Hamilton Watch Company introduced the world’s first electronic wristwatch, the Ventura, in 1957. The idiosyncratic three-sided watch gained worldwide fame a few years later, when Elvis Presley wore it in the 1961 film Blue Hawaii, and its maker has been producing versions of it ever since. Today, on what would have been the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s 87th birthday, we showcase the latest, called the Ventura S Quartz, which features a revamped “3D illusion” design.

The watch’s stainless steel, triangular shield-shaped case (some have likened it to a guitar shape, a la Elvis) measures 34.5 mm by 38 mm in diameter and 10.55 mm thick and frames a textured, multi-dimensional dial defined by an embossed triangle motif. The play of light reflections on the dial as well as on the shiny, polished surfaces of the case create a kaleidoscope effect in which the tiny geometric shapes appear to vibrate and move with the motions of the wearer’s wrist.
The dial is available in black or white versions, both with nickel-plated, off-center hands for hours, minutes, and seconds; Super-LumiNova coats the first two. Each dial version is matched to an integrated rubber strap of the same color, which fastens to the wrist with a stainless steel pin buckle. As the watch’s name implies, a Swiss quartz movement hums inside the 50-meter water resistant case.

Both versions of the Hamilton Ventura S Quartz (Ref. H24251310 in whi...