Hamilton Ventura Skeleton and Hamilton Ventura Quartz

That day we met Spider-Man and the Men in Black...in Milan!

28 June 2019 | Hamilton , 30 minutes on the wrist

Hamilton is the only watch brand to showcase, on the Italian version of their official website, a page specifically dedicated to "Watches and Cinema." It proves how active is the link between the brand and the film industry; I grew up when the brand had partnered with Stanley Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey and just described, a couple of weeks ago, how significant was the Khaki Murph in the making of Interstellar. However, Hamilton Watch first appeared in a movie more than eighty years ago when the Hamilton Flintridge and the Hamilton Piping Rock appeared in Shanghai Express. The Ventura is the last in a row of wristwatches not to simply appear in films or tv series but play an active role instead.

The Hamilton Ventura has this year doubled its presence, as did the brand when it created a new contemporary take on the Ventura alongside the classic one. They share the same signature case design, something you hate or love, that makes this timepiece unique.

The former, technically more refined, is the Hamilton Ventura Skeleton, appeared in Iron Man and showing up later in Spiderman: Homecoming, the last chapter of the saga.

The latter is instead the Hamilton Ventura Quartz, standard equipment to agents M and H in the sequel to Men in Black, the first ironic take on the alien-invasion genre, where Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, wearing a Blues Brothers' outfit like, have been replaced by two new actors, on of them being the American actress Tessa Thompson.

The Hamilton Ventura Skeleton.

Let's be frank: the Ventura is unusual. It is not the kind of watch that's sitting on top of your list if you're ready to buy your first one unless you specifically desire a Ventura. Tony Stark is, for example, a perfect character for the Skeleton as are fashion trendsetters, even though the Ventura has a large following already. The first to have ever wrapped it around his wrist was Elvis Presley, who turned this odd watch into a status symbol. Kudos to Hamilton watch for often conceiving out-of-the-box products that add to core collections like the Khaki.

If we compare the Skeleton to the original version, we reckon the brand has transformed a thin and triangular-shaped edgy timepiece into a more modern, smoother, technically advanced, and avant-garde product. The skeletonized dial mimics the Spider logo visible on our hero's suit and is black as the PVD-treated steel case. Is it just a design exercise? It is not, since it guarantees at least 80 hours of power reserve too. It is one of the best-crafted Hamilton watches I have ever seen, and one of the most comfortable I have ever worn.

The biggest letdown is common to many skeletonized watches: it is not super-legible, but that is something you have to deal with when you're buying a Hamilton Ventura Skeleton. Also, I believe you instead buy this watch to convey a different message and share your personality too. It is perfect if you're a fan of comics and themed luxury accessories. The Skeleton was produced in 999 copies, each retailed at € 1,900.

The Hamilton Ventura Quartz.

When Will Smith played in the original "Men in Black" released in 1997, he was wearing a Hamilton Ventura Quartz chronograph. That film became a cult, and agent M, one of the two agents starring in Men in Black: International, played by actress Tessa Thompson, wears a Hamilton Ventura Quartz.

Compared to the Skeleton, the Hamilton Ventura Quartz is a whole different watch. Although the movie takes place in the future, Tessa wears an almost exact re-issue of the 1957 original watch.

The Ventura Quartz and Skeleton are pretty different from each other: the Quartz is much thinner, is long and narrow at 32.3 x 50.3 mm, compared to a Skeleton's 42.5 x 44.6 mm wide and long case.

They share the same triangular shaped case. Period. If you are more into the original Ventura, here is where the story began. The Hamilton Ventura was the first electric battery-powered watch ever, as the motif printed amidst the dial suggests, and retails for € 735.