The much-anticipated simultaneous release of blockbuster films Barbie and Oppenheimer on July 21 finally brought the “Barbenheimer” movement to a crescendo. The tongue-in-cheek portmanteau refers to the entertaining duality between the bubblegum celebration of Mattel’s iconic doll and the grim ethical and historical overtones from the story of the father of the atomic bomb.

Margot Robbie in a scene from Barbie, left, and Cillian Murphy in a scene from Oppenheimer. Photos: Warner Bros Pictures, Universal Pictures

As our team scoped the timepieces of everyone involved in the films and promotional tours, Tag Heuer and Hamilton were the clear winners: they were almost the only watch brands present in Barbie and Oppenheimer, respectively.

While perhaps not quite a thematic Barbenheimer equivalent in the watch world, it’s still interesting to see references from both watch houses appearing on the silver screen and red carpet, thanks to the brands’ partnerships with the films’ cast members.

Tag Heuer x Barbie

Ryan Gosling leads a show-stopping musical number in Barbie. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

It should be far from surprising that Ryan Gosling’s ambassadorship with Tag Heuer made its way into the movie as Beach Ken wrestled with the gender role reversal he experienced in reality vs Barbieland.

 

Ken bringing patriarchy – and plenty of horses – to Barbieland was a sour note in the second act of the film, but it did give us Gosling in a fur coat along with several pairs of shades and no less than three different vintage Heuer Carrera chronographs on his wrists at the same time, as reported by Hodinkee.

Two of the three Heuer Carreras that Ryan Gosling’s Ken wore in Barbie. Photos: Handout

The pieces themselves are from the 1960s and 70s, from before Heuer was bought by the Tag racing company and a few years after the original Ken was introduced in 1961. However, we surmise that the watches were chosen not so much for their horological significance (all three are seminal pieces in Heuer’s history of chronographs) but for the sheer golden decadence the pieces exude.

Ryan Gosling at Canadian promotions for Barbie, sporting a pink Tag Heuer Carrera Date 36mm. Photo: Getty Images

To cap it all off, Gosling sported a more modern, pink Tag Heuer Carrera Date 36mm in Toronto for the Canadian leg of promotions, in contrast with his pastel blue and pink suit, per media reports.

Hamilton x Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer was written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Photo: Universal Pictures

The temptation to label Tag Heuer x Hamilton the Barbenheimer of watches this summer is strong, but even though both films tapped long-standing partnerships to source three vintage references from the respective brands for the screen, the similarities end there.

Hamilton vintage pieces worn by Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer, from left to right: Cushion B, Lexington and Endicott. Photo: Hamilton

Seasoned director Christopher Nolan tapped his long-standing relationship with Hamilton to source vintage pieces for the biopic on J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb played by Cillian Murphy.

The film comprises interwoven scenes from Oppenheimer’s early life and career, his work with the Manhattan Project in the 1940s developing the atomic bomb, and subsequent security hearings in the 1950s with Congress and the United States Atomic Energy Commission regarding suspected Communist leanings and his clearance to work on atomic weapons.

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Matt Damon wore Hamilton pieces as lieutenant general Leslie Jones in Oppenheimer: left, the Military Ordonance and right, the Piping Rock. Photo: Hamilton

Murphy sported the period-appropriate Cushion B two-handed 1930s piece alongside the black-dialled Lexington and golden Endicott, both with sub-seconds dials and from the 1940s, the brand confirmed.

Emily Blunt, who plays Kitty Oppenheimer, sports the discreet Lady Hamilton A-2 in a square case with gold-coloured indices and hands; while Matt Damon, as lieutenant general Leslie Groves, wears the Piping Rock and Military Ordonance – both quintessential pieces for military men during the period.

Hamilton Khaki Field “Murph” 38mm, inspired by the unique version of the Khaki Field Auto from Christopher Nolan’s 2014 film Interstellar. Photo: Hamilton

Nolan’s relationship with Hamilton is well-known – as is his tendency to play with the concept of time in his films. Hamilton provided a version of the Khaki Navy BelowZero for his 2020 feature Tenet.

 

But his most famous collaboration with the brand was its unique design for the Hamilton Khaki Field. The subsequent significance of the watch to the plot of his 2014 hit Interstellar resulted in the release of the Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 42mm in 2019, per the brand. The latter most recently received a refresh in 38mm in 2022.