With Baz Luhrmann’s much-hyped Elvis biopic hitting theaters this week, the King—helped alongside by way of Austin Butler and a cloth wardrobe co-designed by way of Miuccia Prada—is ready to reclaim his rightful position at the moodboard throne. Elvis’s modern day stylistic legacy could be all sequined jumpsuits and large gold sunglasses, however there was once extra to his cloth wardrobe than the ones kitschy standbys. At the side of high-waisted pants and Hawaiian shirts, he additionally amassed watches, with a penchant for diamond-studded Omegas and the Rolex King Midas—in different phrases, fashions value emptying the royal coffers for. However there’s one Elvis-approved timepiece that doesn’t call for a king’s ransom: the Hamilton Ventura.

Dreamed up within the overdue ‘50s by way of American automobile fashion designer and sci-fi mag illustrator Richard Arbib, the Ventura was once the arena’s first electrical watch, and its angular case was once as groundbreaking and futuristic as its inside workings. Impressed by way of—and rooted in—the design hallmarks of the tailfin technology, it blended the smooth business strains of a googie diner with the atomic kookiness of a George Nelson clock. The Ventura wasn’t an immediate hit, but if Elvis wore it in 1961’s Blue Hawaii it become as synonymous with the singer as blue suede loafers, and remained inextricably tied to him ever since.

The Ventura stayed at the leading edge of watch generation for only some years, however the 2022 model keeps all of the sci-fi optimism of the unique. Hamilton has riffed eternally at the style’s mythical design for the time being, incorporating chronographs, skeleton dials, and outsized instances (even trotting out a wild denim-on-denim model)—however the unapologetic midcentury cool of the OG nonetheless shines the brightest. 

Thankfully, the logo additionally sells a style that’s about as just about the unique because it will get, right down to the gold-plated case, pretend crocodile strap, and sub-$1,000 value. That makes the Ventura probably the most fashionable—and traditionally vital—watches you’ll be able to purchase at retail, and the fastest solution to channel Elvis’ hip-swinging heyday with out monitoring down a Vegas-ready jumpsuit.