He doesn’t just have a license to kill; he also has a license
to tell time. Bond’s creator Ian Fleming made sure to give the world’s
most famous secret agent a
wrist watch in his novels. In the eleventh
volume (there are a total of 14 original editions),
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which was published in 1963, Fleming offers the reader a very precise description of this watch. James sees a “heavy
Rolex Oyster Perpetual on
a metal watch bracelet as he awakes in the middle of the night. And
Fleming remained with this watch brand in all future Bond adventures.
When 007 finally made it onto the silver screen in 1962, he made sure to wear his watch. In
Doctor No, Bond, played by Sean Connery, wears a
Rolex Submariner.
At that time he still had to do without any of Q’s additional
features that would later rescue the clever daredevil with a fondness
for martinis (shaken, not stirred) from many life-threatening
situations.
James Bond would receive his first watch gadget in 1965’s
Thunderball.
His watch featured a built-in Geiger counter that he can use to measure
radioactivity levels in his surroundings. The watch was made by Q and
does not bear a manufacturer’s name.
In later 007 films the MI6 agent frequently moved on from one watch
brand to the next – but not quite as often as he found a new woman.
In
Live and Let Die, the Bond watch features a buzz saw with
which 007 is able to free himself from his shackles. An integrated
magnet also diverts bullets. The watchmaker is not named, but
Rolex is thanked in the credits, so it can be assumed that the watch came from the Swiss manufacturer.
From then on Bond routinely received chronographs from Q that
featured diverse gadgets. Some were made by Rolex, some came without a
brand name, and several were made by
Seiko (
The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill).
James Bond has worn
cheap watches by
Omega since 1995’s
Goldeneye.
The agent, played by Pierce Brosnan, wears a watch with a remote
detonator for bombs and a laser beam to help him escape from an armored
train. The Omega Seamaster Professional features a blue dial and quartz
caliber. The watch was launched by the Swatch Group in 1993 as a
professional diving watch that was water-resistant up to 300 meters.
One secret agent episode and two years later Bond wore the chronometer version of the
Goldeneye Seamaster. In
Tomorrow Never Dies, Bond opts for a Seamaster Professional with automatic caliber that saves his life with an integrated detonator.
The silver screen hero also saves the world with an Omega Seamaster Professional on his wrist in
The World Is Not Enough (1999) and
Die Another Day (2002).
In the former, Bond once again finds himself in deep trouble.
Literally. He is buried under 30 feet of snow by an avalanche. But Bond
has his Omega. In the bezel hides a wire with a grappling hook. Bond
takes aim for a secure target. With the press of a button the hook flies
from the crown and the bezel whirls at lightning speed. Once the
grappling hook is firmly anchored, the bezel begins turning in the
opposite direction, lifting 007 out of the avalanche.
In
Die Another Day, Bond must face off
against industrial giant Gustav Graves, a villain working on a satellite
weapon. James’ watch features a remote detonator in the place of the
helium valve, which is operated by turning the bezel. The secret agent
can also activate a laser from the crown of the watch.
Bond fans love these technical gadgets and have been known to ask their watchmakers if they have any Bond watches.
2006’s
Casino Royale not only introduces us
to a new Bond actor – Pierce Brosnan left the franchise and was replaced
by a new, harder Daniel Craig, who has been thrilling us on the silver
screen ever since – it is also the first film in which 007 wears two
different watches. The 00 agent received an Omega Seamaster Professional
with a
coaxial escapement. With its blue dial,
unidirectional rotating bezel, screw-down crown, helium escape valve and
300 m water resistance, the James Bond watch looked just as good as the
star actor.
The second watch the MI6 agent wears in
Casino Royale is
a Seamaster Planet Ocean measuring 45.5 mm in diameter. It is also an
Omega caliber 2500 with coaxial escapement. Water-resistant up to 600 m,
it allows Bond to get into even more dangerous situations – under
water, too, of course – and get out again. It can be seen in the first
part of the movie before making way for the Seamaster Diver.
Omega launched both of these watches as limited versions when the
film was released. Both models had several Bond features like the 007
logo at the tip of the seconds hand and on the case back and clasp.
Bond ceased wearing a blue Omega Seamaster Professional in 2008 when
A Quantum of Solace hit theaters.
The agent wore a
Seamaster Planet Ocean instead. This 42 mm watch is somewhat smaller than the Planet Ocean seen in
Casino Royale.
The watch’s design is reminiscent of the Seamaster watches from the
1950s. Omega introduced a similar model prior to the release of the
film. It featured the 007 logo on the seconds hand, a special case back
and the film title on the dial.
Omega then also launched a Seamaster Professional to coincide with the movie’s release: the
Seamaster Diver 300 m James Bond 007 Collector’s Piece.
The dial on this limited James Bond edition is black. The 41 mm watch
also features the 007 logo at the tip of the seconds hand. This Omega
caliber 2500 Seamaster with coaxial escapement is water-resistant up to
300 m.
The watch brand from Biel, Switzerland launched a special edition of
the Seamaster to celebrate 50 years of James Bond movies. The limited
Classic Seamaster Professional coaxial 300 m has a diameter of 41 mm and
is powered by a certified chronometer, automatic caliber 2507 with
coaxial escapement.
In addition to the 007 logo on the dial, this James Bond watch also
features an opening on the back of the case that allows an open view of
the rotor. This, together with the design of the case back, creates a
stylish pistol barrel appearance.
And Omega released a limited
Planet Ocean just in time for the latest Bond film,
Skyfall,
which hit theaters in November 2012. It is water-resistant up to 600 m,
features a helium outlet valve and a unidirectional rotating ceramic
bezel. The 007 logo sits atop the dial at the seven o’clock position and
on the stainless steel clasp. The Bond watch is powered by a caliber
8507 with coaxial escapement, silicon spirals and a certified
chronometer. A sapphire glass bottom offers a view of both the movement
and the rotor, which features a “Skyfall 007” engraving.
Christie’s put the watch worn by Daniel Craig during filming
“Skyfall” on auction on October 5. It was a titanium Seamaster Planet
Ocean 600M – a one-of-a-kind model that is otherwise only offered in
stainless steel. The 42 mm titanium watch sold for 194,000 EUR (based on
the conversion rate at the time). The watch features the chronograph
caliber 8500 with 60 hours of reserve power.
745TDBanty 130927
