Independence Day: Resurgence: Hamilton Khaki X-Wind automatic chronograph

by
Independence Day: Resurgence, released in June 2016 and directed by Roland Emmerich, also starred Hamilton watches. Hamilton watches have been in the movies since 1951 and they have starred not only in Hollywood films but European, Chinese and Russian productions as well. Significant Hollywood movies include 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) directed by Stanley Kubrick, the Men in Black trilogy, I am Legend (2007), Interstellar (2014) and The Martian (2015). Photo: courtesy of Hamilton / 20th Century Fox.

Independence Day: Resurgence, released in June 2016 and directed by Roland Emmerich, also starred Hamilton watches. Hamilton watches have been in the movies since 1951 and they have starred not only in Hollywood films but European, Chinese and Russian productions as well. Significant Hollywood movies include 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) directed by Stanley Kubrick, the Men in Black trilogy, I am Legend (2007), Interstellar (2014) and The Martian (2015). Photo: courtesy of Hamilton / 20th Century Fox.

Ever heard of the term Mil-Spec? What is Mil-Spec?

The term Mil-Spec is one that has long been linked with watches. Mil-Spec refers to the “military specification” or “military standard” that instruments or devices must meet in order to be supplied to the armed forces.

Hamilton Watch Company for example, was a supplier of timepieces and instruments to the US Military and its allies from 1917 to 1989, according to the article Repurposed Military Watch – Origins of the Hamilton Khaki on www.vintage-hamilton-wristwatches.com.

Hamilton supplied pocket watches, wristwatches, marine chronometers, aviation equipment and instrumentation. It was the soldiers that gave Hamilton the “khaki” nickname.

In the movie Independence Day: Resurgence, Liam Hemsworth plays ace space pilot Jake Morrison and he sports a Hamilton Khaki X-Wind automatic chronograph. Photo: courtesy of Hamilton / 20th Century Fox.

In the movie Independence Day: Resurgence, Liam Hemsworth plays ace space pilot Jake Morrison and he sports a Hamilton Khaki X-Wind automatic chronograph. Photo: courtesy of Hamilton / 20th Century Fox.

The Hamilton Endicott case, from what we understand, was adapted for use in the military timepieces. Among the last models Hamilton made for the military was one housing the ETA 2801 movement.

In the movie Independence Day: Resurgence, Liam Hemsworth, who plays ace space pilot, Jake Morrison, sports the Hamilton Khaki X-Wind chronograph, a watch for adventure and one supporting its military heritage, states the brand.

We agree and knowing how the “Khaki” name came from because of its military legacy, Hamilton is an apt choice.

On Liam Hemsworth’s wrist in Independence Day: Resurgence: the 44mm Hamilton Khaki X-Wind automatic chronograph. The pushers are built to form an X. It features the day and date displays and the drift angle calculator for pilots to measure crosswinds. Photo: courtesy of Hamilton / 20th Century Fox.

On Liam Hemsworth’s wrist in Independence Day: Resurgence: the 44mm Hamilton Khaki X-Wind automatic chronograph. The pushers are built to form an X. It features the day and date displays and the drift angle calculator for pilots to measure crosswinds. Photo: courtesy of Hamilton / 20th Century Fox.

Other actors sporting Hamilton watches in the movie include Bill Pullman (playing former President Whitmore) with a Thinomatic, Jeff Goldblum (David Levinson) with a Jazzmaster automatic with GMT and James A. Woods (Lt Ritter) with a Khaki Pilot Automatic Chronograph.

Interestingly, the movie, a sequel to Independence Day which was launched 20 years ago in 1996, is also set 20 years later after the first alien invasion.

Other related articles on www.timewerke.com that may be of interest:
i. Hamilton KhakiBELOWZERO in The Martian: Make it a Ten
ii. Hamilton’s Ventura 80 Elvis: Fit for Kings and Queens

Blancpain: “The Great Wave” Part II

by
Blancpain “The Great Wave”, Métiers d’Art studio. Introduced in 2016 and equipped with Blancpain’s Calibre 13R3A manual-winding movement, it features a Mexican silver obsidian dial, the “canvas” for which the white gold applique for the waves are first fixed to a Shakudō base before being coated with a unique patina which is the result of immersing it into a bath of rokushō salts. An alloy of gold and copper, Shakudō was first used by Blancpain on its Ganesh watch. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. BaselWorld 2016.

Blancpain “The Great Wave”, Métiers d’Art studio. Introduced in 2016 and equipped with Blancpain’s Calibre 13R3A manual-winding movement, it features a Mexican silver obsidian dial, the “canvas” for which the white gold applique for the waves are first fixed to a Shakudō base before being coated with a unique patina which is the result of immersing it into a bath of rokushō salts. An alloy of gold and copper, Shakudō was first used by Blancpain on its Ganesh watch. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. BaselWorld 2016.

“The Great Wave”, Blancpain’s 2016 Métier’s d’Art creation, is an artistic timepiece that is inspired by the motion of the sea, and that obviously refers to the waves.

In fact, it is inspired by The Great Wave off Kanagawa, the famous woodblock print created by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760 to 1849).

He created the famous The Great Wave or Under the Wave Off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura) during the Edo period (circa 1830 to 1832) and it is from his series, Thirty Six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei).

In Hokusai’s The Great Wave, a giant wave is about to come crashing down on fishing boats and in the background, there is Mount Fuji.

In Blancpain’s version of “The Great Wave”, there are no fishing boats and neither is there a mountain. There is the huge wave but is not an ordinary one. Blancpain’s wave is made of white gold and skillfully carved out by Blancpain’s master engravers.

What is noteworthy is the material of the dial – Mexican silver obsidian. This is the first time the brand is working with this gemstone.

Gray obsidian symbolizes purity and balance. This is a stark contrast to the silver obsidian used as a base or canvas depicting a momentous wave about to strike.

Silver obsidian is a semi-transparent volcanic rock speckled with puffy, silvery clouds. This gemstone is the base for Blancpain’s “The Great Wave” applique in white gold.

The white gold applique (the wave) is first fixed to a Shakudō base before being coated with a unique patina which is the result of immersing it into a bath of rokushō salts.

Shakudō is an alloy of gold and copper. Blancpain first used it on the Shakudō is Ganesh watch.

After the patina is applied, the Shakudō is removed. Certain parts of the wave roller are polished. This is to intensify the perception of a huge billowing wave.

The wave engraving is then fixed onto the Mexican silver obsidian and the result is a shimmering appearance with changing dial tones which vary according to the lighting.

The Roman poet Ovid (43 to 17 A.D.), whose poetical works are known to have influenced literary greats such as Geoffrey Chaucer (1343 to 1400), William Shakespeare (1564 to 1616), Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 to 1832) and Ezra Pound (1885 to 1972) once said: “Neither can the wave that has passed by be recalled, nor the hour which has passed return again.”

We totally agree that time passed will never return but there are exceptions with regards to the recall of waves. Among them, Hokusai’s Under the Wave Off Kanagawa and Blancpain’s 2016 version of “The Great Wave”.

Part I of this article can be found here.

Another related article on www.timewerke.com that may be of interest about the Katsushika Hokusai’s artwork, Under the Wave Off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura):
i. Seiko’s first tourbillon: Credor Fugaku Tourbillon: First Wave In