James Bond Watches Blog

Amazingly, the first definitive identification of all James Bond watch models supplied to the movies by Seiko UK was not made until this last decade of 007 history

Although Seiko hasn’t been a James Bond watch product placement partner in the movies since the mid-1980s, the last ten years have seen 007 history made for this great brand as well.

We’re talking about first-ever definitive identification of all models provided to Eon Productions by Seiko UK.

In 2009, I was given unprecedented access to personnel and documentation as part of my own original research into the question. Mark Mills was my lead contact — and the man who’d worked directly with the filmmakers, from 1977 onward. It was one of his very first assignments as a Seiko employee.

As with so many things with the world of James Bond watches, there’s all that goes into developing “the list,” and then there are the multitude of questions that go into validating it.

For example, the James Bond Seiko watches give no indication of model numbers on backs, dials, or anywhere else.

And the 8-digit numbers by which these watches are commonly referenced on the Internet, case numbers, sometimes refer to multiple configurations. So, part of my work to truly empower James Bond watch collectors interested in Seiko was to first explain how the pieces they wanted were actually differentiated.

Just over a year ago, then, I worked with Jack Forster and his great colleagues at Revolution magazine to deliver the first-ever complete history of James Bond watches from Seiko UK. (Although I still prefer the print version, you can read it here online.)

Additionally, continue reading…

The last 10 years of James Bond history saw the discovery of the TAG Heuer watch models featured in "The Living Daylights," starring Timothy Dalton as Ian Fleming's Agent 007

As we prepare to commemorate the completion of another decade in James Bond history, I thought we should devote a few posts here to looking back on some recent watch-related highlights.

First up: TAG Heuer has now been recognized as a James Bond watch brand.

Prior to 2010, no one had ever identified the watch or watches worn by actor Timothy Dalton as James Bond in the Eon Productions 007 movie, The Living Daylights (1987).

Worse yet, the cut-and-paste “definitive list of James Bond watch” websites and forum gadflies simply assumed it must have been a Rolex Submariner.

Now tell me— how could anyone confuse a black PVD Heuer model 980.031 Night Dive wristwatch with a mid-1980s Sub from Rolex?

Working with Heuer / TAG Heuer experts David Chalmers and Paul Gavin, we identified not only the two correct James Bond watches for The Living Daylights, but also a number of other watches seen in the movies. Worn by villains, and 007 ally Felix Leiter.

For Bond: A 980.013 Professional and a 980.031 PVD Night Dive.

Our story then first broke on CommanderBond.net, April 2, 2010, as the first of a two-part series.

You can also read it here on this James Bond Watches Blog.

A few short months later, three examples of 007 continue reading…

An updated edition of Rolex Submariner Story has recently been released by Guido Mondani Editore

Guido Mondani begins his Editor’s Note by writing that with this publication of his Rolex Submariner Story, “enthusiasts, collectors and traders can really feel satisfied” by the “history and an ‘encyclopedic’ knowledge of all modern and vintage Submariner models.”

That’s quite a tall order.

Stop to think about the number of in-depth texts that have already been written on this subject, in whole or part.

Unauthorized histories. Approaches that narrowly focus on sports models. Magazine features based on unprecedented access to Rolex facilities. Auction catalogs. And all that before we start talking about other Guido Mondani Editore imprints.

Yet Rolex Submariner Story delivers. In fact, it exceeds Mr Mondani’s opening promise.

The first edition, published in 2009 and limited to a 2,000-book printing, is a cornerstone and regularly referenced part of my personal research library. I cited it for my piece on James Bond and Rolex in the current Revolution magazine, as well my post-BaselWorld observations that ran on the CommanderBond.net James Bond fan site.

Guido Mondani is also our personal source for identification of the Rolex 6538 Submariner on display (courtesy of Bob Ridley, Watchmakers International) as part of our “Bond Watches, James Bond Watches” exhibit at the National Watch & Clock Museum in Columbia, Pennsylvania.

So it is with a great deal of hands-on, practical-use experience that I come to this review of Rolex Submariner Story — and happily announce that a new edition has just been released, featuring continue reading…