Kojima Productions’ highly anticipated follow up to the 2019 hit Death Stranding, received an official release date this weekend via one of the most dramatic and unhinged video game trailers ever produced. The new game, which is titled Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, features an impressive cast of familiar faces, including Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, Elle Fanning, and a Hamilton watch. Hamilton has a well established relationship with the entertainment industry, appearing in countless movies, and even prior video games such as Far Cry 6, and their latest comes in the form of an American Classic made for the latest installment of Death Stranding.
The watch is called the Boulton Death Stranding 2 Limited Edition, and it’s a rectangular design measuring 36x48mm and crafted from PVD titanium. A curved crystal is framed on each side with bridges that are a part of the case itself, creating a rather unique vibe meant to reference the sci-fi atmosphere displayed in the game itself. The all-black aesthetic also matches the visuals seen in the trailer, with an orange seconds hand and 12 o’clock hour marker standing in stark contrast, also matching some of the mysterious figures in the game. Inside is the caliber H-10 (the brand’s Powermatic 80 analogous), which is viewable through an exhibition back with the Death Stranding 2 logo.
The Boulton watch appears in the closing moments of the over 10 minute long trailer on the wrist of the character Neil, as portrayed by Luca Marinelli, just before he dons a bandana, a striking nod to one of Hideo Kojima’s most iconic characters, Solid Snake (or Iroquois Pliskin if you’d rather) from the Metal Gear franchise. Kojima created the MG series, while it was developed and published by Konami. After a falling out, Kojima went on to create his own studio, Kojima Productions, though the rights to MG are still owned by Konami. With this in mind, it was a surprise to see this figure emerge in the trailer, and I’ll be keen to see how it’s handled in the game itself.
Product placements in video games are certainly nothing new, though only recently have games gained the kind of fidelity needed to highlight something as small as a watch with any kind of accuracy. Death Stranding 2 will use the Decima Engine, the strengths of which are on full display in this latest trailer, depicting life-like characters and environments. The watch is easy to identify and even read at a glance, and all that remains is to understand how it will fit into the kit of the game itself when playing. Another game to feature a Hamilton watch, Far Cry 6, made the watch a special item that could be equipped in a clothing slot, even providing a small buff to the character.
Video games have long been a wonderful story telling medium, and in recent years the production value has risen to a level which attracts well known actors to be involved at a similar level to a Hollywood production. As a result, the types of products placed within these worlds will likely equally scale to include household names presented in a manner integral to the world. This was certainly the case with the Intergalactic announcement trailer from earlier this year, which featured a Porsche branded space ship. No watch to be found in that one, however.
You should clear some time in your schedule to watch this trailer, even if you aren’t really into video games. It’s an absolute trip. The game itself will be released this summer, June 26th. Until then, you can check out the new Boulton Death Stranding 2 Limited Edition from Hamilton.