When producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman began shooting the first Bond film “James Bond 007 hunts Dr. No” in January 1962, they could not have imagined the enormous success they would have and what influence the probably best-known secret agent in the world would have on an entire society over many generations. James Bond, the man who has to save the whole world from chaos and catastrophes, orders a shaken vodka martini with a perfectly fitting made-to-measure suit shortly before and enjoys victory after a successful mission with one of the countless attractive Bond Girls.
The BOND myth begins – IAN FLEMING and his 007
James Bond, the original character of author Ian Fleming (first novel in 1953), is a veteran of the Second World War, whose work in naval intelligence paves the way to double-zero status as an agent. The bond of the early films, however, has a similar background, but is too young to have actually held an important function in the Second World War. In the film “Casino – Royal” (2006) the 007 producers adapted the character and her biography to the time after the Cold War. Secret agent James Bond lives in a comfortable apartment in a Regency house near King´s Road in Chelsea, London. On the ground floor is the living room, full of bookshelves, a magnificent Empire secretary stands next to a large window. His bedroom is upstairs. The apartment of 007 is briefly shown in two films:
In “Dr. No” (1962), the apartment has a magnificent entrance hall and Bond already owns a television set, rarely seen at the time. In “Live and let die” (1973), eleven years later, Bond lives in a modern apartment with an open living and sleeping area and an ultra-modern kitchen including espresso machine. James Bond has a preference for good food and selected drinks. During his missions he ordered the famous Taittinger Blanc de Blancs Crut 1943 (probably the best champagne in the world) on exclusive champagne, Dom Perignon 1946 and in the film “From Russia with Love” (1963) his excellent wine knowledge saved him, because he recognizes in such a way that Captain Nash, who orders a red wine with fish, cannot possibly be a British agent. In “Diamonds are forever” (1971) he recognizes the killer Mr. Kidd in the wrong sommelier, because he does not know that Cháteau Mouton – Rothschild (Bond’s favourite wine) is a Bordeaux wine. In addition to an exquisite taste of good food, selected drinks, fast cars and pretty women, it is of course the wristwatches that accompany Bond and his spectators on every adventure. Therefore we would like to introduce the watches of 007 as well as those of his companions and enemies. Let yourself be inspired and discover on the time travel through almost 50 years James Bond 007 old memories and information, which were still new to you today – in the center of course the most different timepieces…
JAMES BOND – AHEAD OF ITS TIME
Breitling
In the film “Thunderball” (1965) 007 has to travel to the Bahamas. Shortly after his arrival, Q (the MI6 supplier of weapons and gadgets) presents him with a modified BREITLING TOP TIME with a built-in Geiger counter. In the film, the second hand measures the radiation so that Bond can check inconspicuously whether he is in the vicinity of the captured nuclear weapons with which the villain Emilio Largo and the organization Phantom are blackmailing the world. Another BREITLING (NAVITIMER Ref. 806) is carried in “Fireball” by Domino´s brother.
Cartier
In “Diamond Fever” (1971), the talented diamond smuggler Tiffany Case wears a square CARTIER with a black leather strap. (Probably CARTIER TANK). While it is not clear which clock Case wears on the canvas, Bond author Fleming equipped it accordingly elegantly in his novel.
Longines
In “Casino – Royal” (2006) a LONGINES EVIDENZA CHRONOGRAPH Ref. L26564536 is visible on the wrist of Bond villain Le Chiffre. The banker has a penchant for the beautiful things in life and finances this, among other things, through business with terrorists. At a Texas Hold´em poker tournament at the Casino Royal in Montenegro, in which 007 also takes part, you can recognize the wristwatch, although an Audemars Piguet, Franck Muller or Ulysse Nardin would certainly have fit well here.
Omega
Since Pierce Brosnan took on the role of British secret agent in “Goldeneye” (1995), the watch on his wrist has also changed. In this film, 007 uses a laser on his OMEGA SEAMASTER 300M DIVER QUARTZ to cut a hole in the ground on the train belonging to ex-MI6 agent 006 Alex Trevlyan. In Cuba, Bond’s watch is finally taken off by Trevylan. By pressing the helium release valve of the watch, it defuses two detent mines laid by Bond. In the following film “Der Morgen stirbt nie” (1997) Bond flies to Hamburg with an OMEGA SEAMASTER 300M DIVER with manual winding. Arrived at the airport, he checks into the well-known “Atlantic” hotel in his 750 BMW. On the mission, he must put a stop to the media mogul Elliot Carver. During the mission he exchanges the clock in “Wai Lin’s Bicycle Shop” for a modified version of the Chinese secret service.
In “The world is not enough” (1999), Bond activates LEDs on the dial of its SEAMASTER by pressing the screwed OMEGA crown. This illuminates the inside of his inflatable ski jacket, in which he is buried under an avalanche with Elektra King. Brosnan also used the helium valve of his OMEGA as a detonator in his last mission “Die Another Day” (2002) than 007, which he put in C4 explosives and hidden under diamonds in the briefcase of the smuggler Van Bierk. On the premises of Colonel Moon, a rotation of the bezel causes the C4 to explode. After his release from North Korea he finally receives a new watch from Q – the twentieth as becomes clear in this film. In “Casino Royal” (2006) Daniel Craig was not only the leading actor, but the entire story of the character James Bond begins again, so to speak.
At the beginning of the film Bond wears a black OMEGA SEAMASTER CO-AXIAL PLANET OCEAN and later an OMEGA SEAMASTER 300M DIVER. When Quantum of Solace was released in 2008, Bond wore a black OMEGA SEAMASTER PLANET OCEAN. To coincide with the start of the film, OMEGA also launched the SEAMASTER DIVER 300M JAMES BOND 007 COLLECTOR´S PIECE CO-AXIAL with black dial, 41 mm diameter and 007 logo at the end of the second hand.
For “Skyfall” (2012) OMEGA released the limited edition SEAMASTER PLANET OCEAN SKYFALL with the reference number 232.30.42.21.01.004. Here you can find the 007 logo on the dial at the seven o’clock position as well as on the stainless steel clasp. Through the sapphire crystal back, the watch also provides an insight into the movement and the rotor engraved with “Skyfall 007”. The original model, which Daniel Craig wore in Skyfall, was auctioned by Christie’s after the shooting. This was the SEAMASTER PLANET OCEAN 600M TITANIUM. The model was a special production and is otherwise only available in stainless steel. It is therefore not surprising that the contract for the 42 millimetre titanium watch was worth the equivalent of 194,000 euros.
In the last 007 adventure “Spectre” (2015), the secret agent presents himself with the OMEGA SEAMASTER AQUA TERRA 150M, James Bond Limited Edition with yellow dial elements – the watch is immune to magnetism from more than 15,007 Gauss to the special appreciation of the famous secret agent.
Patek Philippe
In Moonraker, Bond’s opponent Hugo Drax has a vision of killing all of humanity with a chemical weapon and hiding with a group of “perfect” men and women in space to later build a new civilization. Besides his plans to conquer the world, Drax is interested in the beautiful things in life and is interested in classical music, art and enjoys life in a French chateau. In Fleming’s novel Drax wears a simple golden PATEK PHILIPPE. We assume that this is a CALATRAVA.
Rolex
Ian Fleming already describes to readers in his novels exactly what the secret agent’s watch looks like – here we are talking about a heavy “ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL”. In the first Bond adventure “Dr. No” (1962) Sean Connery alias 007 wears a ROLEX SUBMARINER, but without any additional function. This also in “Liebesgrüße aus Moskau” (1963) and in “Goldfinger” (1964). Here, however, the watch with the famous Nato band can already be seen in prehistory, when Bond lights up the watch with a lighter. The beautiful Pussy Galore is also wearing ROLEX as Goldfinger pilot and Bond Girl, namely a GMT MASTER Ref. 6542.
“In Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), Bond wears a ROLEX SUBMARINER with an oyster strap and a first Rolex chronograph (Pre DAYTONA). In the film “Live and let die” (1973) his ROLEX SUBMARINER is probably equipped with the most remarkable functions for that time. The watch can generate a strong magnetic field by pulling out the crown or turning the rotating 60-minute bezel. According to Q, this could even repel bullets. Miss Moneypenny delivers his newly repaired watch to Bond at the beginning of the film before Bond takes up his mission to investigate the death of three British agents. Later we find Bond tied up and hanging over a shark tank. With the help of his ROLEX and the built-in saw he can cut his shackles and overwhelm his opponent Dr. Kananga.
In 1974 Roger Moore wears a ROLEX SUBMARINER 5513 in “The Man with the Golden Colt”, while his adversary Francisco Scaramanga has a ROLEX CELLINI KING MIDAS on his arm. Although Seiko joins as a new sponsor in 1977, Roger Moore briefly wears a bicolor ROLEX DATEJUST with a Jubilee bracelet “In the Face of Death”. In “License to kill” you see 007 again with a Rolex Submariner, before OMEGA and Pierce Brosnan take over.
Seiko
James Bond wears a SEIKO wristwatch in five different missions. In “The spy who loved me” (1977) it is a SEIKO 0674, which can receive a text message and output it on embossed tape. In “Moonraker” (1979) it is a SEIKO DIGITAL LC M354 MOMORY BANK CALENDAR that accompanies 007 on his mission. The watch has an explosive cable on the back. 007 uses the cable to free itself from the Moonraker Shuttle’s flame shaft. “In “Deadly Mission” (1981) Bond is equipped with a SEIKO H357 DIGITAL ANALOG ALARM with a display for running LED text messages and integrated radio. In “Octopussy” (1983) it is a SEIKO G757 SPORTS 100 with radio direction finder, which helps him to track the wrong Fabergé egg. Towards the end of the mission, he wears a color model of the SEIKO liquid crystal TV clock, on which he can see the images of Qs in a hot-air balloon installed video camera. Bonds SEIKO watch in “In the Face of Death” (1985) has no special functions.
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