James Bond Watches Blog

Following are final visitor numbers for the Imperial War Museum exhibition titled, “For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond,” which ran April 17, 2008, through March 1, 2009. This was part of a year-long celebration collectively known as “The Ian Fleming Centenary,” starting May 28, 2008, on what would have been the author’s one-hundredth birthday.

Entry to the Imperial War Museum itself was free, and the facility is open 7 days a week except for December 24 through 26. Tickets were required for admission to the “For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond” exhibit, however: £8 per adult,  £4 per child, or £19 per family (up to 2 adults and 2 children).

James Bond Watches enjoyed a strong, reciprocal working relationship with the Imperial War Museum prior to and throughout this exhibition in various aspects of identifying the only Rolex Ian Fleming is known to have owned, an Explorer 1016 model, which was publicly displayed here.

This wristwatch was positively identified for the first time ever in a feature article for the February 2009 issue of WatchTime magazine, “Found: James Bond’s Rolex — James Bond, like his creator Ian Fleming, wore a Rolex Explorer I,” by Dell Deaton. Fleming’s personal Rolex was the basis for his description of the original Agent 007 Rolex(es) in the novel, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.