Our top picks for a more realistic 007, taking into account Bond’s fictional background in special operations and salary as a civil servant
When it comes to Watches of Espionage, James Bond is the elephant in the room. There is a significant gap between the realities of intelligence collection and Hollywood's depiction, but 007 has had an indelible impact on watch culture within the Intelligence Community, and we know several real-world practitioners whose watch choices were influenced by the Omega and Rolex watches worn by Bond, James Bond.
However, we would argue that there’s a good chance a real “secret agent" using their license to kill on MI6’s behalf wouldn’t wear a luxury watch at all. In this video on the W.O.E. YouTube Channel, we’ll provide some of our top timepiece selections for a slightly more realistic 007.
Enjoy episode forty-three of W.O.E. TV.
Happy Hunting,
-W.O.E.
3 comments
hmm, i’m not sure i’m fully on board with this one. for bond, the person from a prestigious enough navy background to transition to MI6, i agree. a dive watch that agrees with that sort of career history is the correct choice. whether that is an issued watch or something bought personally to mark a milestone is for a domain specialist in the british navy and its watch culture idiosyncrasies to decide.
bond, the MI6 operative on a mission, though? he gets supplied whatever is appropriate. and that can as easily be a cheap, unobtrusive watch as a luxurious one – whatever fits with the cover. he wouldn’t wear a rolex while pretending to be a clerk at the embassy and he wouldn’t roll up with an f-91 to dine lobster with a rich black market arms dealer.
i don’t think bond, the watch collector with a government salary, does necessarily play into it.
Hamburglar watch……
Bond was not “just” a civil servant, he worked for the 00 section. That would equate to more money as well as access to Q Branch. He was a brute, with refined tastes who knew which wine went with what foods, what the price per ounce of gold was and would wear the type watch that went with whatever he was doing at that time. All the while planning how to break your neck.
The trick of course would be to find a watch that would pair equally well with a tuxedo and a scuba operation, with one following the other during the same night. I would argue that would limit Bond’s choices to a Rolex Submariner or the Omega Seamaster. No, you don’t want a shiny watch when sneaking up to a SPECTRE owned yacht, but a blacked out, CWC or even a brushed Tudor, would be much more of a faux pas under the sleeve of your tux in the company that Bond keeps.