Top 10 Bond-Worthy Watches
Style, elegance, charisma, expertise…and a bit of mayhem. Even if you’re not technically licensed to kill, these are all qualities you can certainly aspire to having more of in your life. Even on your wrist. For 007, a timepiece can be just as important to his world-saving missions as a loaded-and-ready Walther PPK pistol. Here are some curated timepieces for the international man of mystery in all of us.
The character created by Sir Ian Fleming back in 1953 may have been in answer to what an intelligence operative needs to be in the challenging years after World War II, but Bond, no matter who plays him and no matter which villains he battles, has certainly stood the test of time.
With rumors still flying about which actor will play him next after Daniel Craig’s MI6 “retirement,” (stars like Henry Cavill, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Tom Holland, all Brits—along with American actor Austin Butler—are all being bandied about), we thought we’d offer up some, sometimes unexpected, options for wrist wear that will leave you shaken and stirred.
An important caveat on our list: With one notable exception, the models and brands cited here are not officially part of the Bond canon, either literarily or cinemagraphically. However, in the right situation, they are all undeniably Bond-worthy.
Omega Seamaster Railmaster
Ever since Pierce Brosnan’s turn as Bond in 1995’s Goldeneye, 007 has been an “Omega” man, with the brand entering the canon’s official gear list (like Aston Martin cars) for that movie. The subsequent Bond movie watches have been various riffs on Omega’s iconic Seamaster Professional 300M dive watch.
However, there is something so classic and elegant about this so-called Seamaster Railmaster, which recently debuted in the watchmaker’s latest collection for the Railmaster line, that just calls out to 007’s less intense side. At 38mm and in steel, it is not as aggressive as a proper Seamaster Professional, but the sedate brown color theme, strap stitching details, and overall vintage design seems perfectly in line with character’s notorious sense of fashion.
When things turn more dangerous, which they generally do in a Bond story, the timepiece, powered by the legendary Omega 8806 automatic movement, is unexpectedly rated to 150 meters of water resistance.
Price: $6,000
Patek Philippe Cubitus Grand Date Day Moon Phases
Of course, in the life of a spy, there are times where you have to “go big” to intimidate the bad guys. It doesn’t get much bigger than this 45mm platinum, complicated execution of Patek Philippe’s first newly designed timepiece model in about a quarter of a century, the Cubitus.
While a perfectly modern watch, classicism meets horological elan meets a touch of “stealth” luxury in this platinum beauty. The modernity is supplied via a new caliber 240 PS CI J LU movement that winds in technical classicism with an instantaneous grand date function at 12 o’clock, a sophisticated moon phase function at about 7:30, and a small seconds at about 4:30. The stealth luxury? A single baguette diamond resides on the side of the case below 6 o’clock, for your eyes only.
Price: $88, 380
Richard Mille RM 30-01 Le Mans Classic
Artful watchmaker Richard Mille carries a bit of a “man of mystery” vibe in the horological world. While Mille timepieces may not be the most understated “covert” wristwatches out there, they are chockfull of resonant automotive connection. As a character who has driven all manner of gadget-equipped performance vehicles in the service of Her Majesty, we think Bond would be a fan.
Released to commemorate the recent Le Mans Classic vintage races, this striking, limited to 150 editions RM 30-01 is obviously an impressive titanium tonneau-case-sporting work of time-keeping art. But in its details and color ways it also looks and feels like a race car, and it kind of looks and feels like a racetrack, too. Combining those heritage design cues with cutting-edge materials like its Quartz TPT case band, like 007, the timepiece is both historic, enduring, and cutting-edge.
Price: $275,000
NOMOS Glashütte Club Sport neomatik World Timer
The Bauhaus-design inspired brand NOMOS might not immediately come to mind when you ruminate on Bond watches. However, the minimalist Bauhaus art movement was broadly influential around the world just prior to World War II, and held tremendous sway over industrial and product design well in the post-war years, as well. If you envision this NOMOS as a “Cold War” era Bond watch, the picture begins to make more sense.
Plus, this model’s very clean approach to world timing certainly checks the box for Bond’s mission-critical international travels. Crafted in steel at a 40mm case size with a deep blue dial, the Club Sport neomatik World Timer represents one of the watchmaker’s more involved dial designs. While it breaks rank a bit with NOMOS’ signature minimalist approach, there is still plenty of cool, elegant artfulness to go around.
Price: $4,720
Alpina Seastrong Diver Extreme Automatic GMT
I mean, it’s got the word “extreme” right in the product name, right? And who finds themselves in unexpected extreme conditions more than 007? While Swiss maker Alpina’s original “Extreme” case concept focused on rugged arctic mountain adventure, this fusion of that idea with its popular Seastrong dive watch just oozes toughness, reliability, and meeting challenging situations with 007 style.
While it doesn’t carry any whimsical special “gadgets,” it packs a whole lot of mission-ready functionality into a relatively accessible 39 by 40.5mm steel package: a robust 300 meters of water resistance, a second time-zone GMT function (controlled from the single screw-down crown), and abundant lume for undersea and nighttime land adventures delivered on a patterned black dial beautifully framed by a black ceramic bidirectional bezel and tough black textured rubber strap.
Price: $3,035
Benrus DTU-2A/P
James Bond wasn’t born a British Secret Service agent. The character’s back story includes rising to the rank of Commander in the Royal Navy, and maintained that rank in the Royal Naval Reserve as a spy. Bond is a military man, through and through, and for authentic, no-nonsense, mil-spec legitimacy, revived independent watchmaker Benrus wins five stars.
The “DTU” model was first introduced in 1964 for the U.S. military, and this reimagined execution holds true to the original’s “field watch” intentions of legibility, 24-hour UTC military timing (via an inner chapter ring that reads from 13 to 24), and durable vintage-inspired 34mm steel construction. Modern BW G9 Super-LumiNova dial details and a current Swiss-made ETA 2671 automatic automatic movement bring this model into today. Especially on a rarely seen under-case leather Bund piece, this watch is particularly Bond-worthy, and, frankly, particularly bad ass.
Price: $990
DOXA SUB 750T /Clive Cussler
It’s hard to pick out a Bond film (especially during the Sean Connery years) when 007 didn’t have to scuba dive to complete his mission. While the very first film, 1962’s Dr. No, had the agent spending a lot of time under the warm waters of Jamaica, the unforgettable underwater combat scenes from 1965’s Thunderball best prove that he is just a comfortable, and deadly, under the water as he is at the tables of a rarefied casino.
Watchmaker DOXA holds a special place in the hearts of serious divers, with its timepiece authenticity, heritage (what better diving seal of approval than the fact that Jacques Cousteau and his team wore them do you need?), and uncanny professional diving specs all delivered in a package that manages to still be modern and relevant, every time.
This limited to 94 pieces special SUB 750T not only commemorates adventure author Clive Cussler and his own Bond-ish hero Dirk Pitt, the silky beaded steel bracelet, signature dive-glove friendly knurled bezel, bold vintage orange dial and details, and whopping 750 meters of water resistance creates it own adventure tale on the wrist.
Price: $2,990
Perrelet Turbine Poker Royal Flush Limited Edition
Speaking of casinos, for someone who is technically a government employee, the intrepid agent certainly seems to find himself involved with fair amount of high-stakes gambling while he’s saving the world, doesn’t he?
Biel/Bienne-based Swiss watchmaker Perrelet has become renowned especially for including a winding rotor not only on the back of their movements, but also a signature “fanned” turbine spinner on the dial side. When spinning, that front rotor can reveal all manner of fun, exciting, whimsical—even controversial—dial imagery as a secret treat.
Along with the black-and-red color way and card suit details of the 44mm polycarbonate, carbon fiber, and black PVD-coated steel limited edition watch, a winning double royal flush poker hand adorns the dial: A game-changing set of cards 007 would perhaps be excited to keep up his sleeve, so to speak.
Price: $5,450
IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert
The agent may seem to prefer flying first class, but Bond ends up piloting a multitude of aircraft (including a combat fighter in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies) over the course of the Ian Fleming novels and the films. While details on 007’s exact flight training and experience isn’t too deeply revealed in the storylines, he seems to be, um, pretty good at it.
This special IWC pilot watch taps into the agent’s aerial expertise as well his military background: All the hallmarks of a classic pilot watch format (legibility, simplicity, precision) combined with a signature desert khaki color inspired by the U.S. Navy’s fabled “Top Gun” fighter training facility in Nevada’s Mojave desert. The color, by the way, comes by way of a state-of-the-art 41mm lightweight ceramic case, making this Top Gun anything but vintage; more like modern and effective.
Price: $7,500
Hermès H08
The timepieces crafted by the estimable Hermès also might not jump right into your head regarding possible watches for the agent. That is until you realize the Bond is just as exacting and demanding about his wardrobe as he is about his cocktails. In fact, in 1974’s The Man With the Golden Gun, 007’s boss, M, responds to Bond’s question of how would want to kill him with: “Jealous husbands! Outraged chefs! Humiliated tailors! The list is endless!”
A sport watch with some significant added fashionable style, like the Hermès H08, would seem custom-made for the sartorial spy. This rose gold/black DLC-coated titanium execution, at a sleek 39 by 39mm case size, with the house’s signature circle-on-rounded-square-on-angled-cushion style case approach, a subdued “secret” date window at 4:30, and Hermès’ own distinctive if-you-know-you-know font for the hour indicators would certainly pass the muster of Bond’s peacockish fashion sense.
Price: $16,100