And even though I am the pseudo-resident “movie nut” on staff here at Hodinkee, there must be a reason I am writing about Dune other than to profess my excitement for its release. There must be a watch … but how? If you’re wondering if watches exist within the broader Dune-verse, they don’t. And yet, there is a watch in Dune, designed by Hamilton – sort of.

As you know, and as I’ve covered over the years here, Hamilton is the watch brand of cinema. And this isn’t about product placement. If you think back to films like Interstellar, where Christopher Nolan tasked the brand to make a unique watch that didn’t exist in their collection for the film, you come to understand that the brand has a real connection to the industry in ways that become injected into the narrative of the very movies its watches appear in.

Sometimes, Hamilton expands beyond its purview as a watchmaker into something more akin to a prop maker. Take 2020’s Tenet, for example (another Nolan film) where a very specific kind of watch was needed for a crucial plot moment in the film. Nolan requested two watches, each with a different colored LED display – one to count up and the other to count down. I went hands-on with the actual props from that film nearly four years ago, and let’s just say they were real props with big battery packs and wires that were necessary during the filming of that movie. But that countdown/up device never became a production Hamilton. Instead, the brand released actual watches inspired by those in-movie pieces.

This is a roundabout way to get us to this moment, mere days ahead of the release of Dune: Part Two. Similar to the Tenet, Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve reached out to Hamilton and asked if they could design and produce a wrist device for the Fremen characters in the film (you’ll know them for their piercing blue eyes). Given that, as mentioned earlier, there are no watches in this cinematic (or literary) universe, Hamilton had a tall task ahead of it. With the help of the prop master, Doug Harlocker, sketches were produced for this “watch,” to which no indication was given to Hamilton as to what its function was or is. The brand only knew they were producing a tool for the Fremen.

I was able to get a version of this prop for some in-person examination and it’s really a cool object to behold. Seeing as I, too, don’t know what it does (I haven’t yet seen the film but will be attending the New York premiere this weekend), I can only really describe what I see. In many ways, it reminds me of watching those old Star Wars behind-the-scenes documentaries where the crew at Industrial Light & Magic were tasked with constructing the Star Destroyers and the Millenium Falcon (I am showing a whole other level of nerdery here). The artistic place they landed on was what can best be described as an industrial “lived-in” look and feel. Seeing as Star Wars took a great deal of inspiration from the Dune novels, it would make sense for the Dune film to pay that inspiration back.

This asymmetrical “watch” has levers, bolts, and components done in a faux-aged and faux-tarnished finish that feels like cyber-punk meets junkyard DIY. And for a group of rag-tag desert-dwellers living off of spice, that artistic direction really tracks. Adding to that design is the jolt of blue coloring at the center of what seems to be a circuit board. Much like a watch, this large item is worn on the wrists of the characters in the film. And my understanding is there is some level of post-production on these so that the blue actually lights up meaningfully.

This brings us to our other tie-in to the methodology behind the Tenet watches. Just like with that film, Hamilton is releasing two limited edition watches that take direct inspiration from this prop. And given the odd shape of said prop, it only makes sense that Hamilton turned to its most sci-fi adjacent model – and one of its most historically significant – the Ventura. While it is best known for being one of Elvis’ watches of choice and standard issue for the Men in Black, it also feels like the correct choice here.

One of the two LEs takes direct artistic inspiration from the prop watch, and that is the Hamilton Ventura XXL Bright Dune Limited Edition. Spec-wise, we are looking at a 52x 46.6mm stainless steel case with black PVD coating and a total thickness of under 12mm. It has a quartz movement inside and comes affixed to a black rubber strap. But it’s the dial where the fun is to be had. The deep black dial lights up in blue when activated via a pusher on the left side of the case (the non-crown side). The blue light is merely an effect for effect’s sake – and there’s nothing wrong with that – so it doesn’t illuminate the hands. That is done via standard luminescent coating.

In terms of size, this one is big for sure, but viewing it next to the prop watch really puts into context what big is. When you have a watch this sci-fi-forward, this futuristic, you can forgive a larger sizing. And the light-up effect really brings out the kid in me. This watch is limited to 3,000 pieces and will cost $1,750.

Then there is my favorite of the two: The Hamilton Ventura Edge Dune Limited Edition. This one is 51x 47.2mm, also with a stainless steel case, black PVD coating, and a rubber strap, but it comes in thicker at just under 14mm. It is also 100m water-resistant compared to the 50m of the other model. It has a quartz movement because it boasts a very cool LED display. On this watch, you read the time in a vertical formation, which reads as a faint blue unless you press a button in the crown, at which point – similar to the blue ring on the prop watch – a ring of light illuminates in blue on the dial along with the numerals.

But it doesn’t stop there. Just before the light shuts off, the blue light grows to its brightness peak and then gracefully fades to darkness. It’s an effect that I am sure plays into the prop watch in the movie, and I am glad Dune 2 exists, if not for the sole reason that Hamilton may never have thought to create this light function.

There’s also just a wealth of visual interest on this dial, from that circuit board effect to the textured design that mimics the prop. It’s just… cool. There’s really no better way to describe it. This one is limited to 2,000 pieces and will cost $2,500.

And while I am not necessarily a Ventura guy, I really appreciate that watch. I’ve been to the original Hamilton Factory in Lancaster, PA. I have seen the old Hamilton Electric Ventura models with their own intricate circuits. This is a watch steeped in horological history and to see Hamilton take this futuristic leap with the watch on the back of Dune 2 feels like a perfect marriage of the brand’s history and its connection to cinema.

While I had plenty of fun checking these out, I am just as excited for the premiere of Dune: Part Two and you know I will have my eyes peeled for that prop watch. See you at the movies.