James Bond Watches Blog

James Bond watch choices among the most memorable features of 007 movies

The UK Mail Online today has a feature story on the 50 most memorable images from James Bond on-screen.

Second-to-top on the list: James Bond watches.

In total, specific wristwatches worn by the James Bond character were referenced 5 times. And that doesn’t include the “Villain’s watch garotte,” worn by Red Grant in From Russia with Love (coming in at number 35) nor the non-watch “Wrist dart gun” from Moonraker (47).

Curiously, the first James Bond watch named, at number 15, is the “Rolex with laser,” from Never Say Never Again. Not an Eon Productions movie. And, whatever the watch is, it is definitely not a Rolex.

In total, Rolex is named by brand three times. Rolex is the only watchmaker specified for Agent 007 by Ian Fleming in the original books. Jeffery Deaver put a Rolex on his James Bond in the novel Carte Blanche last year. The last movie-Bond to wear a Rolex was actor Timothy Dalton, with a reference 16610 Submariner Date in Licence to Kill, Eon Productions, 1989.

Only one other James Bond watchmaker is cited in this top 50: Seiko.

Showing up with room to spare at number 47, the “Seiko detonator watch” appeared in Moonraker, Eon Productions, 1979. Hat’s off to the marketing power of Seiko for this achievement. Seiko hasn’t been officially associated with James Bond since 1985, when actor Roger Moore wore 3 in A View to a Kill.

On the other hand, it’s stunning to see how little mindshare impact that Omega appears to be getting from the money it’s put into the James Bond movie and video franchises.

The Omega name appears nowhere on this top 50 list. continue reading…

Although Donovan "Red" Grant did wear a Girard-Perregaux watch in the novel "From Russia with Love," it never became a James Bond wristwatch

Some myths die hard.

They go down kicking and screaming, in fact.

For perhaps as many as fifty years, maybe more — too many watch writers insisted that Girard-Perregaux was a James Bond watch.

But it never was.

And I busted that myth here on this James Bond Watches Blog two years ago this month. See “The Girard-Perregaux wristwatch that James Bond did not wear,” February 14, 2010.

Confusion stemmed from reference to villain Red Grant’s “bulky gold wristwatch on a well-used brown crocodile strap,” described by Ian Fleming on the first chapter of From Russia with Love (Jonathan Cape, 1957).

“It was a Girard-Perregaux model designed for people who like gadgets, and it had a sweep second-hand and two little windows in the face to tell the day of the month, and the month, and the phase of the moon.”

Fast forward into climax and denouement of the novel: Bond’s own watch destroyed by Grant, Bond kills Grant, Bond takes watch of Grant’s dead wrist and wears it as his own from there on out.

Trouble with such simplistic wristwatches of James Bond stories is that they miss what happened in between continue reading…

Swatch James Bond watches leather briefcase, 2002 Fall/Winter collection

This week, we’re taking a look at a very nice range of licensed James Bond watches currently available on eBay.

As before, an opening disclaimer:

These references are presented as-is, where-is.

I am not authenticating anything that’s being offered, not vouching for sellers, and not suggesting current or ultimate sales prices reflect future value.

Fossil Deluxe Limited Edition 007 watch

Although all packaging and pieces are included with this auction, several aspects of it are in a bit rougher shape than we’d like to see for a Fossil-Bond collectible. See item number 230649488987 on eBay.

Gilbert James Bond Spy Watch

Item number 120824485534 is the wristwatch version offered by Gilbert that was without embossed logo.

MGM “shutter” watch

These don’t continue reading…