It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
^ Back to Top
The MI6 Community is unofficial and in no way associated or linked with EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures, Activision or Ian Fleming Publications. Any views expressed on this website are of the individual members and do not necessarily reflect those of the Community owners. Any video or images displayed in topics on MI6 Community are embedded by users from third party sites and as such MI6 Community and its owners take no responsibility for this material.
James Bond News • James Bond Articles • James Bond Magazine
Comments
I see that the Tissot PR-516, or at least the examples I can find online, comes at a smaller diameter case size than your Rolexes or Omega's. The price for a watch like this also looks to be a lot cheaper too, fortunately!
None of the watches I could find have that large "PR-516" at the bottom half of the dial though – only "Automatic Seastar PR 516" in the same font size, like the watch David's wife got. I guess it will be difficult to find out just which model Roger wore in the film.
Thanks, @Torgeirtrap ... David's Bond watches obsessions are always fun and interesting!
Like he says, unless the watch is being kept by Moore's estate then we'll probably never know the actual model.
I only noticed on a viewing a few years back that Moore is not wearing the Rolex in certain scenes. (Mainly the Boat chase) Didn't think anything of it at the time..
I looked at the newer PR-516 and it just doesn't have that wow factor.
Yeah, it's kind of boring. The 'Homage' manufacturers seem to have much more imagination and at less cost.
Haha, yes! David's collection of watches (and everything else) is very, very impressive. Not all of his videos are that interesting to me, but his dedication to the channel and everything Bond is 10/10.
Maybe some photos of the actual watch from the Moore's estate will pop up at some point. I would be very happy to get one from the same line of watches from that area though – regardless of the finer details like placement and sizing of the type. It's a very beautiful watch.
The new PR-516 just looks like any other watch really. That is the case with a lot of new watches these days. Like you also mention above, it's often from the "homage" manufacturers or in my experience smaller, independent brands that you find the watches that really catches your eye. I don't really think Omega makes many interesting watches anymore either; if I was to pick up an Omega myself (if I could afford one!), I'd rather get an older model – maybe from the 80's or 90's.
Do keep us updated on your findings about the Tissot @QBranch!
Bear in mind there's no real reason to think that Connery's watch is a Gruen, could be anything.
Will do, mate!
I have the majority of the Seikos now, which are mostly an affordable place to start, but obviously you wouldn't wear them on a physically demanding outing or worksite.
Great, thanks!
This is not on-topic really, but this discussion about Roger's Tissot made me wonder: Do anyone here have any experiences with vintage Omega's – or Rolex watches for that matter? I'm thinking cheaper, more attainable watches like non-diver Seamasters, De Ville's, Oysters etc.
For years I've had this little dream of maybe one day owning an Omega, but it doesn't have to be the more expensive top-of-the-line Seamasters, Speedmasters or watches like that. It can just as well be a 30-60 year old watch that just happen to be in working order and that looks good.
Oooh, I really like the look of that Cosmic 2000! I've been looking at the (many) variations of the Omega Chronostop from the same era, but the Cosmic looks a little more "dressier". Certainly must consider this one.
The use of the name "Seamaster" really confuses me; Half of the watches I see with that name are watches I wouldn't even wear when washing up!
I have my gold Cosmic, a Seamaster 300M which is probably most similar to the CR one, and an Aqua Terra- they all look very different and yet are all Seamasters! :D
I am very envious of your Omega collection, @mtm! Although I've looked more at vintage watches, the Aqua Terra would probably be my preferred choice if I was to purchase a modern day Omega. They are quite a jump in price compared to a lot of the watches I've looked at (brand new being out of reach for me), but I guess there might be older Aqua Terra watches out there at a price I can live with.
The advantage with a "newer" watch is no doubt less sign of use, and the likelihood of a more complete service history record.
I must say though, having bought my first automatic watch a couple of years ago, I do find more enjoyment wearing that watch than any of the quartz watches I've owned, or tried.
The AT is a stunning piece! Recommend checking it out in person if you ever come across one!
Unfortunately, there aren’t any watch stores near me that carry luxury brands like Omega, so my best bet is trying my luck on Chrono24 or other online retailers. Still, nothing beats seeing these timepieces in person, of course.
Chrono24 is a good place for pre-owned watches. You can especially get previous model Omega's in good condition at good prices there. The blue AT is indeed a stunner. Took that wrist shot about a week ago. It's my daily wear and I wear that so often I sometimes forget to rotate it with my other watches.
Wearing this Seamaster today at work. Not the Spectre limited watch that gave Blofeld the scar, but a similar piece B-)
If I had an AT like that, I fear it would hardly leave my wrist, @imranbecks! Do you happen to know the lug-to-lug size of that Seamaster by any chance? I've always liked the look of diving watches, but I fear they might look and feel a bit too big on a smaller wrist.
The AT is such a versatile piece so it's always the go-to watch.
Lug to lug is 48mm on the Seamaster 300. I have a 7" wrist.
That Skyfall AquaTerra has been my dream watch ever since the film came out, but I don't think I'll ever get to the point that I feel comfortable with that purchase, sadly... Maybe as a retirement gift to myself in 30 years.
Yes, I've noticed there are quite a few 36 mm ATs out there, especially from the early era of the AT. Fortunately, these watches do look great too.
I've never really understood the appeal of bigger watches, but larger sizes still dominate sales apparently. I can get why a tool watch like a diver or a chronograph might need to be bigger, but a lot of wristwatches just look ridiculously huge for no practical reason. But a wristwatch is an accessory many like to show off, I guess.
Thanks, @imranbecks! The Seamaster 300 is a bit too large for me, then. With my tiny wrist, I will probably need a watch that's somewhere around 44 mm lug-to lug, at most. A smaller diameter Omega dive watch might have a bit smaller lug to lug size, of course.
This particular 300 is really beautiful though. I prefer watches that are less "busy", with a clean dial – and this has everything that makes for a great looking watch!
I can definitely see why that's a dream watch @ImpertinentGoon! Googling this particular model, I see that it (still) goes for prices that are out of my range as well. Fingers crossed you will get your hands on one one day.
Edit:
Just taking the Skyfall AquaTerra as an example: The reference number for that is 231.10.39.21.03.001. As far as I know, that's the model Craig wore.
Those are currently listed for between 3.500€ and 5.500€ on Chrono24.
But then there's also 231.10.39.21.03.002. Which is - as far as I understand it - functionally the same watch. It's just a later production run. Hence the 2 at the end. There are way more of those on sale at the moment (23 vs. 10) and they start at 2.800€ (the high listings are similar at 5.250€).
May be a coincindence, but it does seem like there is a difference in the market. Probably because sites like jamesbondlifestyle.com list the Skyfall watch as 231.10.39.21.03.001 and that's what people search for.
Here's an example:
https://ebay.us/m/EhaxfB
It's not a Bond one, but I kind of prefer it in black. Also an Omega quartz movement is really not the same as a cheap quartz off the shelf, it's real quality (also has a really handy function where the hour hand moves with the minute hand staying in the same place: ideal for traveling!)
Alternatively, if you want to try the look out but at a more affordable price, Watchdives do a nicely similar watch in 38mm (lug length 45mm) with a Seiko mechquartz movement (so it ticks four times a second and looks like an auto with sweeping seconds hand) for £74 / €85
They're very well-made too, not disappointing at all.
https://watchdives.com/products/watchdives-wd0006-38mm-vh31-men-watch?_pos=1&_psq=WD0006&_ss=e&_v=1.0
Indeed. I also think having the same watch and the exact same reference number as a watch used on screen is enough to make the price go up, as having a "Bond watch" no doubt means a lot to collectors.
Although I love blue, I think I actually prefer the AT in black as well. Daniel Craig himself has been seen wearing black dial ones too:
Really like the look of that Watchdives one too. I'm not familiar with the brand, but there are a lot of smaller microbrands that do a lot of very fine watches – some of which are very much inspired by the more expensive sources of inspiration – such as Omega or Rolex.
Speaking of homages; David Zaritsky made a video about this watch from a brand named UNIVEX a while ago:
Sorry if this video has been previously mentioned in the thread.
That Univex is an exception: I believe the guy there has an ex-Rolex watchmaker build them in the US, and as a result the price is quite a bit higher. They do look pretty good though, and of course the brand name is great for a 007 watch. Personally I think they should have just gone for it and entirely matched the typefaces and design of the original Rolex; the font they've gone for doesn't quite do it for me. Sadly graphic design seems rarely a major consideration of these homages.
There's another brand called WMT which, for me, really nails the feel of a vintage dial really well (not my photo):
If I'm honest, when you're wearing the real thing it's a different feeling and they're on another level, but these homages are still surprisingly excellent bits of watchmaking. Although I have a BB36 homage from a brand called Cronos and it genuinely feels as good quality as some of my watches from Swiss brands, it's superb.
I do have WMT's LALD tribute watch (complete with colour-changing indices and saw tooth bezel!) and it does have 'MI6 MILSPEC' written where most watches have 'SWISS MADE' - it's a lovely touch :D
My "daily wearer" is the Marloe Tay, which you can see in this video below. I think this specific model is manufactured in Japan, and it uses a Japanese Miyota movement, which I see is fairly commonly used in microbrand watches. Marloe Watch Company also uses Swiss movements in some models I believe – with those watches likely being manufactured in Switzerland. I also think they do some assembly in England, but I'm not sure how many of the watches are assembled in-house. It's an interesting watch brand, and although some of their watches are a bit too colourful to my taste, they do have several watches that look really nice.
Definitely agree on the finer details of the UNIVEX watch. You can quite clearly see that there's been no designer (or a proper one) that has taken part in the branding on the watch nor the packaging – the former being very obvious when you see David doing the unboxing. That's a shame really, considering the price (and likely the quality) of the product.
That WMT looks better in that regard, though I do wonder why they placed that six o' clock marker horizontally? That's just feels off to me.
Homage watches do have something about them though, if done right. It will never be the same as the "real thing", like you mention, but I'm sure if doing some homework, it's possible to find some great options out there. What i often feel with homage watches though, is that they often become too retro.
I take it it's the Cronos L6036 you are referring to, @mtm? If so, that's a stunning watch too! I think it popped up somewhere when I was researching the Tudor Black Bay 54. Of new watch models, the BB54 is probably one of the watches I've looked at the most; it's retro looking without leaning too heavily into being retro, and at 37 mm it's probably the only real diver option out there that might fit my wrist – although the 46mm lug-to-lug size does probably make it just too large for my 5.71in wrist (damn that family trait of having small wrists!).
I'd love to see a wrist shot that WMT's LALD tribute! Googled it right now, and it looks great – even more so than the "Connery" one above, in my opinion.
Regarding retro watches; I follow the Instagram account of a watchmaker named Shiro Kara, who makes some really interesting watches. Some of these watches are made to look aged, which I'm not too much a fan of, but there are others too that just look suitably retro.
Oh wow, that's really stylish, I like that a lot! I've not seen that one before.
It's one of those a bit like the Baltic Hermetique or Farer watches, where it's obvious that someone with a really good sense of modern graphic design and colour has worked on it.
Yeah, agreed. The watch might be fantastic, but the amateur quality of the website, photography and design would make me very nervous about the professionalism of the company and whether I'd see my money again. Design is very important with these things.
It's funny, even though I've looked at that photo before, I noticed that same thing for the first time when I posted the image! I can only assume it's a marker meant for a dial with a date window at the six o'clock position but I've no idea why they used it on that.
Yes that's the one, I was really surprised how that Cronos feels a notch above other homages I've had (actually having an inoffensive name and logo helps a lot!), I really like wearing it.
I totally agree about the BB54 too, I've had my eye on that for a while and it's not outrageously pricy either. When I see one in person I fall in love with it again, although I do hesitate slightly over whether it's a bit too retro, as you mention. And I even like older watches, maybe I just worry slightly about buying a new one like that. But it is gorgeous. There are some excellent homages of that (including Cronos' which I'm sure is great) but I must admit I think I'd want the real thing.
I reckon you should try one on, sometimes the lug length can be deceptive and it's all about how the case is shaped.
Otherwise if you like the Brosnan/Craig Seamaster 300M, my one is the 36mm version they made at the time. I'm not large of wrist either, and it fits really well and somehow doesn't look too small either (I know 36mm sounds tiny, and the first time I saw it I thought I'd made a mistake, but I think it really works). Have a look around, you might find one.
Ooh cool, thank you! Will check that out.
It's a lot of fun. It's quite accurate to the original, which means it comes on a slightly shonky pressed-clasp bracelet(!), and playing your inner Roger and making the indices turn red never gets old :D (It's quite clever; they've just hooked a sandwich dial up to the date wheel of the movement, so pulling out the crown and setting the date spins the wheel under the markers and turns them red). My only slight issue is that it has a black enamel dial, which I usually love on anything, but feels a bit off on this one.
Here's a couple of pics I took of my little collection of Bond homages including the LALD: