To be sure, the 007 types "with easy smiles and expensive watches" have been rocking Omegas since the Pierce Brosnan days, but please indulge me: let's say you've been hired as the new wardrobe supervisor for the franchise, and Daniel Craig needs a new watch for his last portrayal of the famed British spy. We are in a parallel universe here, and Omega no longer has the exclusivity.
The movie director agrees to Rolex, but there is a caveat: You can't use the obvious, safe choice, which is the Submariner, the model that has adorned the wrists of the very first and very last Rolex-wearing 007, Sean Connery and Timothy Dalton. So here are my top-three Rolex picks.
The movie director agrees to Rolex, but there is a caveat: You can't use the obvious, safe choice, which is the Submariner, the model that has adorned the wrists of the very first and very last Rolex-wearing 007, Sean Connery and Timothy Dalton. So here are my top-three Rolex picks.
FAST-DRIVING JAMES BOND
It doesn't have to be a diver; after all, Ian Fleming, you are reminded, wore a Rolex Explorer. And Daniel Craig in recent 007 movies wore an Aqua Terra, which feels more Datejust than Sub. Besides, James Bond has spent more time behind the wheel of a high-performance car than under water.
Whether at the casino or at an embassy party while wearing Bond's signature white tuxedo, the Cosmograph Daytona on the wrist of 007 is a class of its own: waterproof to 100 meters, yet equipped with a steel bracelet with polished center links—an easy transition from wet suit to tuxedo. The Daytona remains an icon 50 years after its creation and should be a strong contender for this iconic, fast-driving spy.
TACTICAL JAMES BOND
The Yachtmaster 42 in white gold brings class and sport in one watch—James Bond in a nutshell.
The broad hands and hour markers are filled with a luminescent material emitting a long-lasting glow, offering exceptional legibility for those low-light tactical operations thanks to its Chromalight display.
The watch is waterproof to 100 meters, and its bi-directional bezel could help the secret agent time a dive or detonation, while the black Oysterflex with Glidelock clasp is robust and comfortable both under the cuff and above the wet suit. For extra lightness, "Q" would suggest the Rolex prototype version in titanium instead.
RUGGED JAMES BOND
Whether on a trip home to Skyfall, in the highlands of Scotland, or skiing down the slopes of Tyrol, Austria, the Explorer II with its GMT complication is the perfect fit for this tough-living, globe-trotting spy who straddles time zones. Besides its legible orange GMT hand, the watch's movement is fitted with Paraflex shock absorbers, offering greater resistance to shocks and extreme conditions if fist-fighting with villains' henchmen. A cosmopolitan, resistant luxury watch engineered for a traveling action-packed spy.
Did I miss the mark? What modern Rolex would you see on James Bond's wrist? Let me know via Twitter or Instagram.
