James Bond Watches Blog

Earlier this week, I came across a book by Russell Smith titled Men’s Style: The Thinking Man’s Guide to Dress. It’s gonna get us started on a last remaining topic key to James Bond watch identification.

One of the things that’s lost in so many of the boysterous discussions of why James Bond “must” wear this watch or that — “because Rolex is known for…,” or “Ian Fleming served in World War II as an officer attached to…” — is a basic understanding of fashion.

The Rolex Precision worn by Sean Connery for his very first “Bond, James Bond” introduction at the Chemin der Fer table in Dr No was no accident.

That can’t be true! It was an oversight, a continuity error. It must’a been Sean Connery’s personal watch. Yeah, that’s the ticket.

James Bond only should’a been wearing the Submariner!

No way. Not in 1962. Not with Terence Young directing and attentive to such details (as he clearly was).

Fifty years ago, appointing James Bond with a diver’s watch in that situation would have surpassed the worst silliness anyone might care to highlight in, say, Moonraker.

As the 1960s unfolded, diver’s watch led, rather than followed “style” choice ubiquity. Probably started when highlighted by the flame of Bond’s cigarette lighter in Goldfinger. Then Rolex advocated it as a fashion direction.

Maybe that’s why Russell Smith doesn’t express much respect for recent James Bond watch choices.

In recent years, several of the world’s most famous watchmakers have launched spectacularly expensive advertising campaigns in an effort to imbue their scientific and technical watches with the glamour of war and adventure, thereby providing the closest contact to war or adventure most men will ever have. Omega paid untold thousands to a Hollywood studio to ensure that Jamesbondman Pierce Brosnan was wearing their Seamaster Professional Divers watch in Tomorrow Never Dies continue reading…

Ian Fleming's James Bond watch: Rolex 1016 Explorer, with original letter written by Ian Fleming on Dr No letterhead supplied by Eon Productions

The original literary James Bond watch.

Original Dr No letterhead, courtesy of Eon Productions.

And, ironically— evidence that a Rolex Explorer reference 1016 wristwatch was formally associated with the movie Dr No before any other watch, of any other sort.

So to speak.

My latest release of computer wallpaper images featuring James Bond watches is focused on the only Rolex Ian Fleming is known to have owned and worn.

This is his personal Explorer model, in a photograph I made while it was concluding its display as part of the “Bond Watches, James Bond Watches” exhibit at the National Watch & Clock Museum last year.

A further part of that display consisted of original 007 thriller manuscripts and papers. These were made available for loan courtesy of the Lilly Library, Indiana University at Bloomington.

We believe that our “Bond Watches” exhibit was the first time that the watch and letter have been together since Mr Fleming signed the latter.

Of additional interest continue reading…

Ian Fleming's personal James Bond watch (the actual Rolex Explorer that he owned, wore, and referenced for 007 when first writing "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"), along with a letter he wrote and signed in 1962, using Eon Productions-supplied "Dr No" letterhead

Ten years and 1 day after Ian Fleming created James Bond, cameras began to roll on the first day of filming for “Dr No.”

Starring Sean Connery as James Bond 007 and directed by Terence Young, the crew for Eon Productions were, appropriately, on location in Jamaica.

Albert R “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were partners with United Artists, thanks in large part to UA’s David Picker, on the project.

The James Bond watch of choice that day was a Rolex 6538 Submariner, according to expert Franca E Guido Mondani — from whom I’ve received this verification.

That Sub was worn on a dark brown leather crocodile strap. Intriguingly, the strap was mounted backwards, so that excess from its non-buckle side fed through toward Mr Connery’s thumb.

Ian Fleming was also in Jamaica, with his wife, Ann, that January. There, he started writing what would be his eleventh James Bond book, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (published in 1963 by Jonathan Cape).

As we know, the watch that Mr Fleming had in mind for his literary James Bond was a Rolex reference 1016 Explorer. That was also the watch he personally wore in 1962, and the only Rolex he ever owned.

That actual watch is continue reading…