Fratello’s Top 5 Affordable Watches In Movies — Featuring Seiko, Hamilton, Citizen, And More
Another Friday, another Top 5! This week, we’re looking at some of the best watches featured in famous movies. But we’ll stick to the affordable options rather than drumming up some more expensive ones. Maybe we will get to those in a different article. For now, let’s focus on affordable watches with great stories of “co-starring” in some of Hollywood’s great blockbusters.
Before we get into our list of five watches, we have a little disclaimer about our picks. We picked one watch per brand because there are simply so many watches to choose from. Is the one Seiko we picked or the Hamilton we prefer also your favorite? Quite possibly, it is not. The selection you see here is a list of our favorites, but our choices can serve as the perfect conversation starters about why another model from the same brand is the better option for you. Now, with that out of the way, let’s get into our list.
Seiko 6105-8110 “Captain Willard” — Apocalypse Now
Picking one Seiko from the movies is practically impossible! There are too many Seiko watches to choose from. Many of you will immediately think of Arnie’s Seiko H558 or the Seiko 7A28-7000 “Ripley” that Sigourney Weaver wore in the movie Aliens. And we can mention a few others, as Dave did a few years back. However, the one Seiko in a movie that had the most impact on the watch world is the Seiko 6105-8110 that Martin Sheen wore while portraying Captain Willard in the classic Francis Ford Coppola movie Apocalypse Now.
Today, 45 years after the movie came out, people still refer to the 6105-8110 as the Seiko “Captain Willard.” As we all know, a nickname in the Seiko universe is a welcome identifier, but this happens to be one of the most famous ever.
Seiko SLA033 — Image: Bulang & Sons
Two Captain Willard reissues at different price points
The Seiko 6105-8110 was produced from 1970 until 1977. It was the first Seiko dive watch with an asymmetrical case and integrated crown guards. Its 150m-water-resistant case measures a substantial 44mm wide with a relatively modest 19mm lug spacing. The watch is powered by the in-house caliber 6105, which operates at 21,600vph and has a 46-hour power reserve. If you want a vintage version of the 6105-8110, expect to see asking prices between roughly €1.2K and €2K.
Image: Seiko
The prices used to be quite a bit lower, but the reissues that Seiko released put a spotlight on the original “Captain Willard” and caused the prices to go up. The first reissue was the limited and premium SLA033, which goes for anywhere between €3K and €5.5K. The more affordable SPB151 and SPB153 are modern Prospex versions of this classic. They go for roughly €700 to €1,200 and are a great homage to the original. But nothing beats the original watch because it is part of movie history.
Hamilton Khaki Field Murph — Interstellar
Our second pick is the Hamilton Khaki Field Murph, which was featured in the 2014 blockbuster Interstellar. Most of you have seen the movie and will know the importance of the Murph watch in the plot. Hamilton released the 42mm Murph five years after the movie came out as a 2,555-piece limited edition. The watch is an exact recreation of the watch in the movie, including a special seconds hand with tiny lacquered dots on the sweep seconds hand that spell out “Eureka” in Morse code.
The watch features a 42mm case that is 11mm thick, a royal 52mm long, and 22mm between the lugs. It is powered by the brand’s H-10 automatic caliber and offers a generous 80 hours of power reserve. On top of that, the watch came in a specially designed Interstellar-themed box. The initial limited edition sold out, but the watch has also been available ever since with regular packaging and costs €1,095.
The 38mm Murph is a smart extension of the collection
While most people applauded the watch’s release, its dimensions made it too big for many. That’s why Hamilton added the smaller 38mm version to the lineup in 2022. The smaller version has a 38mm case that is ever so slightly thicker at 11.1mm and measures 44.7mm from tip to tip with a 20mm lug spacing. These dimensions hit the sweet spot for many fans. Inside the smaller case, you will find the same H-10 movement that is visible through the display case back.
It also comes on a similar alligator-style strap to complete the look. While the 42mm version has the added link to Interstellar through its sweeping seconds hand, the more wearable 38mm version is probably the watch most people go for. On top of that, it is cheaper at €995. Whichever one you choose, both Murphs are a great reminder of Christopher Nolan’s brilliant movie.
Image: Columbia Pictures/Sony
Citizen 8110A Challenge Timer — Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
When it comes to cool watches in movies, the Citizen 8110A “Bullhead” that Brad Pitt wears in Tarantino’s 2019 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is right up there with the best of them, regardless of budget. Tarantino’s story is an homage to Hollywood during the late ’60s in which Brad Pitt plays the stuntman Booth, who wears the gold-colored version of the Citizen 8110A Bullhead on a thick brown Bund strap.
Image: Columbia Pictures/Sony
The watch looks super cool on Pitt’s wrist and fits his character perfectly. But movie fans also know that the watch and the story do not add up. The story is set in 1969, whereas the watch was released in 1972. It’s one of those movie inconsistencies that often occur, but as far as we are concerned, it doesn’t hurt the cool factor of this watch.
Image: Collectible Watches Manilla
Getting your hands on one of the original watches can be challenging. First, it’s good to know that the official name of the series of “Bullhead” models is the Citizen 8110A Challenge Timer. There are many versions out there with aftermarket dials and hands, but don’t let that stop you from getting one. The watch had a 38 × 41mm case that was produced in five different versions.
Image: Collectible Watches Manilla
One is in stainless steel, and the rest have a base metal case with a stainless steel case back. Two of them feature a black coating, and one comes with a gold plating like the one in the movie. The fifth and last model has a brushed metal case that collectors think might be a nickel alloy. Inside the case, you will find the in-house caliber 8110A, which ticks away at 28,800vph and provides 40 hours of power reserve. This chronograph movement features a column wheel, vertical clutch, and flyback function. Additionally, it offers a quick-set function for the day and the date. The 8110 series is a super nice group of watches with multiple versions worth checking out.
Image: Strapcode
A 2021 collaborative effort with Japanese clothing store Beams
Regarding the gold version, we haven’t seen a worldwide reissue. However, in 2021, Citizen worked with Japanese retailer Beams on reissuing a series of quartz Citizen Bullhead models, including a gold version. Finding an original vintage version is still the best option, though. You can usually find one between €1,000 and €1,250, which is substantial, but you’ll get a super cool watch in return.
Image: Watch Shock
Casio G-Shock DW-5600C-1V — Speed
As most of you will know, we are big G-Shock fans here at Fratello. The G-Shock Square models are especially a favorite in the Fratello offices. That’s why it made sense to feature the famous G-Shock DW-5600C-1V that Keanu Reeves wrote in the 1994 hit film Speed. The story goes that the watch that he wore actually belonged to him. The DW-5600C was the updated version of the original G-Shock from 1983 and was first introduced in 1987. It was the first G-Shock that used Phillips-head screws in the bezel. On top of that, it was the first G-Shock available with different resin colors.
Image: Watch Club Pte
The specific model that Reeves wore (ref. DW-5600C-1V) is also known as the “NASA” model. It got that nickname because the watch was qualified by NASA for space travel and has graced the wrists of several astronauts. The model was the last of the basic G-Shocks with a screw-in case back and a metal inner case. The case protects the 691 quartz module that powered the watch until 1990, after which, it was updated with module 901.
Image: Watch Crunch – Dive Froggy
Both feature the familiar array of G-Shock functions that we have come to know from the brand. The amazing thing about the watch — and all the classic G-Shock Squares, for that matter — is that they still feel as relevant as ever. It makes this G-Shock DW-5600C-1V even cooler. It is a vintage G-Shock that you can still wear today without it feeling dated at all. You can find the original version between €300 and €800. You could also go for DW-5600E-1V if you want a modern version for €99.90.
Image: Wanna Buy A Watch
Benrus ref. 3061 — Bullitt
The last watch on our list of affordable but cool watches seen in movies is the brilliant Benrus ref. 3061, which Steve McQueen wore in the 1968 film Bullitt. This civilian version of the classic military field watch has become quite a bit more expensive over the past couple of years, but it’s still not completely unreasonable. In the movie, McQueen plays San Francisco cop Frank Bullitt, who becomes one of his coolest characters. As Bullitt, he wore cool clothes and drove the brilliant Mustang GT 390 Fastback. On his wrist, he wore the Benrus ref. 3061. The model was easy to distinguish from the military version thanks to the red arrow-shaped tip of the seconds hand, the case back that mentioned “Series #3061,” and the Benrus name on the dial.
Image: Wanna Buy A Watch
The watch had a 34 × 41mm stainless steel case with an acrylic crystal that protected the black dial with the typical luminous 1–12 numerals and smaller military-style 13–24-hour scale. In addition to the larger Arabic numerals, the triangular markers on the dial and the hands were filled with lume for reading the time in the dark. Inside the case, Benrus equipped the ref. 3061 with its 17-jewel manual-winding DR 2F3 movement.
Image: Wanna Buy A Watch
The civilian counterpart of the MIL-W-46374 issued to American soldiers in the Vietnam War is still a seriously cool watch that looks brilliant on various straps. Depending on the condition, you can find this classic for prices ranging from roughly €500 to €1,500.
A modern version of the original ref. 3061
You can also opt for the modern version that came out in 2022. Benrus decided to increase the size to 39.5mm × 48mm × 12mm so that it fits modern standards. Additionally, the brand updated the movement to the automatic Soprod P024 with a 38-hour power reserve. However, the instantly recognizable military style with that little pop of red color remained.
It gives the Benrus Series #3061 “Bullitt” this extra pop that makes it stand out from many other military-style field watches. The good thing is that you can still buy this modern version from the Windup Watch Shop for US$595. Having said that, nothing would beat the cool factor of the original watch that graced Steve McQueen’s wrist.
Final thoughts
There you have it — a list of our five favorite affordable watches featured in movies. As I already mentioned, there are so many great options that could have been on this list. That’s why I want to turn the question over to you. What are your favorite affordable watches from some of the biggest blockbusters? Let us know in the comments section, and we’ll see you next week for another Top 5 list!
