Hamilton Ventura Quartz S: Hawaii Colour, Asymmetric Icon

The Case in Brief

• The Hamilton Ventura Quartz S (references H24211142 and H24211170) is a 24x36mm asymmetric quartz watch in stainless steel, revived in a turquoise and pink Hawaii-inspired colourway priced at CHF 880, and fitted with a tool-free EasyClick flex bracelet.
• Dial colours draw from Hawaii’s hibiscus bloom; a yellow-tipped seconds hand references the flower’s pistil.
• The original Ventura, designed by Richard Arbib in 1957, was the world’s first electric watch.
• Elvis Presley wore the Ventura in the 1961 film Blue Hawaii, establishing its reputation as a watch of individual expression.

Design & Origin

Richard Arbib borrowed the V-geometry he had developed for Hudson automobiles and rotated it into a watch case that had no precedent in 1957. The result was a 24x36mm asymmetric form that read as genuinely futuristic. At 7.8mm tall, with a 13mm lug width, the proportions remain compact despite the visual force of the silhouette.

The 2026 iteration channels Blue Hawaii specifically. Soft turquoise and pink tones animate the dial, and the yellow-tipped seconds hand traces the pistil of the hibiscus flower. The reference to the 1961 film is deliberate: Elvis Presley wore the Ventura throughout the production and regularly gifted the watch to friends, which is how it acquired its enduring nickname, the Elvis watch. That cultural weight sits inside the design choices rather than on a case back inscription.

Movement & Materials

A quartz movement with three jewels powers the Ventura Quartz S, rated to 5 bar (50m) of water resistance beneath a mineral crystal. Hour and minute hands are nickelled; the seconds hand receives the yellow tip that completes the floral reference at the dial level.

The bracelet is a stainless steel flex construction, buckle-free, which gives the wrist a fluid, uninterrupted line. Hamilton’s EasyClick system is integrated, allowing strap changes without tools. For a watch this geometrically particular, tool-free flexibility is a practical advantage.

Heritage & Lineage

Founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1892, Hamilton built its early reputation on railway and aviation timing before moving into cinema: the brand’s watches have appeared in more than 500 films and television productions. The Ventura sits at the intersection of those two histories. Its 1957 debut as the world’s first electric watch was a technical claim; its appearance in Blue Hawaii four years later was a cultural one. Both remain part of what the watch carries today.

Within Hamilton’s current catalogue, the Ventura Quartz S occupies a distinctive position alongside other character-driven references such as the Resident Evil Requiem Limited Edition and the movement-forward Jazzmaster Open Heart. Each reflects a different axis of the brand’s identity; the Ventura is the design axis, unambiguous and uncompromising.

Specifications

For full technical details and regional availability, visit hamiltonwatch.com.

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