isionary video game creator Hideo Kojima’s releases are among the most anticipated titles in both gaming and culture. Calling on world class actors like Norman Reedus and Léa Seydoux to portray characters, Kojima’s work pushes the narrative and experiential boundaries of gaming. Hamilton partnered with the storytelling pioneer to create an in-game watch for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, the follow-up to his award-winning and genre-bending masterpiece Death Stranding.

Hamilton worked closely with renowned art director Yoji Shinkawa to create the futuristic, Boulton-inspired Limited Edition that reflects the techno-apocalyptic environment of Death Strandiing. Shinkawa, as he did for many of Kojima’s works in the past, has led the art direction for this title series and incorporated Kojima’s imagination into an actual watch in this newest instalment.

Design cues from the Boulton are seen in the sleek, arching lines of the titanium case with black PVD treatment. Combining durability with a rugged yet refined look, titanium reduces the case’s weight by 45 percent and is highly resistant to saltwater corrosion.

The watch features seven sapphire crystals: one primary viewing window with two columns of three on each side matching the lines of the case. The unique, never-before seen case shape makes for dynamic, ever-shifting shadows and bending of light. Minimalist grey indicators on the face are set off with a contrasting orange lacquered seconds hand and 12 o’clock index. Looped hour and minute hands reference the sapphire design and bring lightness to the face. The black PVD titanium bracelet further underscores the sleek yet durable, technical appeal of the watch.

The three-hand automatic 25-jewel movement features an 80-hour power reserve. True to the watch’s apocalyptic narrative origins, a Nivachron™ balance spring offers enhanced resistance to magnetic fields, changes in temperature and shocks.

In light of Hamilton’s long and storied presence in filmmaking, the partnership with Kojima Productions was a natural fit given the video game studio’s cinematic, auteur approach to its work. Hamilton collaborations with the storytellers behind Dune: Part Two, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Interstellar caught the studio’s attention and revealed the potential of a horological partnership.

Limited to just 2,000 pieces with individual case back numbering, the watch features collectable packaging inspired by narrative elements from the game as well as a bespoke cleaning cloth unique to the collaboration. The American Classic Boulton Death Stranding 2 Limited Edition is set to release in June in connection with the release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.

“More than half a century ago, in the late 1960s, one of my favourite film directors, Stanley Kubrick, commissioned Hamilton to create the watch that appears in hi film ’2001: A Space Odyssey’. I feel very honoured to have been able to create the watch that appears in my latest work, ’Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’, together with Hamilton. Both ’2001: A Space Odyssey’ and ’Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’ are set in a slightly futuristic world beyond the actual time period in which they were created. Hamilton, which has provided watches for many films, was a perfect choice as a partner to design and create a product set in the near future, which is an extension of the present. Please take this watch in your hands and experience the product that connects the world of the game and the real world,” says Hideo Kojima.

“It took more than two years to design and develop the watch that appears in ’Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’, in parallel with the production of the game. If it was just to appear in the game, we could have designed it freely. But we spent a lot of time on the design to make it into a product that actually functions as a watch while also conveying the atmosphere of the game, and after numerous discussions and trial and error with the designers at Hamilton, we were able to complete the product. Based on The American Classic Boulton model from nearly a century ago, we believe we have created a watch that is futuristic and yet also has a high-class feel that would smoothly fit in the real world. At first glance, it may seem very simple, but when you pick it up, you will feel the extremely high-quality essence backed by Hamilton’s advanced technical and production capabilities,” says Yoji Shinkawa.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Case

• 36x48mm black PVD titanium case
• Open case back with Death Stranding logo
• Height 13,7mm
• Lug width 20mm
• Glass: Sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating on all 7 top crystals
• Water resistance 5 bar (50m)

Dial

• Black dial with multiple finishings
• Hands: Hour and minute hands with special loop shape and orange second hand

Movement

• Three-hand automatic movement with 25 jewels and 80h power reserve
• Movement holder with special tar finishing

Bracelet

• 3-rows black PVD titanium bracelet with sandblasted finishing and butterfly clasp