Bond’s Rolex of choice could sell for £60,000
A RARE watch favoured by 007 could sell for £60,000 when it goes under the hammer.
The gentleman’s stainless steel Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner will be sold at Fellows Auctioneers in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter later this month.
The lot dates back to 1958 and comes with original box and papers – highly unusual for a vintage timepiece.
Sean Connery strapped on a Submariner in the very first Bond movie, 1962’s Dr No.
He stayed faithful to the brand in the follow-up From Russia With Love, too but a surprisingly, during Connery’s ‘watch’, Q didn’t tamper with Rolexes.
In 1965’s Thunderball, Bond uses a Submariner to tell the time but when he needs a Geiger counter, he turns to a Breitling Top Time.
That Breitling turned up market in 2013.
The stallholder had paid just £25 for it but soon after the discovery, it at a flea was auctioned for a five-figure sum. Submariners were also on 007’s wrist in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and The Man With The Golden Gun.
The latter 1974 blockbuster, starring Roger Moore, saw Q work his magic on a Submariner for the first time.
The timepiece doubled as a circular saw and had a built-in magnet to deflect bullets.
And in one famous scene, the magnet is used to disrobe his love interest.
The auctioned Submariner has a black dial with luminous hour markers and an outer minute track.
Laura Bishop, watch manager at Fellows Auctioneers, said: “We are delighted to be showcasing such a fascinating and rare item,” she says.
These models do not come up for sale often, so we are very excited to see how the bidding goes.
“This watch has got some service replacement parts, but this does not detract from the true nature of the watch.”