Featured image: Breitling
The most famous watches in movies are the Rolex Submariner 6538 in Dr. No (1962), the Heuer Monaco in Le Mans (1971), the Omega Seamasters of the Bond era, the TAG Heuer Link in The Bourne Identity (2002) and the Hamilton “Murph” watch in Interstellar (2014).
Quick answer The watches in movies that people search for most are the Bond watches (Rolex first, then Omega from 1995), Steve McQueen’s Heuer Monaco, Jason Bourne’s TAG Heuer Link and Interstellar’s Hamilton. Of these, the Hamilton Khaki Field Murph is the easiest to buy, at around its EUR 895 launch price (check current retail), while the Monaco and Dr. No Submariner are now collector territory.
Interstellar: the Hamilton Murph watch you can actually buy
In Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, a watch is more than a prop. Cooper leaves his daughter Murph a watch whose seconds hand ticks out Morse code, and that message drives the third act. The film’s “Murph” watch was a custom Hamilton, built by the brand in only a few weeks, with a 42 mm steel case and an ETA 2824-2 automatic movement. About ten were made for production, according to aBlogtoWatch, and all were returned after filming.
Cooper himself wears a catalogue model, the Hamilton Khaki Pilot Day Date, a 42 mm steel watch with an ETA 2834-2 movement. Our Interstellar watch page covers both in more detail.
Hamilton released a commercial version in February 2019 as the Khaki Field Murph (H70605731), with a “Eureka” Morse code on the seconds hand. Monochrome reported a launch price of EUR 895.
| Spec | Hamilton Khaki Field Murph | Cooper’s Khaki Pilot Day Date (in the film) |
|---|---|---|
| Case size | 42 mm | 42 mm |
| Material | Stainless steel, sapphire front and back | Stainless steel |
| Movement | Hamilton H-10 automatic, 80-hour power reserve | ETA 2834-2 automatic, day and date |
| Water resistance | 100 m | Not covered in our source |
| Approx. price | EUR 895 at launch (2019); check current retail | Listed around $945 on bracelet in an older review |
Where to buy
Compare the same watch on both sites: eBay for pre-owned and vintage pieces, Amazon for new stock.
Hamilton Khaki Field Murph
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M
TAG Heuer Monaco
Prices and availability change; check the listing before you buy.
James Bond: from Rolex to Omega
The Bond films are the biggest single source of famous movie watches. In Dr. No (1962), Sean Connery wears a Rolex Submariner reference 6538 on a leather strap. Hodinkee notes that the widely shared NATO-strap photo of that watch is not from the film, and that the “Bond NATO” look came later.
Omega took over with GoldenEye in 1995 and has supplied the watch ever since. The references below are the commonly cited collector ones, and the Calibrated Wrist notes that on-screen props can differ from shop models.
| Film (year) | Bond’s watch |
|---|---|
| GoldenEye (1995) | Omega Seamaster Professional 300M quartz, blue dial |
| Casino Royale (2006) | Omega Seamaster Diver 300M and Planet Ocean |
| Skyfall (2012) | Omega Planet Ocean and Aqua Terra |
| Spectre (2015) | Omega Seamaster 300 and Aqua Terra |
| No Time to Die (2021) | Omega Aqua Terra, then a titanium Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition |
We cover each film in detail: GoldenEye has its own page, and there is an overview of every Omega Bond has worn.
The pattern is worth noticing. The Dr. No Submariner was a tool watch worn as a tool watch, while the later Omegas are product placement with a story attached. Casino Royale (2006) is the clearest turning point, since it pairs a modern Seamaster with a rougher, more physical Bond.
If you want a Bond watch today, the Seamaster Diver 300M is the long-running answer, and the titanium 007 Edition from No Time to Die is the most recent film-specific version. Prices run from a few thousand dollars new to considerably more for special editions, so check current listings.
Steve McQueen and the Heuer Monaco in Le Mans
Steve McQueen played racer Michael Delaney in Le Mans (1971) and wore a square Heuer Monaco, reference 1133B. The watch became so tied to him that people still call it the “Steve McQueen Monaco,” even though it is not a watch he wore in his everyday life.
One of the six Monacos used on the Le Mans set was given to the film’s chief mechanic, Haig Alltounian, and sold at Phillips in December 2020 for USD 2,208,000, a record for a Heuer at the time, according to Monochrome. The story of the actor’s real-life watches is more complicated, and our page on what watch Steve McQueen wore separates fact from myth.
Jason Bourne and the TAG Heuer Link
In The Bourne Identity (2002), Matt Damon’s character finds a steel TAG Heuer Link chronograph in a Zurich safe-deposit box, next to his passport and money. He wears it through the rest of the film. It is a good example of a watch chosen to look like a real man’s real watch, not a status symbol. See our full Bourne watch guide.
Nightcrawler and the stolen Breitling
In Nightcrawler (2014), Jake Gyllenhaal’s Lou Bloom takes a Breitling Chronomat Evolution, a 44 mm model with a white dial, from a security guard early in the film and wears it throughout. Hodinkee noted how loosely it sits on his thin wrist, which is part of the character. More in our Nightcrawler watch article.
Why some movie watches become famous
A watch becomes a movie icon when three things line up: it is visible on screen, it fits the character, and someone writes the story down. Bond has a brand partner and decades of coverage. McQueen had a racing film and a mythology. Interstellar had a watch that mattered to the plot.
The reverse also happens. Some famous watches are famous mostly because the internet repeated an identification until it stuck. That is why we flag when a claim is “reported” and prefer maker statements, auction catalogues and established watch media.
How to find the watch in any movie
Start with the cast: the lead actor’s watch is often supplied by a brand partner, and manufacturers announce those deals. Then check reputable watch media such as Hodinkee, Fratello and Monochrome for a specific identification, and be careful with fan forums, which often confuse similar models.
Many movie watches are modified or one-offs, like the Interstellar piece. When that is true, the closest buyable watch is the honest answer, and we try to say so. Always check a reference number against a reliable source before buying a watch “as seen in” a film.
FAQ
What are the most famous watches in movies?
The usual shortlist is the Rolex Submariner in Dr. No, the Omega Seamasters in later Bond films, McQueen’s Heuer Monaco in Le Mans, Jason Bourne’s TAG Heuer Link and the Hamilton watch in Interstellar.
What watch does James Bond wear?
Since GoldenEye in 1995 it has been an Omega, most often a Seamaster. Before that, Connery wore a Rolex Submariner 6538 in Dr. No (1962).
What watch was in Interstellar?
Murph’s watch was a custom Hamilton with a Morse code seconds hand, and Cooper wore a Hamilton Khaki Pilot Day Date. Hamilton later released the Khaki Field Murph (H70605731) based on the prop design.
Can I buy the Steve McQueen Monaco?
Yes, in the modern TAG Heuer Monaco range, but the original Le Mans watches are collector pieces. One sold for about $2.2 million at Phillips in 2020.
What movie watches are affordable?
The Hamilton Khaki Field Murph is the clearest example, at around its EUR 895 launch price. Several modern Omega and TAG Heuer models used in films cost far more.
Sources
- Hodinkee: Sean Connery wears a Rolex Submariner ref. 6538 in Dr. No
- The Calibrated Wrist: Omega and James Bond, the watches and the movies
- aBlogtoWatch: Hamilton watches in the movie Interstellar
- Monochrome: Introducing the Hamilton Khaki Field Murph
- Monochrome: Phillips sells the Heuer Monaco 1133B from Le Mans
- Hodinkee: Jake Gyllenhaal wears a stolen Breitling in Nightcrawler