This Reimagining of an Iconic, Affordable Mid-Century Watch Looks Surprisingly High-End

Of all the iconic watch designs that have stood the test of time, the Hamilton Ventura is perhaps the most unique.

For starters, the watch debuted in 1957 as an electric watch — the world’s first — unlike virtually every other watch icon that counts its mechanical nature as a defining feature. Secondly, the Ventura’s odd Art Deco meets Atomic Age design isn’t exactly timeless — it is very much of its time and will always look retro.

Hamilton

Despite these idiosyncrasies, or perhaps because of them, the Ventura has endured. From the early days when Elvis rocked the watch to its ’90s resurgence in the Men in Black film franchise to its current status as a cornerstone of Hamilton’s catalog, the Ventura has arguably been Hamilton’s most recognizable model through it all.

In more recent years, Hamilton has gotten more experimental with the Ventura, using its distinct triangular case shape to spawn a series of new interpretations that stretch the idea of what a Ventura is. The latest is the Ventura Edge Skeleton, perhaps the most radical reimagining yet, and one that resembles watches that cost far, far more.

Hamilton

Living on the edge

Hamilton has been supersizing and modernizing the Ventura for a while now. The Ventura Elvis80 Skeleton, for example, features a large triangular case and a skeletonized dial showing off an automatic movement, but it still keeps some of the original Ventura case’s famous gadroons.

Then there’s the Ventura Edge Dune Limited Edition that launched last year as a tie-in to the sci-fi movie franchise. It introduced the “Edge” case design, a hyper-modernized take on the Ventura’s trademark form factor that’s nearly indistinguishable from the original. While still ostensibly a triangle — though with one curved side — the Edge case is filled with angles and facets that look decidedly less vintage than the original watch.

While contemporary in its design, the Ventura Edge Dune didn’t exactly come across as a high-end watch. It’s quartz-powered with a digital display and looks more like a movie prop than a luxury timepiece. The new Ventura Edge Skeleton, however, is another story.

Hamilton

It keeps the radical Edge case design but fills it with a higher-spec Calibre H-10-S automatic movement, Hamilton’s skeletonized version of ETA’s acclaimed Powermatic 80 calibre. The movement boasts an 80-hour power reserve and an anti-magnetic Nivachron balance spring.

The movement itself is skeletonized, and it’s overlaid with a black skeletonized framework dial that heightens visual interest. Even cooler is the sapphire crystal, which has a smoked gradient effect that only partially reveals the watch’s inner workings while maintaining some level of mystery. Even the dauphine hands are skeletonized, with green Super-LumiNova tracing their outline for a laser-like effect.

Hamilton

Pricing and availability

With the new Ventura’s oversized angular case, its skeletonized automatic movement and its unique smoked crystal, the watch has shaken off its vintage forebearer to become something else entirely. Taking a quick glance at the watch, it now appears to have more in common with a Richard Mille than a Hamilton, at least from an aesthetic standpoint.

Thankfully, the watch is still priced like a Hamilton and not like an RM. The Ventura Edge Skeleton is available now on the brand’s website in plain stainless steel for $1,925 or black PVD-coated for $100 more.

Hamilton

Hamilton Ventura Edge Skeleton

Specs

Case Size	51mm x 47mm
Movement	Hamilton Cal. H-10-S automatic
Water Resistance	50m

• $1,925 at Hamilton

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