There are times when pop culture and the world of watches intersect. Such is the case with James Bond. Since 1962, movie lovers around the world have watched 007 take his characteristic charm to the silver screen. Dr. No, the foundation film of the series, introduced Bond – the former central character in a series of spy novels by legendary author Ian Fleming – to popular culture. We got tuxedos, vodka martinis, a predilection for “romance,” and, of course, watches. While Bond wears two watches in this first film, we’ll be looking at the introduction of a certain famous diver who uses a leather strap.
All you math lovers out there may have figured it out by now. Given that Dr. No premiered in 1962, that means the Bond film franchise is 60 years old – just this week, in fact. While the Hodinkee website has no shortage of coverage surrounding the world of James Bond and the watches he wears, there is never a wrong time to delve into this world, and the occasion seems particularly appropriate for writing about it. Given the evolution of watchmaking over the past sixty years, a look at the first film will give you an idea of how it all began.
While the James Bond films have become synonymous with Omega watches over the years, appearing on the wrists of Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig, and ostensibly the next in line to take over, it certainly didn’t start that way. Like all good stories (in my opinion), it started with the Rolex Submariner.
As most buy replica watches enthusiasts know, Sean Connery as James Bond wore an early Big Crown Submariner. The Ref. 6538 with a gold-plated dial and a red triangle on the bezel. This model 6538 is available in two versions. As we all know, the 6538 comes in two flavors: four lines of text or two lines of text. We can be sure that Connery’s Bond wore a 6538 with four lines of text in later films (thanks to some killer close-ups), and it is widely believed that the 6538 in Dr. No is also a four-line model. This reference submarine is also the first in the series to be chronometer-certified, which explains the difference in lines, as some are certified, and some are not.
Over the years, the Internet has confused the issue of the Dr. No 6538 Submariner to some extent. There are photos everywhere of Connery’s wrist that show the Sub paired with the center stripe that came to be known as “Bond NATO”. This shot is not from “Dr. No,” and in this movie, Bond does not wear his Sub on his NATO. Breaking news? Maybe to some people yes. Instead, Bond wears a leather strap from start to finish, even underwater. I don’t recommend this unless you’re MI6 with a license to kill.
Dr. No is a film I return to with a touch of skepticism. Will it hold up? Is it the same movie I remember? In many ways, I can answer yes to both of these questions. It’s an iconic film with an iconic male lead wearing an iconic watch. A triple icon. I can’t even believe I’m saying this, but if you’ve never seen the movie and only know it because of the watch – spend a few hours this weekend to change that.
After the first act, we find Bond on the trail of Dr. No. He has recently become aware that his missing colleague has discovered some potentially radioactive minerals. On a ship planning to visit Noe’s island, Bond puts a Geiger counter on his wrist [00:46:55] wearing a submarine.” He says, “The glowing dial activates it. Of course, we know this is because the watches of the time used laser luminescence, but it’s also the nerdy coolness that the luxury replica watches in the movies had.
Soon after, Bond spends a romantic evening with a character named Ms. Tarlow (Zena Marshall), a double agent who also works for Dr. No. Bond knows this but continues to share a bed with her anyway. As the two get close and lip-locked, there’s a brief moment of action [00:55:56] where Bond pulls her to him and then slyly opens one eye to look at his watch. Sometimes you just have to look at the time.
