Hamilton launched a blue version of the 38mm Murph on 1st September 2026. Same case, same movement, same cathedral hands. The dial is the whole change: a grained stardust texture that starts luminous blue at the centre and fades to black at the edge. Hamilton calls it the journey of an interstellar comet, which is marketing, but the effect is real. The texture catches light at different angles and the watch reads blue in the open and near-black indoors.
Specs
| Reference | H70405140 on bracelet, H70405740 on leather |
| Diameter | 38mm |
| Thickness | 11.1mm |
| Lug to lug | 44.7mm |
| Lug width | 20mm |
| Case | Stainless steel, open case back |
| Crystal | Sapphire with anti-reflective coating |
| Water resistance | 100m (10 bar) |
| Movement | Cal. H-10 automatic, ETA C07.611 base, 3Hz |
| Power reserve | 80 hours, Nivachron balance spring |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds. No date |
| Lume | Super-LumiNova, cream-toned |
| Bracelet | Steel, ref. H6050000281, folding clasp, Easy Click quick-release |
| Strap option | Black calfskin, ref. H6000001431, pin buckle, 18mm |
Price
| Version | Germany | Switzerland | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bracelet (H70405140) | 1,075 EUR | 945 CHF | 1,045 USD |
| Leather strap (H70405740) | 995 EUR | - | 995 USD |
Hamilton's German site lists 1,075 EUR for the bracelet. Several press pieces quote 1,045 EUR, so the euro figure moves by market. Check the local page before quoting it back to anyone.
Background
The Murph comes from Interstellar (2014). Christopher Nolan's production worked with Hamilton on the watch Murphy Cooper wears, and the film's plot turns on it: her father sends data by pushing the seconds hand in Morse code. Hamilton put the prop into production as a 42mm model in 2019, then added the 38mm in 2022. The 38mm outsold the original and became the reference version of the watch.
One detail that gets repeated wrongly: the Morse code for "EUREKA" lacquered on the seconds hand belongs to the 42mm. The 38mm has never carried it, and this blue version does not either. Its seconds hand is plain nickel-plated steel.
What is good
- The dial. The grain is the point. Photographs flatten it. It shifts from blue to near-black as the light moves, and the cream numerals sit warm against it.
- 38mm with a 44.7mm lug to lug and 11.1mm of thickness. These are correct field-watch numbers. It disappears under a cuff.
- 80 hours of running. Take it off Friday evening and it is still going Monday morning.
- Nivachron balance spring at this price, which most competitors do not fit.
- 20mm lugs with Easy Click. Quick-release means strap changes take seconds and no tool.
What is not
- No micro-adjustment on the clasp. Easy Click covers strap swaps, not the half-link problem on a warm day. At 1,075 EUR that omission is felt.
- The bracelet costs 80 EUR more than the strap and, on the reviews so far, is the version worth buying. The leather one reads as a black strap bolted to a custom dial rather than a considered pairing.
- No date, which is correct for the design and annoying in daily use.
- Open case back on an ETA-based movement. There is nothing to look at.
Where it sits
Against the black 38mm Murph in Hamilton Khaki Field Murph, this is the same watch with a better dial and roughly 80 EUR more on the bracelet. If the black one was already on the list, the blue replaces it rather than joining it.
Against Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 42mm, the 42mm Khaki Field Auto, the difference is size and character. That one has a 24-hour inner track and 22mm lugs and wears like a proper 42. This is the smaller, quieter watch and the better daily one on a 17 to 18cm wrist.
| Alternative | Why | Price band |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm, black | Same watch, plainer dial, slightly cheaper | Around 995 EUR |
| Hamilton Khaki Field Titanium 38mm | Lighter, PVD, less dressy | Around 1,000 EUR |
| Seiko SPB243 Alpinist | Similar size, better bracelet, more watch for the money | Under 800 EUR |
| Longines Spirit 37mm | Chronometer certified, more finishing | Around 2,000 EUR |
Buying
Sold through Hamilton's own site and authorised dealers. Unlike a boutique-exclusive release, the Murph discounts. German grey-market sellers such as Uhrenlounge have historically run the black 38mm at roughly 10% under list, and the blue should follow once stock settles. Wait a few months if the discount matters more than being early.
My take
Hamilton did the sensible thing: leave a watch that works alone and change the one part that carries the personality. The stardust dial is the best thing on a Murph so far, and it finally connects the watch to the film's subject rather than just its plot.
The missing clasp micro-adjustment is the real complaint at this price. Everything else is the same field watch that has been the right answer under 1,000 EUR for years. Buy it on the bracelet, and see it in daylight before deciding, because no photograph shows what that dial actually does.
Further reading
- Khaki Field Murph 38mm H70405140, official page, bracelet
- Khaki Field Murph 38mm H70405740, official page, leather strap
