The style, class and fundamental character of Sean Connery's James Bond was established in no small part by details such as the Rolex dress watch he wore in Dr No
Style: Circa 1962.
After locating an independent image of what may well be the Rolex that Albert R Broccoli “tossed” to the Eon Productions art department for Sean Connery to wear for introduction as James Bond in Dr No, I got to thinking about what might be called the “Submariner Sc0toma.”
The word scotoma refers to bias. More particularly, a self-filtering mechanism (of which the individual is very likely unaware); it sorts incoming data. Based on what that person has seen before, and how they’ve interpreted it, they are more receptive to information that confirms what they already believe, and tend not to see otherwise obvious facts that refute their preconceptions.
For example, ask most people who are quite interested in Rolex which model they think is the most popular — based on sales.
“Submariner” will show significantly among responses. That’s certainly what you’ll see on the Internet forums, whether we’re talking watches in general, Rolex-specific, or James Bond.
Fact is, the most popular Rolex is a 28mm model for ladies.
Two weeks ago, I quoted from Men’s Style, by Russell Smith, in what readers of this James Bond Watches Blog now know was setup for the likely “Sylvia Trench” James Bond Rolex watch photo posted here this past Monday.
Since then, I’ve started to spend some time looking for any indication that a gentleman of class or sophistication, dressed otherwise in formal attire, playing cards at a casino in the early 1960s, would — by stretch of imagination or oversight — be shown wearing a diver’s watch.
So far, I can’t even find an authority who recommends it in the main for the early 2010s.
If you like sporty watches … you need two watches: one for fun and one to wear to work. The best watch for business wear is the finest, most simply styled gold or stainless-steel watch that you can afford. A good leather strap is the classic choice…. Dial faces … should be clean and unadorned, with no gems or decorations marring the clean lines of the timepiece.” — Lois Fenton, with Edward Olcott, Dress for Excellence (1986)
The most elegant watches are those with thin faces, trimmed in gold. The thinner the watch, the dressier it is…. Unlike female jewelry, men’s jewelry should never be the focal point of what is being worn. Its role is functional….” — Alan Flusser, Clothes and the Man (1987)
Undoubtedly it was the dress watch worn by Sean Connery when he first said, “Bond, James Bond” to Sylvia Trench that was most important to planning Dr No production fifty years ago this month.
I might humbly suggest, then, that similar attention be given to what Daniel Craig wears for a James Bond watch in Skyfall — if Bond 23 powers-that-be are serious about recapturing the style of the Eon Productions 007 movies that established one of the most enduring film icons.
If one’s bent on chasing after Rolex, wouldn’t it be better to go for the top-end, as opposed to entrenching a Multiplicitied “Seamaster Syndrome”?
Image courtesy United Press Association
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