Back in 1988 I worked in Product Development for Hamilton Watch Co. in Lancaster , PA here in the USA. Hamilton had a line of retro watches which were remakes of models they had made back in the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. I worked for the Vice President in charge of Product Development, he asked me to put together a watch for Robin Williams because they needed a period looking watch for his upcoming movie (Dead Poets Society). We also had the watch engraved to commemorate the movie. I had never seen the watch again since 1988 until a few days ago when a picture of it turned up in a newsletter about the auction of Mr. Williams collectibles, it was nice to know that he held on to the watch all those years. The watch model was the Hamilton Cabot.
Dead Poets Society Movie Trailer
Seeing that picture reminded me of other movies I had put watches together for.
Older version of a Sugar Bowl watch but the logo was the same. Also, the Hamilton movie watch was yellow gold-filled.
Also, back in the 1980’s when working at Hamilton I put a watch together for Dennis Quaid, the movie was called (Everybody's All-American). They needed a 1950’s looking watch with the Sugar Bowl logo on the dial. Hamilton still had a gold-filled, top loading automatic watch in their line that looked like a 1950’s or 60’s watch. My department was also in charge of the logo watches they made back then, and Kenny Derr who had worked there since the 40’s had a bunch of old dials. I was able to find an original 1950’s dial from is junk box. I fit the old dial to the new watch and it looked just like an original watch that would have been given to the players back in the 50’s. I wonder where this watch is today? Maybe Mr. Quaid still has it.
Movie scene with watch on Mr. Quaid’s wrist.
Everybody’s All-American Movie Trailer
In the late 1990’s Albert Brooks who I had met at a watch show contacted me, he asked if I would supply a few watches for him to wear in his up coming movie (The Muse). Of course, these were RGM watches, he wore an RGM 101M, and a stainless steel RGM chronograph in the movie. If you look at the movie credits RGM is mentioned. I am told Mr. Brooks still has these watches today.
Thanks for listening to my little walk-down watch and movie memory lane.
Roland Murphy