Dune: Part Two opens nationwide this weekend and the movie’s makers turned to Hamilton to create wrist-worn gadgets for the inhabitants of Arrakis.
It was an unusual request, with the famously film-obsessed watchmaker required to design a prop that would look at home in the bleak futuristic landscapes of Frank Herbert’s Dune, but was not told what functions it would perform: Communicator? Timekeeper? Fitness Tracker? Hamilton was not briefed.
At the request of the film’s director, Denis Villeneuve, Hamilton worked with the movie’s props team to design wristwear for the nomadic Fremen tribe.
“With no knowledge of the device’s function but guided by the lore of Frank Herbert’s Dune and Villeneuve’s vision for the film, Hamilton’s designers created a hardwearing, distinctly Fremen device that perfectly embodied Harlocker’s artistry and earned Villeneuve’s blessing on the final design,” the watchmaker reports.
Hamilton has a longstanding relationship with Hollywood, with its watches featuring in over 500 major films since 1932.
“This collaboration was very inspiring and challenging at once,” says Hamilton CEO Vivian Stauffer. “For the first time we were asked to design something which is not a watch. Getting this trust is very rewarding,” she adds.
Hamilton Ventura watches for Dune 2
Alongside its work on the prop, Hamilton also designed two new versions of its Ventura watch, which go on sale this week as Dune 2 premieres.
Both Venturas have luminous blue dials reminiscent of the Fremen’s unmistakable blue eyes.
The Ventura Bright has a button replicating the glowing blue lines of the “Desert Watch” prop while the Ventura Edge has a matte black PVD-coated angular case with a digital display in blue.
The limited-edition pieces come with commemorative packaging inspired by the film.
Hamilton’s Ventura XXL Bright Dune Limited Edition is on sale now for £1,585. The Ventura Edge Dune Limited Edition is £2,235.
