Hamilton Odyssee 2001

Overall Condition: Excellent condition overall. Case shows only light wear. Dial and handset are in excellent condition. Factory bracelet is in equally, excellent condition.

The late 19th and early 20th centuries were without question the golden age of American watchmaking. The implementation of mass production and interchangeable parts assured American supremacy. Brands such as Gruen, Elgin, and Hamilton vied against the Swiss to dominate the watch industry—and Hamilton, in particular, was at the top of its game.

In particular, the development of railroad chronometers gave the manufacture a reputation for accuracy and dependability, in an age where those qualities were vital in a watch.

But Hamilton’s production did not rest on railroad chronometers alone: throughout the 1920s and 1930s, and on into World War II, Hamilton released a dizzying array of designs. The brand's aesthetics got more adventurous and polarizing through midcentury and into the 1970s.

In 1966, Hamilton was asked to create a prop for the iconic film "2001: A Space Odyssey" by Stanley Kubrick. In 1969, Hamilton did a commemorative edition of the model, changing the name on the dial to the French spelling of Odyssey "Odyssee" to avoid copyright issues.

This watch took its mission seriously, embracing the futuristic, otherworldly space climate of the movie's subject line and running with it to generate one of the most exciting watch designs to come from the era. In many ways, this piece predated the space craze of cushion case pieces of the 1970s and comes with an exciting story behind it for lovers of film history. Snag this beauty before someone else does!