The name’s Bond
Move over Aston Martin. What are the watches James Bond has worn over the years?
WE’VE ALL HEARD OF HIM, WE’VE all pretended to be him but how much of James Bond was actually what Ian Fleming wanted to be? Fleming was a serial smoker, loved smart clothing and crucially, loved wrist watches, once writing, “A gentleman’s choice of timepiece says as much about him as does his Savile Row suit.”
Fleming, an ex-Navy Intelligence Officer, had a passion for wrist watches although reportedly the hard-wearing tool watch, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer Ref 1016, was his favourite. This Rolex could take quite some battering and still work. It fitted well with his Bond character’s job.
The Explorer was aimed at mountaineers, having been tested on the Everest’s summit where its forerunner had accompanied Hillary and Tensing. Customers were even given the option to have it supplied with a highperformance oil to withstand temperatures between -20 and +40°C. By the time the ref. 1016 emerged in 1963, it represented the model’s third iteration, which went relatively unchanged for another 26 years.
Bond was particularly nonchalant about his watches, and his gadgets in general. Fleming makes only fleeting mention of Rolex in his novels — in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service for example, Bond takes an inventory of the available weapons, including “a heavy Rolex Oyster Perpetual on an expanding metal bracelet”, which he uses as a knuckle duster! Having destroyed the watch against a henchman’s jaw and escaped, he resolves to replace it, “as soon as the shops open after Boxing Day.” Another Rolex? Perhaps. They were on the heavy side but they worked. And at least you could see the time in the dark with those big luminous numerals.
A watch, to both Bond and Fleming, was just a piece of equipment. It wasn’t until he appeared on the big screen that his association with the brand was made. The most commonly accepted ‘Bond watch’ first appeared in Dr. No.
Famously, although the Big Crown Submariner ref. 6538 featured prominently, Rolex refused to lend any of its watches to the new production, and the movie’s tight budget meant the filmmakers couldn’t buy one outright. The one you see Sean Connery wearing in Dr. No belonged to producer Albert Broccoli, who loaned it to Connery just before shooting started.
With the massive success of the on-screen Bond franchise, Rolex became a lot more amenable to having their products displayed. Connery, and several of the spy’s incarnations, went on to wear a varied selection from the catalogue.
As a watch suited to the world of spies, the Explorer had it all. Discreet, never looking out of place with either a tuxedo or a space suit, and robust enough to survive just about anything.
In fact, Fleming’s personal Explorer went missing post his death in 1964, and stayed hidden until his widow died in 1981 and the watch was discovered by the couple’s stepdaughter, Fionn Morgan. When she picked it up – 17 years later – the Perpetual watch started ticking again!
Over the years, Bond has worn everything from Seiko to Pulsar and, more recently, even been associated with Omega. These weren’t the original brands Fleming wrote about or even wore, but as ever with the film industry becoming more commercial, product placement paid to keep the film industry moving. Much like Aston Martin wasn’t the car Bond originally drove. Bentley should have lent the production team one when they had the chance. But that’s a story for another time...