Originally launched in 1957 as the world’s first electric wristwatch, the Hamilton Ventura was a truly revolutionary timepiece both in terms of its movement and its design. Characterized by its signature triangle-shaped asymmetric case, the Ventura was a personal favorite of the late American singer Elvis Presley. Elvis owned multiple different versions of the watch, and even wore one in his musical Blue Hawaii. For its latest release of 2024, Hamilton has just announced six different Ventura watches, which are inspired by Elvis Presley’s hit single “Blue Suede Shoes,” which was the first song on his self-titled debut album.
Among the six new Hamilton Ventura “Blue Suede Shoes” watches, four are time-only models and two are chronographs, although all of them are powered by Swiss quartz movements. Additionally, all six watches are crafted from stainless steel and fitted with blue gradient sunray dials, although three of them are paired with blue Alcantara leather straps, while the other three models receive matching stretch-link bracelets. Similarly, while four of the six new Hamilton Ventura “Blue Suede Shoes” watches have polished steel cases, two of the time-only models showcase a gold PVD finish, with one of them also receiving a matching gold stretch-link bracelet.
The time-only versions of the new Hamilton Ventura “Blue Suede Shoes” watches measure 32.3mm in diameter by 9.27mm thick, with 17mm lugs and a lug-to-lug profile of 50.3mm. Mineral glass crystals sit above their dials, while solid casebacks secured by three small screws are fitted to the reverse side of the watches. Water resistance for the models comes in at 50 meters to protect against daily contact. Powering the time-only Hamilton Ventura watches is the ETA Caliber F05.115 Swiss quartz movement, which features three jewels and includes an end-of-life indicator, where the seconds hand will jump multiple places at a time (while still maintaining accuracy) in order to give owners a heads up that they are almost due for a battery replacement.
The time-only Hamilton Ventura “Blue Suede Shoes” model that is fitted with a polished stainless steel case and a blue Alcantara leather strap is the ref. H24411942, while its bracelet-equipped counterpart is the ref. H24411142. Meanwhile, the two gold PVD versions are the ref. H24301941 and ref. H24301141, with the latter of the two being the version that is paired with a matching gold PVD stretch-link bracelet. To complement their cases, the two stainless steel models are fitted with nickel-plated hands, while the gold PVD versions feature gold-plated hands, although all four of the time-only models have seconds hands with bright red tips that add a small dash of contrasting color against their blue gradient sunray dials.
The two Hamilton Ventura Chrono Quartz “Blue Suede Shoes” models both feature polished stainless steel cases, and they are the ref. H24432941 and ref. H24432141, with the latter of the two being the one that swaps out the blue Alcantara leather strap of its sibling for a matching stainless steel stretch-link bracelet. Aside from being a bit thicker, the two chronograph models are otherwise the same size as their time-only siblings, and they measure 32.3mm in diameter by 10.87mm thick, with 17mm lugs and a lug-to-lug profile of 50.3mm. Additionally, just like the three-handed models, the new Ventura Chrono Quartz models have mineral glass crystals above their dials, solid screw-on casebacks, and 50 meters of water resistance. However, the signed crown on the right-hand side of the case has been joined by a set of pushers, while the dial opts for a three-register layout with a date window at the 4 o’clock location.
Inside the new Hamilton Ventura Chrono Quartz “Blue Suede Shoes” watches is the ETA Caliber 251.474 Swiss quartz chronograph movement, which features 23 jewels and also includes an end-of-life indicator to notify owners of upcoming battery changes. Similar to the three-handed models, the hands are nickel-plated to complement the case, while the tip of the centrally-mounted chronograph seconds hand is finished bright red to add a small dash of contrasting color. Lastly, since the lug width is the same between the time-only and chronograph models, the straps and bracelets for the Ventura Chrono Quartz watches are the exact same as what can be found on their three-handed stainless steel siblings.
As far as pricing, the three-handed Hamilton Ventura “Blue Suede Shoes” watches with polished stainless steel cases (ref. H24411942 and ref. H24411142) cost 975 USD, while their gold PVD siblings (ref. H24301941 and ref. H24301141) are slightly more expensive at 995 USD, and the chronograph models (ref. H24432941 and ref. H24432141) are the most expensive at 1,095 USD. Additionally, while the bracelet-equipped versions of watches typically cost a premium above their strap-fitted counterparts, the new Hamilton Ventura “Blue Suede Shoes” models are priced the exact same, regardless of whether buyers opt for the blue Alcantara leather strap or the matching stretch-link bracelet. While some collectors will inevitably wish that these watches were powered by mechanical movements, a battery-operated design is true to the spirit of the original Hamilton Ventura from the 1950s, and it also allows these “Blue Suede Shoes” models to be among the least expensive offerings in the current Ventura lineup. For more information on the Hamilton Ventura “Blue Suede Shoes” watches, please visit the brand’s website.
