Watch Paparazzi

Actor Matt Damon spotted wearing Hamilton

When Ridley Scott's The Martian landed in cinemas in October 2015, audiences were focused on Matt Damon's survival improvisation on the red planet. Watch enthusiasts, however, clocked something else on his wrist: a blacked-out Hamilton Khaki Navy BeLOWZERO, reference H78585333, sitting quietly against his NASA flight suit.

The Hamilton Khaki Navy BeLOWZERO is a purpose-built dive watch with a specification that goes well beyond standard ISO 6425 dive watch requirements. The ref. H78585333 features a 46mm stainless steel case with full black PVD coating, a unidirectional rotating bezel, and water resistance to 200 metres. The dial is heavily legible — bold luminous indices and hands designed for visibility in near-zero visibility conditions. It ships on a black rubber strap engineered to remain supple in sub-zero environments, which is exactly where the BeLOWZERO name originates. Power comes from the ETA 2826-2 automatic movement, a reliable workhorse calibre with a 38-hour power reserve, operating at 28,800 vph.

Hamilton's Khaki line has a long military heritage stretching back to World War II field watches issued to US Army personnel. The BeLOWZERO sub-family extended that utilitarian DNA into extreme environment diving. Its oversized case, no-nonsense aesthetics, and tool-watch temperament made it a cult favourite among collectors who prioritise function over decoration. The PVD treatment gives it a low-profile, tactical quality that distinguishes it from the brand's more polished sport offerings.

For a film depicting a lone astronaut's resourceful survival on Mars, the costume department's choice of the BeLOWZERO is quietly logical. The watch reads as equipment, not jewellery — exactly what Mark Watney would wear. Damon's portrayal earned him a Golden Globe, and the BeLOWZERO earned its own moment of screen recognition.

On the current market, the Hamilton Khaki Navy BeLOWZERO H78585333 trades at approximately $1,700 retail — strong value for a Swiss-made automatic with genuine extreme-environment credentials and now a notable film pedigree attached to one of Hollywood's most commercially successful sci-fi releases of the decade.