I have a quirky hobby: I love digging into what movie characters wear and use. Whether it's cars, clothes, phones... and, of course, watches. It's a bad habit of mine, but I just can't help being curious.
Uncovering details about these items often introduces me to new brands and cool products. Sure, I can’t always afford them, but just admiring beautiful things is its own kind of pleasure, right?
When I thought about writing a series on this topic, the first character that popped into my head was none other than James Bond. Who wouldn’t want to be like him? Strong, charming, living a life full of excitement, and always using the finest things. Sure, the cars are probably out of reach, and the clothes can be a bit complicated, so I decided to dive into his watches instead.
The Seamaster 300 sparked a NATO strap craze in Hanoi.
Thanks to the heavy promotion of the movie Spectre, I learned that Bond wears the Omega Seamaster 300, a classic diver's watch. But as I dug deeper, I realized that James Bond switches watches almost as often as he switches lovers.
Of course, in the films, his watches are more than just timepieces - they're laser cutters, bomb timers, and all sorts of gadgets. But for this article, let's focus strictly on their timekeeping abilities.
In his first screen appearance in Dr. No (1962), Bond wore two watches: the famous Rolex Submariner Oyster Perpetual, which was also the watch from the original novels, and a Gruen, a now-defunct American brand. The Rolex was iconic, especially when worn by the legendary Sean Connery.
The Rolex associated with the legend Sean Connery.
Bond remained loyal to these two for over a decade, with only one notable exception - he wore a Hamilton watch in the 1973 film Live and Let Die.
From 1977 to 1985, Bond made a surprising switch to Seiko, a Japanese brand. And yes, he even wore some quartz watches during this period - something that shocked me. I always assumed 007 would only wear mechanical watches to maintain his sophisticated image. But clearly, I was wrong.
Here's Seiko, even James Bond sometimes goes for something more affordable.
Then in 1987, in The Living Daylights, Bond wore a Tag Heuer, often referred to as the "poor man's Rolex." Whether he was dissatisfied or not, Tag Heuer only made a one-off appearance in that movie.
Tag Heuer, appearing only once.
In 1989, Bond returned to Rolex with a Submariner model, but unfortunately, this was the last time we saw a Rolex in a 007 film.
Then came 1995, a year full of milestones. First, Pierce Brosnan made his debut as Bond, bringing his suave, classic gentleman style to the role. Second, Omega became the official watch brand of the iconic spy.
Pierce Brosnan, the first James Bond to wear Omega, embodied the classic gentleman style.
Pierce Brosnan, who defined Bond’s elegant look, was the first to sport Omega, and since then, the Omega Seamaster has become synonymous with 007. Whether it was in Vietnam, Colombia, England, or the African jungles, this watch stayed on Bond’s wrist.
Daniel Craig, more modern and powerful, yet still loyal to Omega.
Fast forward to Daniel Craig’s turn as Bond, a more rugged and modern iteration of the character - but still, he remains loyal to Omega. For the past 20 years, Omega has been the consistent timepiece on Bond’s wrist, regardless of the actor portraying him.
Over nearly 50 years of spy missions, Bond has sported quite an impressive collection of watches. From high-end brands to vintage pieces and even more affordable options, 007’s collection spans a wide range. Sure, we understand that these days, the watch Bond wears often depends on commercial partnerships, but it’s still fun to keep an eye on his wrist in every new film.
If you're like me and don’t have thousands of dollars to drop on a watch like Bond’s, don’t worry! There are plenty of affordable diver watches out there, like the Seiko 007 or the Invicta Grand Diver Automatic. Plus, you can swap the strap on the Seiko 007 for a NATO strap just like Daniel Craig’s watch in Spectre.
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