Hamilton expanded its popular Murph for 2024 by adding two new variations to the 38mm model: one with a white dial and a leather strap, and one with a black dial and a stainless steel bracelet. For those unfamiliar, it was in 2014 that we got our first glimpse at the Hamilton Murph, a curious edition of the 42mm Khaki Field watch developed for the film Interstellar. At the time, it was made exclusively for the movie and played a vital role in its plot, so naturally, we all wanted it. Hamilton eventually released the Murph to the masses, followed a few years later by the hugely successful 38mm model. And now, for 2024, we have the new white dial model at the center of this hands-on.
Hamilton produced the original 38mm Murph, released in 2022, on a leather strap with a matching black dial. It was a faithful expression of the watch worn by Jessica Chastain in the film, just with a smaller case and minus the ability to converse via Morse Code through time and space, of course. Now, Hamilton is adding a stainless steel bracelet to the black dial model, a move it credits to better durability and versatility. It’s nice to have the option for steel, but I think many die-hard Interstellar fans will prefer leather.
The other big news is that the Murph is now available for the first time with a white dial. For now, Hamilton is only offering the white dial on a black leather strap with white stitching, a contrast I think works nicely, and ties the new white dial to the original Interstellar watch better than a stainless steel bracelet does. Hamilton also likened the contrast of the white dial and black leather strap to the vastness and exploration of space, which evokes a sense of wonder when you look at it from that perspective. The hour markers are trimmed in black, and the text and minute track have been swapped with black for better visibility. Besides those changes, the white dial appears identical to the black dial Murph 38, down to the nickeled cathedral-style hands and khaki Super-LumiNova. Hamilton chose the beige-colored lume for consistency across the entire collection, but I prefer how it looks on the black dial over the new white dial model. It’s slightly harder to read and honestly looks off-putting to me. I know it doesn’t align with the overall look of the Murph, but white lume to match the dial would really sell me on this watch.
When Hamilton initially released the Murph in 2019, it paid homage to a pivotal scene in the movie during which Murph exclaims, “Eureka!” after finally cracking a formula that would help save humanity. If you look closely at the seconds hand in the image of the 42mm Murph below, “Eureka” is spelled out in lumed Morse Code on that model. Hamilton chose the seconds hand because, in the movie, that is the hand Murph’s father, Cooper (played by Matthew McConaughey), used to communicate with Murph via Morse Code. Murph’s watch had a plain seconds hand and used a small, hand-operated motor to achieve the Morse code effect: no special graphics, just the ingenuity of the movie’s talented prop master. When Hamilton released the 38mm model in 2022, it did away with the lumed “Eureka” message, a design element carried over to the new 2024 releases, although the 42mm still sports it. All of this is to say that, as a fan of the movie, I wish it was still there. Seeing the dashes and dots aglow in the dark would be neat. However, it’s so small and hard to see in the light that it’s easy to forget Hamilton omitted it from the 38mm models.
The 42mm Hamilton Khaki Field Murph with the “Eureka” seconds hand.
The other interesting change between the 42mm and 38mm models is the smaller case size. While the 42mm model is true to the watch Murph wears in the movie, it also measures 52mm from lug to lug, which many quickly pointed out was too large for most wrists. I personally could never wear it. The 38mm model seems to remedy that with a much more manageable 44.7mm lug-to-lug measurement. I found it perfect for my smaller 5.75” wrists, with a few millimeters to spare for the curved lugs to comfortably hug my wrist. Furthermore, I initially thought the large crown would bother me, but the vintage look has since grown on me, and I found it easy to manipulate.
When Hamilton asked which model I would prefer, I chose the white dial because the new color intrigued me, and leather tends to be easier to size to my smaller wrist than removing links for a review. I like the overall look of the leather strap with the white stitching and secure pin buckle. My only gripe and I’ve heard this before about the other leather Murphs, is that the strap is initially very stiff to the point that it is almost too uncomfortable to wear and sits awkwardly on the wrist. To that same effect, it was difficult to unloop it from the strap minders when taking the watch off. Leather straps can take time to break in, so it will be interesting to see if the strap on this watch softens up after it’s been worn for a while. If not, I imagine it would be fairly easy to swap for a different, more supple leather strap, given the 20mm lugs.
Each Murph watch (including the 42mm model) uses the caliber H-10, a self-winding three-hand movement based on the ETA 2824-2. It has a substantial 80-hour power reserve, perfect for people who like to rotate between watches.
The Hamilton Murph became a cult favorite even before Hamilton decided to start producing it in 2019. So, when the first 42mm model came out, it was an instant hit, followed by the even more popular 38mm model. I can see Hamilton adding similar options to the original 42mm Murph if these new releases are well-received among the watch-collecting community. The new white dial Hamilton Khaki Field Murph retails $895 USD, while the black dial and stainless steel bracelet variation retails for $945 USD. For more information, please visit the Hamilton website.
