Seiko Mods for Movie Buffs: Build Watches Worn By Popular Film Characters
Some people watch movies for the plot. Others for the action. But if you’re like us, you probably also keep an eye on the wrists. Movie watches have a way of stealing the spotlight even if they’re not usually a part of the story. It’s a kind of unintentional easter egg for us watch enthusiasts when we see a watch we love worn by a character on the big screen. And if it’s a watch we don’t know, we’ll be Googling it after the credits to see it in more detail.
Watches in movies help define characters, and is an important part of their wardrobe. As you may already be aware of, a watch can be an extension of yourself and your personality, and we applaud the wardrobe department of these movies for nailing the watch choice for the characters.
Source: Man of Many
In this article, we’ll walk you through 3 watches worn by characters in some of the most culturally-significant movies of the 2000s. One worn by a secret agent, a serial killer, and the savior of humanity. We’re sure that you’ve already watched these movies, but we’ll keep it spoiler-free in case you haven’t. We’ll also give you part suggestions so you can build an homage to these featured watches at home.
American Psycho (2000) – Patrick Bateman’s Rolex Datejust
We’re starting with a curveball and looking at the “Rolex Datejust” (explanation for the quotation marks coming in a bit) in the slasher classic American Psycho. At this point, who hasn’t seen the business card scene of this movie? It’s masterful cinema that birthed hundreds of memes and quotes that live on 25 years later. And in the middle of it all is yuppie serial killer Patrick Bateman - a man obsessed with looks and luxury.
Fun fact: Actor Christian Bale was supposed to wear a Rolex Datejust 36 16013 for the role, but the film producers could not get permission from Rolex to feature it in the film as they did not want the brand associated with a loony. So what do they do? They use an homage watch from the brand that sounds like “Psycho”: the Seiko SNXJ90.
The watch features a silver sunburst dial, applied markers, and a fluted bezel, all housed in a compact 36mm case. It is powered by the reliable Seiko 7S26 automatic movement and is praised for its classic, old-school aesthetic. While originally an inexpensive watch, its discontinued status and association with the film "American Psycho" have driven up its price in the second-hand market.
Building your own Bateman’s “Datejust” is entirely possible with Seiko mods as well. For the case, you can use our NMK937 36mm case inspired by the DJ, with fluted bezels and a two-tone color scheme. This case bundle is almost complete already with matching bracelets, crown, crystal and caseback, so the only things you’re missing are the internals. You can add this Champagne Gold dial and Baton hands and call it a day.
No Time to Die (2021) – James Bond’s Omega Seamaster Diver 300M “007 Edition”
Source: Prestige Time
We can’t really write an article about watches in movies and not include a James Bond watch in there, can we? When it comes to iconic movie watches, James Bond basically wrote the playbook. While 007 has worn everything from Rolex Submariners to Seiko digital watches throughout the decades, Daniel Craig's 2021 outing as Bond gave us one of the most memorable timepieces in the franchise: the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M in No Time to Die.
Fun fact: Omega didn't just slap their logo on a random watch for this film. They actually created multiple versions specifically for the movie in collaboration with Daniel Craig.
Another Fun fact: This is James Bond’s 9th film with Omega, and unlike the others, this was not a limited edition watch and is still available for purchase today.
Source: Pedro Luis Olivares
The watch features a striking tropical brown dial with those signature wavy patterns replaced by a more muted, military-inspired aesthetic, luminous indices, and the classic helium escape valve. The 42mm grade 2 titanium case keeps things ridiculously lightweight at just 95 grams, so you can bet it won’t wear you down in case you find yourself in the middle of a firefight. It's powered by Omega's Master Chronometer 8806 movement and comes with both a titanium mesh bracelet and NATO strap.
Want to use this as your inspiration for your next mod? You’ll need the NMK928 Seamaster Case along with its matching bezel that features the iconic patterns of the Omega diver. You’re free to experiment with the other parts as long as you stick to the diver theme. For example you can use a tropical Divemaster style dial that would give your build a bit of a vintage look. Finish it off with a NATO strap for added MilSpec vibes.
Interstellar (2014) – Cooper’s Hamilton Khaki Field “Murph”
Christopher Nolan doesn't mess around when it comes to details, and that obsessive attention extends to every prop in his films - including the watches. In "Interstellar," the Hamilton Khaki Field is not just a part of the wardrobe - it actually becomes a crucial plot device that helps save humanity across dimensions of space and time.
Fun fact: For the movie's mind-bending Morse code scenes, Hamilton's prop team actually deconstructed the movement and inserted a small servo motor to manipulate the seconds hand - no CGI involved. They literally rebuilt the watch around this tiny motor, operated by hand during filming to create those crucial interdimensional messages.
The prop watch was not originally designed to be a commercial piece, with only 10 pieces being made originally for the movie and returned to Hamilton by the end of filming. Due to the demand though, they finally made it available for purchase by 2019. Hamilton initially released it in a film-faithful 42mm size, but smartly introduced a 38mm version in 2022 that hits the sweet spot with short lugs measuring just 44.7mm lug-to-lug, making it wear similar to a Seiko. It's powered by Hamilton's reliable H-10 automatic movement with an 80-hour power reserve, features an exhibition caseback, and comes on a stiff leather strap that's a 1:1 recreation of the film version.
If you want your own personalized “Murph” homage, grab the 38mm NMK912 Field Case. We don’t have an exact dial match, but this Pioneer Pilot dial picks up on the vibe, and looks perfect together with the Cathedral hands with patina lume. This may not have the “Eureka” morse code detail on the seconds hand like the actual Murph, but self-assembly gives it its own sentimental value!
Wrap up
Movie watches may look out of reach, but with Seiko modding, you don’t need a secret agent salary or a Hollywood prop master to wear one. All it takes is a little creativity, the right parts, and a few hours at the modding table.
Ready to build a watch that’s worthy of your story? Check out our catalog of hundreds of Seiko mod parts and start planning your own custom build! We have parts for different styles of watches like divers, dress watches, and now, even Chronographs. Whatever idea you have for a watch build, you can turn it into reality.
Happy modding!