It’s not hard to find one of the ubiquitous cut-and-paste forum posts or blog with self-proclaimed “definitive list of James Bond watches” asserting that the 1967 Casino Royale James Bond watch was a Rolex GMT (“GMT-Master”).

That’s obviously wrong.

And one needn’t be an expert on Rolex to know that. Or even generally familiar with watches, for that matter. Just, you know: Actually watch the movie. (The incredible dearth of original research regarding James Bond watch identification never ceases to amaze me.)

Let’s start at the beginning

If you’ll take a look at the film on DVD or via iTunes, you’ll see before the opening credits roll that Peter Sellers is addressed as “Mr Bond” by a character who identifies himself as “Mathis.” This is clearly a preview of things to come later in Casino Royale.

We know this because Sir James Bond (David Niven) approaches Vesper Lynd (Ursula Andress) about recruiting a master card player to go up against Le Chiffre. This is approximately 45 minutes into the movie. Later, about 10 minutes later, running-time, Vesper approaches the master card expert, Evelyn Tremble, to take on the cover name “James Bond” to play Le Chiffre — sort of turning on its head the notion of James Bond assuming the cover as someone else for an assignment.

Thus, it is Evelyn’s watch, and, at that, his personal wristwatch, that is describe as a:

1965 Rolex Oyster Perpetual, date indicator, and log table ’round the outer band.

To which Peter Sellers, as Evelyn Tremble, adds:

And a thing that shows you what shape the moon is.

(See starting at 59-minute marker.) Guess the self-promoters not only couldn’t be bothered to sit through the movie, but didn’t even respect their readers enough to turn up their TV volumes for word on the new “moon-phase” Rolex GMT-Rolex watch model. Not.

The Tremble moon-Rolex watch, then, is replaced with another, supplied by Q. It is this second, Q-watch, that you see most frequently bandied about the Internet by James Bond watch posers. Its dial is obscured by a superimposed video, giving the impression of function as a TV watch, à la Dick Tracy, showing video of Ursula Andress as Vesper.

“Yeah, but everybody is ‘James Bond’ in this movie”

That’s not true, either.

The first scenes in Casino Royale clearly establish David Niven as the James Bond (“Sir James Bond”). Proximal to 7 minutes, 30 seconds, Sir James Bond, now retired, brings up the subject of the man to whom M has given Sir Bond’s name and number. Sir Bond’s “namesake” is again referenced at 38 minutes. Conspicuously, this “James Bond” is never shown in Casino Royale; by every description, it seems the image of Sean Connery was intended to be thought of.

It is widely believed that Ian Fleming considered David Niven a top choice to play James Bond on-screen. So it’s easy to see any “multiple James Bond” confusion in Casino Royale as a supporting argument that this is only one real James Bond: The one played by David Niven in this production of Casino Royale.

There is also a “Jimmy Bond,” played by Woody Allen. Nephew of Sir James Bond, no confusion implied or likely.

As the plot unfolds, Sir James Bond is brought out of retirement to head up an operation in M‘s stead. As part of his plan, Sir Bond says to Agent Cooper (Terence Cooper):

From now on, all remaining agents and trainees will be known as “James Bond, Double-O Seven” — including the girls…. The enemy won’t know which way to turn. You are now “James Bond.”

By this definition, then, we’d have to call whatever actor Joe Robinson wore as Peter Franks “the James Bond watch” in Diamonds Are Forever, because Bond, himself, gave his wallet to Franks and identified Franks as “James Bond” after their elevator fight.

Without a doubt: “The” 1967 Casino Royale James Bond watch is not a (1965) Rolex GMT.