Elvis Presley’s signature watch was the Hamilton Ventura, the triangular electric watch he wore in Blue Hawaii (1961). He also owned a diamond-bezel Omega gifted by his record label, an Omega Constellation from his army years, a Rolex “King Midas” and a Rolex Submariner.
Quick answer: Hamilton Ventura, the original 1957 electric model. Hamilton’s modern tribute, the Ventura Elvis80 Auto, listed at $1,495, though Hamilton’s site now marks it as a past-collection model. The regular Ventura line is still sold.
The Hamilton Ventura
The Ventura launched in 1957 as the world’s first battery-powered electric watch, with an asymmetrical, triangular case that looked like nothing else on the market. A Timely Perspective reports that Elvis fell in love with it and wore it in Blue Hawaii (1961), which helped make it “the Elvis watch.” Hamilton has leaned into that link ever since, and its own product page calls Elvis the Ventura’s biggest fan.
| Spec | Hamilton Ventura Elvis80 Auto (current tribute) |
|---|---|
| Case size | 42 mm x 45 mm, 11.38 mm thick |
| Case material | Stainless steel (the black version uses a PVD coating) |
| Movement | Hamilton H-10 automatic, 80-hour power reserve |
| Water resistance | 50 m (5 bar) |
| Power reserve | 80 hours, a nod to what would have been Elvis’s 80th birthday |
| Approximate price | $1,495 list price on Hamilton’s US site |
Hamilton’s page lists this Elvis80 version as past collection and not available online, so availability varies by color and retailer. These are specs for the modern tribute, not Elvis’s original 1950s electric watch.
Elvis Presley’s other famous watches
- Omega Constellation (circa 1960): a pink gold-plated steel watch with a black dial, worn during his army service in Germany from 1958 to 1960. He gave it to his friend Charlie Hodge, and it sold at Antiquorum in 2012 for $52,500.
- Tiffany-stamped Omega with 44 diamonds (1961): a white gold watch with a diamond-set bezel, stamped by Tiffany & Co. and given to him by RCA Victor to celebrate 75 million records sold. The case back is engraved to Elvis from RCA Victor. It sold at Phillips in 2018 for $1,812,500, a record for an Omega.
- Rolex King Midas ref. 9630: a solid-gold, Gerald Genta-designed watch from the late 1960s. Only 1,000 were made, and Elvis’s was reportedly number 343, a gift from the Houston Livestock Show officers in 1970.
- Rolex Submariner Big Crown ref. 6538: seen on his wrist in the early 1960s, with an oversized 8 mm crown. Good examples sell for $100,000 or more.
- Corum Buckingham: an oversized square gold watch from around 1960 that he gave to his bodyguard Richard Davis.
- Bulova Accutron: a model with a custom leather strap for his 1968 comeback television special, which he reportedly traded to a fan, plus an 18k yellow gold Accutron 521 with an asymmetrical square case.
Collection profiles disagree on minor details, so treat gift stories as reported accounts. The King Midas and the diamond Omega are the best documented, with engraved case backs.
How these watches compare
| Watch | Year | Story | Value signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Ventura | 1957 design; worn in 1961 | Worn in Blue Hawaii | Tribute models around $1,000 to $1,500 |
| Omega Constellation | c. 1960 | Army years; given to Charlie Hodge | $52,500 (2012) |
| Tiffany-stamped Omega | 1961 | RCA Victor gift for 75 million records | $1,812,500 (2018) |
| Rolex Submariner ref. 6538 | Early 1960s | Seen on his wrist | $100,000 or more for the model |
| Rolex King Midas ref. 9630 | 1970 | Gift from Houston Livestock Show officers | Displayed at Graceland |
Why the Ventura mattered
Elvis wore watches the way he wore clothes, which is to say boldly, and many of the watches in his story were gifts from fans, labels and friends rather than purchases. He was also known to trade a watch to someone who admired it, which is part of why so few can be traced today. The Ventura was the opposite of a stuffy dress watch. It was futuristic, tied to the electric era, and pointed to a new kind of style. That is why the same shape is still being sold more than sixty years later.
Get the look for less
- Hamilton Ventura Quartz: Best for the real design at the lowest price. Pro: authentic Ventura shape. Con: quartz, not the Elvis80’s automatic. Around $1,000 for a 32 mm version at one US retailer, so it is not as cheap as some guides suggest.
- Hamilton Ventura Elvis80 Auto: Best for a closer match to the modern tribute. Pros: 80-hour automatic, bold shape. Con: unusual proportions suit some wrists better than others.
Our homage watch guide and titanium versus stainless steel explainer may help if you want similar bold designs. For another icon known for his wrist presence, see JFK’s watch, or Hemingway’s for a writer from the same era.
FAQ
What watch did Elvis Presley wear in Blue Hawaii?
The Hamilton Ventura, whose triangular case earned it the nickname “the Elvis watch.”
Did Elvis wear a Rolex?
Yes. He wore a Rolex Submariner Big Crown ref. 6538 in the early 1960s and was given a gold Rolex King Midas ref. 9630 in 1970.
Does Hamilton still make the Ventura?
Yes, in several versions. The Ventura Elvis80 Auto with the H-10 automatic movement is listed on Hamilton’s site as a past-collection model, so check current availability.
What was Elvis Presley’s most expensive watch?
The diamond-bezel, Tiffany-stamped Omega given to him in 1961 sold for $1,812,500 at Phillips in 2018, a record for an Omega.