James Bond Watches

There were a few reasons why James Bond had to wear a Rolex. First, modesty was never James Bond's style. The sporty luxury watch looked sleek and hip and suited Bond's tailored suits, shaken martinis, and fast cars such as the Aston Martin DB5. Second, there was a literary precedent. Bond author Ian Fleming (1908 - 1964) published his first Bond book, Casino Royale, in 1953. In On Her Majesty's Secret Service, published in 1963, Bond was described as wearing a watch from the Rolex Oyster Perpetual collection. However, the book speaks of a watch with large, luminous numerals and a metal bracelet. Therefore, most interpret that Bond isn't wearing a Submariner, but an Explorer, similar to the watch Fleming wore himself. The Explorer is not the most well-known Bond watch, but it is the most authentic.

One of the Bond watches in the 2015 movie Spectre is the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150 M. The 41.5-mm stainless steel watch has a blue dial and is waterproof to 150 m (15 bar). It's powered by the Co-Axial caliber 8500, which is resistant to magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss. This Aqua Terra's reference number is 231.10.42.21.03.004. It costs about 5,000 euros new and is limited to a run of 15,007.

The other Bond watch seen in Spectre is the Seamaster 300 Spectre. This watch is also a limited edition with a run of 7,007, making it likely to become highly sought after in the future. The Seamaster 300 Spectre has a 41-mm stainless steel case and a grey/black striped NATO strap. It's waterproof to 300 m (30 bar). The Co-Axial caliber 8400 powers the watch. You can find this watch under the reference number 233.32.41.21.01.001, but there are few available. You should be prepared to spend around 7,500 euros for this watch.

James Bond's equipment has often been ahead of its time. For example, in the 1964 film Goldfinger, James Bond has a navigation system in the Aston Martin he drives to chase his enemy.

Quartz technology was surging in popularity in the 1970s, and it was clear that Bond needed to join the trend. In the 1973 film Live and Let Die, he wore a Hamilton Pulsar P2 2900. It displays the time digitally via red LED numerals when you press a button. The rest of the time, the display remains dark.

In Live and Let Die, both mechanical and electronic watches are used. The Submariner experienced its big return in impressive form with many special features. Bond uses its powerful, integrated magnet many times, including to open the zipper of Miss Caruso's evening gown when it gets in the way of the task at hand. The Submariner with reference number 5513 has a bezel which can spin rapidly and be used as a mini-saw. Bond, played by Roger Moore, uses it to free himself in a sticky situation. The modified Submariner used in the film was sold for 335,000 euros at an auction in Geneva in November 2015.

Seiko watches were the Bond watches of the 70s and 80s. In The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Bond wears a Seiko 0674 5009. An LED display like the one on the Pulsar from 1973 was already outdated by this point. The Seiko displays the time continuously with liquid crystal, the way quartz watches still function today. This Bond watch is also equipped with special functions. It can receive short text messages and print them out on a thin strip of paper. This is how Bond knows when he should get in contact with headquarters and his boss, M.

The Seiko used in the next adventure (Moonraker, 1979) is an SFX003 (M354-5019) with an integrated database. Its extras, however, were only made for the film. Of course, a built-in explosive device as well as five explosive and poisonous darts were not features available to the general public. In Octopussy (1983), a Seiko G757 5020 Sports 100 with sender/receiver technology helps Bond track down a priceless Fabergé egg. Bond used quartz Seiko watches until the 1985 film A View to a Kill. However, these Japanese watches haven't become beloved, iconic Bond watches like the Rolex timepieces have.

Bond switched to a diving watch with a TAG Heuer timepiece, reference number 980.031. It has one distinctive feature: The entire dial is made of luminous material, earning it the nickname Night Dive. The change accompanied a shift in actors, too. Timothy Dalton was the new Bond. However, Dalton wore a Rolex Submariner (reference number 16610) in 1989's License to Kill. Afterwards, the Omega era with Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig began.

Some sources also cite the Rolex GMT Master as a Bond watch. Bond wears this watch in the 1967 parody Casino Royale with Peter Sellers, David Niven, and Ursula Andress, who was also in Dr. No. In the 007 film, Pussy Galore, Auric Goldfinger's head pilot, wears a Rolex GMT Master with reference number 6542. Another famous pilot's watch worn by a Bond enemy is the Breitling Navitimer with reference number 806. Pilot Angelo Palazzi wears it in Thunderball. He helps the two villains Ernst Stavro Blofeld and Emilio Largo acquire atomic bombs. Palazzi murders a NATO pilot, François Derval, steals his Navitimer, and takes his place in the cockpit.

Bond isn't the only one who enjoyed wearing Rolex. In The Man with the Golden Gun, killer Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) wears a Rolex Cellini King Midas. The Cellini is one of the few dress watches used in the James Bond films.