Few films of the last 25 years have left a deeper aesthetic mark on pop culture than 1999’s “The Matrix.” Its green-tinted, black leather-clad vision of cyberspace is instantly recognizable to this day, with an influence that stretches far beyond the movie theater to touch the worlds of fashion and design. With the fourth film in the series, “The Matrix Resurrections,” set to debut in theaters and on HBO Max on December 22, 2021, the Matrix look may well be due for a comeback. Hamilton dives into this bold digital aesthetic with its latest limited edition release, transforming its retro-chic PSR digital watch design with a new colorway and unique touches lifted directly from the digital world of “The Matrix.” Although not slated to appear in the new film, the new limited edition Hamilton PSR MTX has been designed in close partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures to faithfully translate the look and feel of the series into a stark and stylish twist on this classic design.
Measuring in at 40.8mm-wide and only 34.7mm from lug to lug, the brushed stainless steel case of the Hamilton PSR MTX keeps the sleek ‘70s futurism of the base design intact and should provide a compact and distinctive feel on the wrist. Although the squared-off ovoid form and engraved integrated lugs are shared with the standard model, the PSR MTX gives this design a darker and more brooding character in images with its deep black PVD coating. As with the standard model, the oval pusher at 3 o’clock activates the OLED portion of the hybrid dial for a short duration to brighten the display for outdoor reading. Outside of the black PVD treatment, the PSR MTX’s greatest visual departure from the traditional PSR comes with its unique caseback design. This new screw-down caseback is dominated by a complex engraving featuring the iconic falling lines of code from “The Matrix.” Hamilton cleverly hides details from the limited edition serial number to the solid 100-meter water resistance rating in this digital rain pattern, providing useful information to the wearer without breaking the flow of the design.
The hybrid LCD and OLED digital dials of the Hamilton PSR series are starkly minimal in their execution, and the design of the PSR MTX continues this philosophy. Rather than the bright traffic-light red that the standard PSR uses to emulate early dot-matrix displays, however, the PSR MTX instead shines out its time-only digital display in vibrant and moody Matrix green. Coupled with the new black PVD case finish, this new display creates an almost photo-negative feel when compared to the base model, complete with a more aggressive cyberpunk attitude in images.
Like the standard model, Hamilton powers the PSR MTX with an unspecified digital quartz movement. While Hamilton keeps the technical specifications of this movement close to the vest, the PSR MTX should provide solid quartz performance. Hamilton completes the darker new look of the PSR MTX with a matching black PVD rendition of the line’s integrated three-link stainless steel bracelet. With an aggressive taper that flares out to 24mm-wide near the case and a clean fully brushed finish, this bracelet flows deftly with the lines of the case and keeps the silhouette of the original design intact.
Although it keeps the retrofuturist minimalism of the original model intact, the limited edition Hamilton PSR MTX brings a sharper and more aggressive character to the design that stylishly captures the spirit of “The Matrix.” Only 1,999 examples of the Hamilton PSR MTX will be made, and the watch is available now through authorized dealers at an MSRP of $995. For more details, please visit the brand’s website.
