in January and was impressed by the way it wore in spite of an initial visual impression that the case would wear massively and be tough to handle. It has thoughtful ergonomics, an excellent bracelet, and is crafted from titanium, so it’s quite light. The aesthetics, of course, will not appeal to everyone. But this is not intended as a mass market item – it’s limited to 2,000 pieces and Hamilton plans to work hard to engage the gaming community with this release – they are really hoping for a big crossover hit.
As a non-gamer, my initial impressions of the watch were quite positive strictly on the basis of Hamilton trying something wildly different and adventurous. There’s nothing else in their catalog quite like the American Classic Boulton Death Stranding 2 Limited Edition. It’s a watch that has the energy of an indie with nothing to lose, as opposed to a large brand that often consciously plays toward a very broad market. Whether video game themed watches have staying power, and whether there’s real crossover appeal for watches in the gaming world, is something we’ll discover in time, but it’s exciting to see Hamilton make a bold play like this.
The new American Classic Boulton Death Stranding 2 Limited Edition will be available on June 26. The retail price is $1,495. Hamilton
