On January 8, 2015, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s 80th birthday was celebrated worldwide with remastered reissues of his music for modern-day Elvis fans. It was also presented a new website called ElvisTheMusic.com. Among those who decided to pay tribute to the King there is also Elvis’ favorite watchmaking brand Hamilton.
The new Hamilton Ventura Elvis80 Watch was officially unveiled earlier this year at the Baselworld 2015 and it was among a few Hamilton’s novelties at the event.
The relationship between the two dates back to 1961, when Elvis got his first arrow-shaped Hamilton Ventura timepiece which he wore in the movie ‘Blue Hawaii.’ This iconic timepiece was launched back in 1957 and it was the world’s very first battery-powered wristwatch.
Elvis Presley wearing the Hamilton Ventura in backstage during filming of ‘Blue Hawaii’
The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll wore a yellow gold Ventura timepiece, and he had the original black and gold strap replaced with the elegant metal bracelet. The only surviving Ventura with a link to Elvis Presley is a white gold watch with a black dial which was sold at an auction in Graceland, in 1999. The Hamilton bought it back and now this timepiece is a part of the brand’s museum collection.
The commemorative edition is powered with the in-house manufactured H-10 mechanical movement which can store up to 80 hours of power reserve. The manufacturer has also offered a quartz version of the timepiece which is much more affordable and accessible to all Presley’s fans. The automatic model is priced $1,495, while the quartz version can be purchased for $1,045.
The unusual triangular-shaped case of the Hamilton Ventura Elvis80 is nicely finished with alternating and polished surfaces, whereas angular conturing of the original model has been replaced by more flowing lines. The watch features modern architecture of the case, a curved dial and an intricate attachment fixture. Although the watch is modernized by softening the original triangular case shape, its integrated case and bracelet help it to keep a retro look.
Hamilton Ventura Elvis80 Auto is crafted from black PVD-coated stainless steel, while the quartz model is available as a black PVD-coated and polished silvery colored timepiece. Whichever model you choose, it has the same size of 42.5 x 44.6mm which is a perfect measure for both man and woman considering the fact that it is a unisex watch.
Depending on a model, the new Elvis80 timepiece can be paired with a black rubber strap, or mounted on a black leather strap with contrasting white stitching, or attached to a steel bracelet.
