It’s official!
A special exhibit titled “Bond Watches, James Bond Watches” will run from June 2010 through May 2011 at the National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia, Pennsylvania. The museum is part of the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors (“NAWCC”) — the largest horological organization of its kind.
This dedicated exhibit will highlight the timepieces worn by James Bond throughout his literary and motion picture career.
By all accounts, this may be the first public display of this breadth (and depth) of its kind, anywhere.
As a themed collection centered on the fictional James Bond character, even visitors who have only a casual interest in wristwatches will have the opportunity to immediately connect with excitement. It’s an incredible opportunity to view key watches throughout a continues span of history dating back to the early 1950s.
On the other hand, for the James Bond aficionado: Prepare to be shaken and stirred!
How did Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, use watch choices to flesh out his characters? Gadgets and timekeeping: Yes or no? What were some of the fascinating intersections of technology and fads forever memorialized by their association with the 007 films from EON Productions? What better way to build to the climax of a thriller than with a countdown? Why is it important for the Bond character to wear any particular brand of watch at all?
The National Watch and Clock Museum was officially opened to the public in 1977 with fewer than 1000 items. Since that time, the collection has increased to over 12,000 items and the museum has undergone several expansion projects. The latest expansion opened in October 1999 and featured an entirely new and redesigned exhibit space, as well as a new two-story addition. Today, the museum is recognized as the largest and most comprehensive horological collection in North America.
The National Watch & Clock Museum collection is international in scope and covers a wide variety of clocks, watches, tools, and other time-related items. Chronologically, the exhibits take visitors on a tour through the entire history of timekeeping technology from early non-mechanical devices to today’s atomic and radio-controlled clocks.
Currently (through December 31, 2008), the museum is hosting an exhibit of presidential timepieces. These include the pocket watches of George Washington and John Adams, clocks belonging to James Polk and Franklin Roosevelt, and wristwatches of Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson. In all, twenty United States presidents are represented with over thirty objects on loan from a variety of presidential libraries, museums, and historical sites.
On a personal note— it’s been a privilege for me to begin serving as lead consultant for the NAWCC and its National Watch and Clock Museum on the “Bond Watches, James Bond Watches” exhibit. I was invited to the project at its inception, and have worked with staff behind the scenes for the better part of 2008. Then in December, I was officially named “Guest Curator” for the project. Now that we’re on the radar, I look forward to providing regular updates through the James Bond Watches website and Blog, as I continue my work on this through 2011.
I have also agreed to act as first point of contact on general inquiries from private collectors who have access to properties they feel might benefit this exhibition. If this is you, please let me know by eMail (via http://www.proteuspubs.com).
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