This article actually came about as the result of discussions involving several leading experts in the field of watchmaking as we were finalizing preparations for the then-upcoming “Bond Watches, James Bond Watches” exhibit opening.
Rolex had announced the first major change to its Submariner Date since Timothy Dalton had worn that model as Agent 007 in Licence to Kill (Eon Productions, 1989). And it was occuring to many of us that collectors and researchers were not only missing a larger appreciation of the connection between this manufacturer and Ian Fleming’s fictional agent by referring to “the James Bond Rolex” — as if there was only, obviously, one — but also a more mainstream trend that was emerging.
“Vintage” seemed (and seems) to be establishing itself as its own brand. Folks like my friend Bob Ridley, whose livelihood is dedicated to Rolex restorations, is perhaps seeing this most keenly. And he’s services through Watchmakers International are in high-demand as a result of it.
The Agent’s Secret
Is it the ultimate conversation-stopper to invoke Ian Fleming’s name when talking about what the ‘real’ James Bond watch is?
James Bond's Rolex watches: A historical perspective and thoughts on "vintage" as its own brand, Revolution magazine (2010), by Dell Deaton
by Dell Deaton
‘Rolex is the only brand ever specified by the author who originally created Agent 007. End of discussion!’
Okay— but which model? Submariner? Explorer? Sub Date?
Licence to Kill in 1989 was the last time Bond wore Rolex for the movies. This timekeeper was most likely a Submariner Date Ref 16610, and, to be exact, as when it accompanied Timothy Dalton on-screen, the case lugs still had holes. Ironically, that Rolex connection didn’t end until just this year, when the 16610 was replaced by the 116610LN at BaselWorld 2010.
Controversy erupted among both Rolex enthusiasts and James Bond fans. For some, a two-decade run just wasn’t long enough. For others, it simply provided another chance to begin the latest round of insistance that the ‘real’ James Bond Rolex must be the one worn by Sean Connery in 1962′s Dr No: A 6538 Submariner. (For a definitive identification, based on his own personal examination of the film, I’m deeply indebted to historian and editor of Rolex Submariner Story, Franca E Guido Mondani.)
Present-day Bond, Daniel Craig, has been spied doing film interviews with his own 6538 on a NATO strap. But, unlike Connery’s watch, it has individual minute-markers on the bezel, up to 15. Is that allowed for his personal choice because he’s played James Bond most recently, or should he be held up to criticism because Sean Connery enjoys a kind of wristwatch legacy-standing in perpetuity?
There’ve been quite a few developments with the Sub since those watches ceased production in 1959, of course. Some claim that continue reading…
Basel, Switzerland— For the first time in the 
