*Source: https://www.007.com/no-time-to-die-jp/
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the theatrical release date for No Time to Die, the final film starring Daniel Craig as James Bond, has yet to be decided, and many watch enthusiasts are probably feeling anxious.
In the previous film, "Spectre," James Bond escaped from a major crisis with a specially modified Seamaster 300 made by "Q," a member of the secret weapons development team. I'm sure the OMEGA watch, which is the sponsor of the film, will also play a major role in the new film, so I'm waiting for the film to be released with high hopes.
*Source: https://www.007.com/no-time-to-die-jp/
For this reason, I would like to talk about the watches that appeared in the monumental spy movie "007" series , which is no exaggeration to say is the most popular movie among watch enthusiasts around the world. When the new movie is released, I will dig deeper so that you can enjoy the movie from a different perspective, so if you remember this as a piece of knowledge, I think you will enjoy it even more.
However, there are a total of 25 films in the 007 series, including new films that have yet to be released, so it would be impossible to cover them all in one column. This time, I would like to focus on the wrist of the "original 007," James Bond , played by the late Sean Connery, who passed away last October. I would like to talk about the second and subsequent generations in the next column.
The original 007's favorite watch was the Rolex Submariner
The most well-known watch worn by Sean Connery as James Bond is the Rolex Submariner, which he is seen wearing from the first film, "Dr. No," released in 1962, through to the fourth film, "Thunderball," released in 1965.
However, the first two films, "Dr. No" and "From Russia with Love," do not have any close-up shots of the watch, and although it is clear that it is a Submariner, the details of the footage are not clear, making it difficult to identify the reference.
*Source: http://watchspotting.blogspot.com/2011/02/from-russia-with-love-1963.html
Submariner from "Goldfinger"
The third film, "Goldfinger," caught the attention of watch enthusiasts around the world. Bond plants explosives to infiltrate enemy territory, and there is a close-up of Bond's wrist in the scene where he checks the time for the explosion. The Submariner, which is shown prominently on the screen, is...
●Benz Needle
●No crown guard
● Large crown
● Two-line notation without "OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED CHRONOMETER"
● Meter-first notation of "200m"
Submariners with this characteristic are narrowed down to two references: the "Ref. 6538 (early model) without a chronometer designation" or the "Ref. 5510."
*Source: https://www.jamesbondlifestyle.com/comment/23291
These two references have almost no external differences, making it extremely difficult to distinguish between them just from the footage, but the Submariner in the film has another major feature that allows it to be distinguished.
This means that the distance between the two lines of marking and the index at 6 o'clock is very narrow.
The Ref. 6538 has a dial that matches this characteristic, but the Ref. 5510 does not appear to have a similar dial.
For this reason, it is now believed that the watch worn by James Bond in the film "Goldfinger" was the Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538.
Features of the Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538
The Ref. 6538 is the second generation Submariner model, the first to be chronometer-certified. It is equipped with Cal. 1030 and is the first model to use a highly efficient "double-winding" automatic winding mechanism. The impressive 8mm diameter "deca crown" is engraved with "BREVET", which means "patent" in French. This diver's watch was manufactured in the late 1950s and boasted a groundbreaking 200m water resistance at the time.
In addition to the one worn by Sean Connery, there are many other variations and differences in details, such as four-line markings, a red inverted triangle luminous point, commonly known as a "red top bezel," and a pencil hour hand.
*Commit Ginza is currently strengthening its sales and purchase of vintage Submariners!
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Sean Connery's Bond watch coordination
In "Goldfinger," James Bond wears a Submariner with a NATO strap with a white tuxedo, which is a blatant violation of the dress code.
However, his character as a confident, popular woman and skilled British intelligence agent makes you think, "That's what James Bond could do." That's why he's the hero who saves the world from destruction all by himself.
Of course, this kind of watch styling is the ultimate "coordinated look by a perfect hero," so please don't try to imitate it unless you consider yourself a perfect hero (lol).
*Source: https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/james-bond-rolex-submariner-explorer
Watches as secret weapons
In addition to the Submariner, another memorable watch appears in the movie "Thunderball" - the Breitling Top Time.
There is a scene in the film where the Top Time is used as a Geiger counter, making it the first "watch modified as a gadget and secret weapon" in the 007 film series. From then on in the 007 series, watches would play the role of James Bond's "partner" by emitting powerful magnetic forces, turning the bezel into a rotating saw, or exploding, helping to save him from difficult situations.
*Source: https://oracleoftime.com/unsung-heroes-breitling-top-time/
As an aside, a Top Time that was sold for just 25 pounds (approximately 3,750 yen) at a flea market in the UK in 2013 was later discovered to be the car actually used in the filming of Thunderball, and was sold at Christie's auction shortly thereafter for the high price of 104,000 pounds (approximately 15.6 million yen). It was an astonishing bid, more than 4,000 times its original price.
summary
One of the charms of the 007 film series is that it never lacks for stories about watches.
The new film is scheduled to be released around autumn 2021, so until then, why not rewatch the original films, paying particular attention to Bond's arms, whether you've seen them before or not?
If you are a watch lover, I'm sure you will find something new in each piece!
*Commit Ginza is currently strengthening its sales and purchase of vintage Submariners!