James Bond Watches Blog

Last week we talked price history on a James Bond watch model released new 10 years ago.

Today we’re gonna go back to the very first James Bond watch, dated 50 years ago — and worn by 007 creator Ian Fleming.

Like so many Rolex references, not all 1016 Explorer watches are the same. When it comes to the original literary James Bond watch, one of the key distinguishing features is the radium-226 dial. This was provided for only the first few years. On top of that, a great many of them were switched out in favor of those featuring safer paints and sometimes just for perceived better aesthetics.

The year it was revealed through my February 2008 WatchTime article exactly what watch Ian Fleming had specified for his literary James Bond character, the largest number of Rolex 1016 Explorer timekeepers I’ve seen since was sold (see James Bond Watches Price Guide 2011).

Average price: $4,800 US.

In 2010, James Bond Rolex 1016 Explorer pricing had jumped to just under $6,000 and had become more scarce.

Last year, these watches were selling for well-over $7,300 and at approximately the same volume.

I can’t establish cause-and-effect between continue reading…

Although I'd actually identified all distinguishing details of the original literary James Bond watch in early 2008, it would be another full year before this discovery was published in WatchTime magazine

It’s been 4 solid years since my discovery of the literary James Bond watch — in 2008.

The photo shown here was taken of Ian Fleming’s personal Rolex Explorer wristwatch upon receipt by the Imperial War Museum in London. Merely for record-keeping, inauspiciously captured without any special lighting, on a well-used art table.

Quite appropriate, I think.

Museum staff in turn provided this image to me as the first for use in definitive identification as the exact watch Ian Fleming specified for James Bond in the novel On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (Jonathan Cape, 1963).

My original research, interviews, and findings on this original James Bond watch were published a year later, in the February 2009 issue of WatchTime magazine.

Here are some of the highlights:

Ian Fleming’s stepdaughter, Fionn Morgan, stated that this was the only Rolex watch the Bond author ever owned.

The “expanding metal bracelet” on this watch does not have spring-based links. The reference was meant to describe its deployant clasp.

Although the Ian Fleming Rolex Explorer has been photographed as recently as 5 years ago with original dial intact, it has never been publicly displayed with that dial. This made it impossible to accurately identify the watch by merely viewing it on display at the Imperial War Museum (where it first appeared, for a year, during the Ian Fleming Centenary).

Caseback date and “more likely of two possible” case / serial numbers were made available.

Additionally— this “original literary James Bond watch” continue reading…

Rolex 1016 Explorer James Bond / Ian Fleming watch model, dial close-up

Although Rolex made its reference 1016 Explorer I model for many years, only a few were similar to what Ian Fleming wore — and the example upon which he based his original, literary James Bond watch.

Item number 230718585924, currently available for auction on eBay, is one that meets that criteria.

Radium dial intact.

Riveted bracelet, with proper end links.

In the time since this Rolex Explorer 1016 first came up as a listing, I’ve been in frequent contact with the seller. Beyond the auction itself, he has generously provided the images that appear with this James Bond Watches Blog post in support of current and future collectors.

This watch, with serial number 516,723, dates to the second quarter of 1960 (additionally see caseback images, below). That means it was produced less than a year before the Ian Fleming watch. Recall that the Fleming-Bond watch evidences either case number 596,351 or 596,851.

It’s been speculated that this particular iteration of the Rolex 1016, dating to turn of the decade, was moving through official jewelers at a time of increasing sensitivity to dangers associated with the use of radium for wristwatch luminescence. Fearful customers and assertive store owners pressed to have these dials replaced. And they did.

That’s part of the reason why continue reading…