CommanderBond.net
  1. ‘James Bond: Fragrence for Men’ Launches.

    By Matthew Harkin on 2012-08-19

     

    Described as  “The most dangerously sophisticated fragrance in the world”, The official James Bond 007 fragrance has been launched to coincide with the 50th Anniversary. It is available to buy here.

  2. Bond Reclassified – 50th Anniversary Blu Ray Update.

    By Matthew Harkin on 2012-08-13

    As the 50th Anniversary Blu Ray Collection is due to hit shelves next month, some news has come to light regarding some classifications. It has been confirmed that Diamonds Are Forever and Casino Royale will be reclassified with a 12 and 15 certificate respectively, with the latter being passed as uncut.

    continue reading…

  3. 007's original Aston Martin from 'Goldfinger' and 'Thunderball' sold

    By Heiko Baumann on 2010-10-28

    Ejector seat? You must be joking...

    Going – going – gone. The ‘most famous car in the world’ – James Bond’s Aston Martin from Goldfinger and Thunderball was sold yesterday at the ‘Automobiles of London’ auction. While the original estimate of about £3.5 million ($5 million US) was not quite achieved, it still made a nice £2.9 million ($4.6 million US; €3.33 million), a sum that unfortunately exceeded Commanderbond.net’s own funds by far. For further details, please read the full press release from RM Auctions below:

    BOND DB5 MOVIE CAR GOES FOR £3 MILLION
    Automobiles of London

    LONDON (27 October, 2010) – The world famous James Bond 1964 Aston Martin DB5 movie car driven by Sean Connery in Goldfinger and Thunderball, and factory-fitted with the full complement of operational ‘Q-Branch’ gadgets, was sold at auction in London today by RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby’s, in front of a packed audience for *£2,912,000 ($4,608,500 US).

    “RM has just established the price of fame,” said Rob Myers, Chairman and Founder, RM Auctions. ”We had a fabulous time during the promotion of the sale of 007’s DB5 and we’re really pleased to have been able to assist with finding it a great new home.”

    The successful bidder, Harry Yeaggy, an American business man, is only the second ex-factory owner of the Mr. Bond’s ride. The car’s seller, Mr. Jerry Lee, an American radio broadcaster based in Philadelphia, PA, purchased it directly from the Aston Martin Lagonda factory for $12,000 in 1969.

    “This is a car that I’ve always wanted, after all it is the most famous car in the world,” said Mr. Yeaggy about the purchase of the Bond DB5. “My plan is to display it in my private car museum in Ohio just as it is.”

    Mr. Lee plans to use the proceeds from the sale to further the charitable work of The Jerry Lee Foundation, a multi-national initiative dedicated to solving social problems associated with poverty, with an emphasis on crime prevention. Of particular benefit will be the Jerry Lee Center of Criminology at the University of Pennsylvania and the Jerry Lee Centre of Experimental Criminology at the University of Cambridge. (http://jerryleefoundation.com/)

    “The James Bond car has brought me much enjoyment for some 40 years,” said Jerry Lee. “Even as I sell it and use the proceeds to fund the Jerry Lee Foundation, the car will continue to give me great pleasure as it furthers the mission of the Foundation to do good around the world.”

    In addition to acquiring the ‘most famous car in the world’, today’s winning bidder receives commemorative Dormeiul ‘Vanquish II’ fabric woven with solid gold thread from famous British tailoring house Gieves & Hawkes, who dressed Sean Connery with bespoke tailoring for all six of his appearances as James Bond. This certified fabric will be made into a handmade bespoke suit by the craftsmen at Gieves & Hawkes of No. 1 Savile Row, London for an estimated value of £30,000. What better sartorial statement could one make when driving or exhibiting this iconic automobile?

    Another exciting and valuable addition for the 007 DB5’s new owner is an exclusive seven-night stay for 10 guests valued at £40,000 at the relaunched GoldenEye Resort in Jamaica – Ian Fleming’s original Caribbean Estate. The luxury getaway will enable the guests to revel in the history and the inspirational surroundings where all 14 James Bond novels were written, and sit at Fleming’s original desk where the Goldfinger car and Q gadgets were conceived.

    Complete results of RM Auctions fourth annual ‘Automobiles of London’ will be available online at www.rmauctions.com.
    *Footnote: The final figures include 12% buyer’s premium. Exchange rates: 1GBP = 1.5826 USD/1GBP = 0.6319 Euro

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  4. Auction: The John Griswold Collection

    By Heiko Baumann on 2010-09-28

    John Griswold

    On October 4, 2010, Winter Associates, Inc. will auction the John Griswold Collection of Ian Fleming and James Bond Memorabilia. Mr Griswold is best known among Bond fans for his book Ian Fleming’s James Bond: Annotations and Chronologies for Ian Fleming’s Bond Stories, the research materials for which will also be part of the auction.

    The Griswold Collection is one of the major Bond/Fleming collections in the world, many of the items are extremely rare or even unique, and it’s highly unlikely that something similar will be on the market in the near future. Apart from many Bond related books of all kinds, the collection contains a large number of rare posters, movie stills, original drawings and concept art, toys and movie memorabilia. Many of the items are signed.

    A brief overview:

    'Casino Royale' 1st edition, Lot #15

    • Books (1,000+ books in 60 lots): 14 Fleming first editions, Jonathan Cape; Fleming Centenary Ed., Queen Anne Press; Fleming signed 1st ed. OHMSS; Sable Basilisk (privately printed, 1 of 6 known); Fleming-owned book, 1907 w/ clamshell; Eaton Press & other sets; signed ltd. eds. by Gardner, Higson, Wood, Lycett et al; 1st ed. paperbacks; Griswold’s research library; comic books, etc.

    Unused 'Diamonds Are Forever' artwork by Robert McGinnis, Lot #72

    • Fine Art & Sculpture: 4 signed Robert McGinnis illustrations: YOLT, OHMSS, & DAF (2); Mort Drucker, 2 MAD stories, etc.; rare Fleming bust, comm. by Cape, c. 1966 (1 of 6 known); Fleming & Bond busts/figs.; custom-made Fleming medallions, etc.

    • Posters/Lobby Cards (130 posters in 100+ lots): Dr. No US 1 Sheets (2); British Quads: Dr. No, FRWL, Goldfinger, Thunderball, YOLT, & more; complete sets of US lobby & British FoH cards; US 2 & 3 Sheets; foreign incl. Photobustas, etc.

    Sean Connery photo, inscribed to John Griswold, part of Lot #230

    • Photos (1,000+ photos in 20+ lots): Connery, Lazenby, Dalton signed; ‘Bond Girls’ signed; stills & contact sheets, many 1960s, some w/ Fleming, etc.

    A Corgi Moonbuggy,
    Lot #258

    • Toys (150 toys in 40+ lots, many mint in box): Corgi Moon Buggy, model 811A, 1972; Multiple Toymakers camera, 1966; rare Whizzwheels Bobsleighs (2); Aston Martin DB5s, model 270A, 1973 (2); Mego & Sideshow action figures; trading card sets; Gilbert, Johnny Lighting, Dinky cars; Corgi & Little Lead Soldiers figures, etc.

    • Ephemera: Call sheets, storyboards, & release/shooting scripts; court docs & photos from Fleming/McClory cases; magazines; promotional, press, & advertising materials, etc.

    Reproduction Faberge Coronation Egg. Full size with carriage inside,
    in blue velvet box with Certificate of Authenticity,
    along with other movie-related and fan items, Lot #237

    • Also: Custom-made 14K Spectre ring; Golden Gun (2); replica Fabergé egg; framed prints; Franklin Mint plates & cars; Griswold’s research materials; CDs & DVDs, etc.

    A complete online catalogue for the auction can be found here. Winter Associates are also offering a CD for $7 that includes a book-format pdf catalog as well as high-resolution images of each lot.

    To learn more about the auction and the reasons for it, read the full press release below:

    Plainville, CT – On Monday, October 4th, Winter Associates will offer for sale the John Griswold Ian Fleming-James Bond Collection. Griswold is the author of the 2005 publication, Ian Fleming’s James Bond: Annotations and Chronologies for Ian Fleming’s Bond Stories. In 1963, the release of Dr. No, the first James Bond movie, sparked John’s Griswold’s passion for Bond. The then ten-year-old Griswold soon became a fan of Ian Fleming’s series of novels. A native of Simsbury, CT, Griswold has continued to acquire Fleming and Bond-related items since the 1960s. Griswold’s diverse and extensive collection reflects his interest in the cultural impact made by Ian Fleming and the character of James Bond. This single-consignor collection is valued at almost $250,000 and is certain to delight Bond collectors all around the world.

    Griswold’s literary collection includes the fourteen first editions of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, a Fleming Centenary Edition published by the Queen Anne press (limited to an edition of 59), a first edition of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service signed by Fleming, as well as a 1907 book from Fleming’s own library along with its clamshell. The iconic image of Sean Connery holding a helmet and gun from You Only Live Twice painted by Robert McGinnis for the Bond movie posters is one of four original McGinnis works that Griswold once prominently displayed in his home but are now offered in this sale. Rare first-release posters, lobby cards, early toys, and signed photographs will round out the 280+ lot auction.

    On the sale of her husband’s collection, Debbie Griswold elaborates: “It is with sadness and nostalgia that I report that John’s health has declined significantly in the past two years. Early-onset Alzheimer’s has taken its toll on John, and he is no longer researching or collecting. As we move into the next chapter of our life, we must leave behind John’s collection. My hope is that John’s research materials and these items from the fascinating worlds of Ian Fleming and James Bond will bring the next owner/collector the same enjoyment and satisfaction that they brought to John.”

    CBn wishes the Griswold family all the best for the auction, as well as lots of strength and courage for the difficult times and challenges which they are facing.

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  5. Deal of the Day: James Bond 11-Movie Blu-ray set for $99.99

    By Devin Zydel on 2010-06-04

    Amazon.com is currently running a limited time promotion perfect for James Bond fans.

    'The Man with the Golden Gun'

    The Man with the Golden Gun

    As part of their Gold Box Deal of the Day program, 007 fans can order the James Bond 11-Movie Ultimate Blu-ray collection for only $99.99—a 67% savings off the $300 list price.

    Included in the set are the following films: Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Licence to Kill, The World is not Enough and Die Another Day.

    This Blu-ray Bond deal only runs today, so act quickly if you’re interested…

    CommanderBond.net will keep you updated with complete coverage on all the latest James Bond Blu-ray news—be sure to check out our Discussion Forums as well.

    James Bond On Blu-ray
    Complete CommanderBond.net Coverage

    Latest news, cover artwork, ordering details, worldwide release dates, special features, technical specifications, special collections and more.

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  6. James Bond's original Aston Martin DB5 going up for sale

    By Devin Zydel on 2010-06-01

    James Bond’s 1964 Aston Martin DB5, dubbed by auto auctioneers RM Auctions on Tuesday as the “world’s most famous car,” will go under the hammer in London in October and is expected to fetch over $5 million.

    It is the first time the distinctive silver-colored car has been available to the public to buy.

    James Bond's original Aston Martin DB5 going up for sale

    James Bond’s original Aston Martin DB5 going up for sale

    It is one of two, and the sole remaining, of the original “007” DB5s that appeared on screen with Sean Connery behind the wheel in Goldfinger and Thunderball, RM Auctions said in a statement.

    The model comes complete with its “Q-Branch” gadgets including machine guns, bullet-proof shield, revolving number plates, tracking device, removable roof panel, oil slick sprayer, nail spreader and smoke screen.

    Several of the gadgets are fully operational, although the machine guns are not real.

    The car is being sold by U.S. radio broadcaster Jerry Lee, who convinced the Aston Martin Lagonda factory to sell it for $12,000 in 1969, becoming its first and only ex-factory owner.

    It has remained in his possession and has rarely been seen publicly over the past 40 or so years. Lee plans to use the proceeds from the sale for the Jerry Lee Foundation.

    It will be auctioned on 27 October.

    As always, keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest James Bond 007 news.

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  7. Bondstars.com announces July 2010 private signings

    By Devin Zydel on 2010-05-17

    Bondstars.com – the stars’ official online autograph store has announced three James Bond film private signings for July 2010.

    The featured 007 film stars are: Shirley Eaton (Jill Masterson in Goldfinger), Luciana Paluzzi (Fiona Volpe in Thunderball) and Bernard Horsfall (Campbell in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service).

    • The cost per signed item is £26.00, this includes worldwide postage and packing.
    • Each Bond film star will happily dedicate a still if required but please keep the dedications short (i.e To Thomas), instructions are given in the Paypal payment section on the website. Bondstars.com and each Bond film star have the right to edit dedications if felt necessary.
    • All orders must be received by 1 July.
    • All stills included on the website are 10″ x 8″.

    Visit Bondstars.com to order and for complete details on these James Bond signings.

    For up-to-the-minute James Bond coverage, always turn your browsers to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums.

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  8. Build your own: James Bond's Aston Martin DB5

    By Devin Zydel on 2010-04-27

    Our friends over at 007 Magazine have alerted us to an all-new James Bond-themed magazine that is sure to be a hit with the collectors.

    For the first time ever, Eon Productions and Aston Martin have authorised the creation of a perfect 1:8 scale replica of the Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5.

    Made to the highest possible standards, James Bond’s DB5 is a build-up model that is supplied in 75 weekly magazine instalments and built from more than 350 individual pieces. It is available from newsagents or you can subscribe online at www.007db5.com.

    Every issue comes with new components for your model and a magazine with instructions and behind-the-scenes features on the making of the 007 movies.

    Plus: Subscribers to the James Bond DB5 magazine get the chance to drive a fabulous supercar around Knockhill’s famous track in Fife, UK, plus these five gifts worth more than £50:

    1. Magazine binder
    2. Goldfinger DVD
    3. H.F. Ullman’s Aston Martin book
    4. Screw box
    5. Screwdriver
    James Bond with an Aston Martin DB5 in 'Goldfinger'

    Features include:

    WORKING LIGHTS
    The rear and front lights on the model can be switched on—the brake lights can be activated by pressing down on the brake pedal.

    OPENING DOORS, BONNET AND BOOT
    The doors, bonnet and boot can all be opened. The bonnet is even held in place with bonnet stays so you can inspect the replica 4-litre engine.

    FRONT MACHINE GUNS
    On the real car a pair of machine guns are located at the front of the car. On your model these slide out from the indicator lights.

    BULLETPROOF SCREEN
    Press down to release the spring-loaded bulletproof screen. This can be returned to its starting position by pushing it back into place.

    DROPPING LIGHT ASSEMBLY
    The light assemblies at the rear of the car can be dropped. In the movie this was so they could release tyre stingers that incapacitated a pursuer.

    WORKING EJECTOR SEAT
    The ejector seat is fully functioning and is activatedby pushing down on the gear stick. The roof panel should be removed to prevent damage.

    ROTATING NUMBER PLATES
    The car is fitted with rotating back and front number plates that show three different registrations—British, French and Swiss.

    FRONT AND REAR OVERRIDERS
    The overriders on the front of the model can be pulled out to become rams to shift any unwanted objects out of the way!

    TYRE SLASHERS
    In Goldfinger rear tyre scythes burst Tilly Masterson’s Mustang wheels. On your model, the slashers can be extended out and pushed back in.

    RADIO AERIAL
    No details have been overlooked, and even the model’s radio aerial can be pulled out to its full height.

    DASHBOARD
    The model’s dashboard is a faithful replica of the real thing, the steering wheel actually turns the wheels and the entire dashboard lights up at the press of a button. The horn works too!

    TRACKING DEVICE
    The console for the tracker device lights up and flashes to plot the position of Goldfinger’s car.

    GEARSTICK
    Flip the top of the gearstick to access the hidden button for the working ejector seat.

    WEAPONS CONSOLE
    Lift the armrest between the front seats to reveal the controls for all the DB5’s extra features.

    RADIO TELEPHONE
    You didn’t see it in Goldfinger but the production team built a radio telephone into the driver’s door.

    Full instructions, subscription inquires, magazine previews, competition details and much more are available at the official website. Visit www.007db5.com to subscribe today.

    For up-to-the-minute James Bond coverage, always turn your browsers to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums.

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  9. James Bond wore a TAG Heuer wristwatch: Part II

    By Guest writer on 2010-04-03

    Written by: Dell Deaton, www.jamesbondwatches.com author-creator

    Timothy Dalton actually wore two different wristwatches as James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987). Part I of this article laid out the evidence favoring a thin-case TAG Heuer 980.031 Professional Diver as the first, with an 80-100% “certainty.” Several dozen screen images from the film are available to view this black PVD watch with its cream-colored, full-luminescent dial face – clearly worn a jubilee bracelet.

    That first Dalton-Bond timekeeper has been labeled the “Gibraltar Heuer” by JamesBondWatches.com for researchers and collectors.

    The second, “Tangier Rooftop Watch” is the focus here in Part II. It’s far less visible in the film, and in many ways best discussed in terms of what it is not. For example, its silver-colored case and bracelet unquestionably distinguish it from the black-dominant Gibraltar Heuer. It’s also unlikely to be a Rolex of any sort. And, as with the Gibraltar Heuer, Eon Productions has provided no information to help with the identification of the Tangier Rooftop Watch, nor is it anticipated that they will do so.

    Thus, this article is about a wristwatch of which we can only be 20-40% “certain.” At the same time, that’s a very important 20-40% to have.

    Catching a glimpse

    James Bond wore a TAG Heuer wristwatch: Part II

    TAG Heuer 980.013 watch similar to the one worn by Timothy Dalton as James Bond throughout most of The Living Daylights.

    The Tangier Rooftop Watch shows below Dalton’s cuff at a number of points throughout main action in The Living Daylights. In fact, other than the pre-title sequence, it gives every indication of being the primary James Bond watch for this film.

    An early example can be found around 12 minutes, 37 seconds along (as viewed on the 2006 Ultimate Edition DVD). Here, Bond is sitting on the bed in the sniper’s lair, preparing his equipment for the assignment, and the watch shows beneath his French Cuff as he holds the rifle.

    At 39 minutes, 12 seconds, a reflection off his watch case can be seen in the restroom stall as he pulls Kara Milovy’s firearm from her white cello case. Then at 41 minutes, 18 seconds, another brief view comes during the scene in the girl’s apartment.

    Now look at 44 minutes, 2 seconds, which has James Bond driving off from the conservatoire with Milovy in an Aston Martin with Volante badging. As 007’s sweater pulls back from his hand on the driver’s wheel, both the silver-colored case and indications of a black dial and black bezel on his watch are evidenced.

    Finally, around 1 hour, 13 minutes, 49 seconds into The Living Daylights, Timothy Dalton is shown completing a jump from one Tangier rooftop to the next, swinging with the aid of a television antenna. The silver-colored watch brightly reflects as jacket rides up forearm; texturing on the visible band is consistent with that of a jubilee-style bracelet.

    Fans have long assumed this must be a Rolex Submariner Date. (The same guesswork, I’ll add, which altogether misses the significantly more obvious TAG Heuer 980.031 seen earlier in the film.) One reasonable basis for this speculation is the confirmed appearance of the Rolex Submariner Date as James Bond’s watch in Licence to Kill (1989), the second of Dalton’s two performances as 007 and which premiered twenty-four months after The Living Daylights.

    There is also Dalton’s dogged commitment to portraying Bond closely to the original concept of creator Ian Fleming. This is perhaps best summarized by Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli of Eon Productions, in his autobiography, When the Snow Melts (1998). He wrote on page 282 that Timothy Dalton “…came to Bond determined to re-create the character, and delved through Fleming’s books for his source material.”

    If this influence were to have extended down to wristwatch details – which it did not – that would be a strong position from which to argue that a precursor or even the same Rolex Submariner Date from Licence to Kill had appeared in The Living Daylights.

    After all, the original literary Rolex specified for James Bond by Ian Fleming himself was not known until its discovery via JamesBondWatches.com was chronicled in the February 2009 issue of WatchTime magazine. That was over two decades after The Living Daylights premiered.

    Why not look for a Rolex?

    Two major facts weigh against any likelihood of Rolex appearance as a James Bond watch in The Living Daylights. The first and strongest centers on Rolex itself.

    Prior to this film, the last Rolex appearance was in The Man with the Golden Gun in 1974, and that watch was a then-relatively-current Rolex Submariner. Subsequently, throughout the next five Eon Productions films that followed, the Bond character wore only new watches; in fact, arguably the latest technology in horology. So a Rolex for James Bond’s choice in The Living Daylights would have meant a conscious decision to acquire a current Rolex for Dalton to wear.

    A focus on Rolex is always argued either to bring the character closer to Fleming’s books, or as an homage to previous Bond actors who wore it. But both of these thoughts then fail immediately upon presentation due to the very existence of the TAG Heuer 980.031 wristwatch. It simply makes no sense that a Rolex would have been selected for any reason, only to then be overshadowed by another brand by such a wide margin. If Rolex (any Rolex) was the Tangier Rooftop Watch, there would have been no Gibraltar Watch: Instead, we’d have only one James Bond watch in The Living Daylights – just as is the situation with Licence to Kill, where Timothy Dalton exclusively wore a Rolex Submariner throughout, regardless action, wardrobe, or place.

    A non-PVD version of the 980.031 is more consistent with what’s visible in The Living Daylights. That watch is the stainless steel 980.013 Heuer or TAG Heuer (the thinner case version).

    James Bond wore a TAG Heuer wristwatch: Part II

    TAG Heuer 980.031 Professional diver’s watch, in good condition.

    The Sub Date is heavier and over one-third thicker than either of the aforementioned TAG Heuers. Moreover, the distribution of that thickness says something about how the watch wears on the wrist: The Rolex caseback protrudes below the lugs almost three times as much as the one on the 980.031 and 980.013 TAG Heuers. This makes the Submariner Date a more dominant wrist presence.

    That’s why the Rolex is ubiquitous in Licence to Kill. In scene after scene, the Sub Date slides out from under Dalton’s sleeve at seemingly the slightest arm-stretch. In formal wedding attire at 2 minutes, 6 seconds, and at 4 minutes, 57 seconds. In casual clothing, escaping from the Hemingway House, at 36 minutes, 7 seconds. During the bar fight at 53 minutes, 42 seconds and following. When Agent 007 gets out of a car in the Kenworth garage, at 1 hour, 44 minutes, 48 seconds. Jumping off of a plane, at 1 hour, 57 minutes, 6 seconds. And the Rolex Submariner Date can be seen coming out from under his sleeve as James Bond engages the cruise control on a Kenworth truck that he has commandeered, at 2 hours, 3 minutes, 46 seconds.

    Now compare that to similar activities by Bond throughout The Living Daylights. In the four running-time references I’ve provided for this article where the Tangier Rooftop Watch can be seen, that watch remains largely concealed by the sleeves of various shirts worn by Timothy Dalton in those scenes.

    Add to this even more opportunities for the Tangier Rooftop Watch to be revealed, but where it is not. When Bond raises Moneypenny’s glasses on her face and his left sleeve draws back, there is no evidence of any watch at 23 minutes, 50 seconds, let alone a Rolex. Again, when he puts away his cigarette case at 27 minutes, 56 seconds: No watch. Repeatedly in the Afghanistan sequences, no watch is visible; particularly see 1 hour, 27 minutes, 25 seconds; 1 hour, 30 minutes, 24 seconds; and 1 hour, 36 minutes, 20 seconds.

    Of course, JamesBondWatches.com is no more capable of “proving a negative” than any other researcher. But the numerous examples above, across a diversity of wardrobe and contexts in The Living Daylights are strongly inconsistent with parallel sightings involving the Rolex Submariner Date in Licence to Kill.

    That is why we don’t similarly Bond’s watch in The Living Daylights.

    Again, subject to the 20-40% certainty caveat, the most likely candidate for the Tangier Rooftop Watch is the TAG Heuer (or Heuer) 980.013 Professional Diver, with a black dial.

    All the other TAG Heuer watches

    The second of the two major facts that weigh against calling the Tangier Rooftop Watch a Rolex is a continuity in the film itself that conspicuously favors TAG Heuer as the choice.

    As noted in Part I, JamesBondWatches.com solicited input from David Chalmers and Paul Gavin as part of an ad hoc team tasked with narrowing the possibilities, if not outright identifying James Bond watches in The Living Daylights. Chalmers is responsible for the excellent Calibre11.com website out of Hong Kong; Gavin is based in the United Kingdom and is in the process of cataloguing Heuer and TAG Heuer diver watches – up to the period leading into production of The Living Daylights.

    It’s already been established that Timothy Dalton wore a reference 980.031 Heuer or TAG Heuer in the sequence before opening credits rolled in the motion picture. So, too, did the imposter (Carl Rigg) and Felix Leiter (John Terry). That makes three choices for TAG Heuer.

    This is consistent with experience reported to JamesBondWatches.com by SEIKO Watch Corporation personnel who worked directly with Eon Productions in the 1970s and 1980s. Bracelet adjustments, damage repair, and emergency replacements are all more easily taken care of by film property departments when dealing with a single watch brand. By way of perspective, the film immediately preceding The Living Daylights was A View to a Kill (1985). SEIKO not only provided all three watch models worn then by Roger Moore as 007, but also the two worn by Max Zorin, one for M, another for Miss Moneypenny, one for Q, one each for Stacy Sutton, Sir Godfrey Tibbett, the Minister of Defense, General Gogol, Jenny Flex, and a handful of other players.

    SEIKO was, as noted, a product placement partner in A View to a Kill; TAG Heuer enjoyed no such formal recognition with The Living Daylights. Notwithstanding, it would have made little sense for Eon Productions to both break pattern and invest greater effort in providing a variety of watch brands to The Living Daylights. The return on such a large investment against such a small detail would have been negligible at best.

    Approaching the Tangier Rooftop Watch identification question from this angle, then, Paul Gavin, David Chalmers, and I took a close look at the three other dominant watches in The Living Daylights. The obvious place to start was with the Pushkin watch.

    Portrayed by actor John Rhys-Davies, General Leonid Pushkin wore not just a wristwatch, but the only gadget-watch in The Living Daylights. The last 007 on-screen gadget-watch was four years prior, in Octopussy (1983). This, then, suggests that the Pushkin timekeeper was something special, more considered.

    Gavin readily identified it as a Heuer or TAG Heuer Airline GMT, “most likely” a 985.313 reference. It was available through the 1986 TAG Heuer catalogue.

    We then turned our attention to the next two most evident watches worn by major characters in The Living Daylights: Necros and Koskov. Several good views of the watch worn by henchman Necros (Andreas Wisniewski), including a scene where he manhandles Bond a bit on the plane en route to Afghanistan and again at various points in their battle-to-the-death on the opium-bag-filled-cargo-net in flight. Worn on his right wrist, Necros’ wristwatch has a thick black case, black jubilee-style bracelet, black dial, two white hands, and a third, colored hand. At one point two crown-like protrusions are obvious – at the 2 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions. Circumference markings for a diver’s bezel can also be seen.

    Gavin called this as a Heuer Regatta automatic, reference 134.601, from a 1984 Heuer catalogue. David Chalmers then summarized his impression of our team effort up to that point in a February 2010 eMail. “I think we can be 100% certain there is a Heuer / TAG Heuer Airline used in the movie, 90% certain that there is a Heuer / TAG Heuer 980.031, and probably 75% certain that there is a Heuer Regatta.”

    That makes five Heuers so far, with the 980.031 appearing on three characters.

    Our sixth and final focus, the wristwatch worn by General Georgi Koskov (Jeroen Krabbé), did not immediately stand out as a Heuer. So the inquiry on this one was more to see if it “could” be a Heuer – thus keeping the door open to a possible single-watch domination among major cast members in The Living Daylights.

    A grey-colored “Titanium and Carbon Fibre” sports watch reference 823.213 is consistent with the Koskov-watch screen-captures that I provided to our study team. Gavin found this in the same 1984 Heuer catalog as the Necros Regatta.

    James Bond and TAG Heuer

    As stated at the outset in Part I, this is not intended as a bulletproof identification of the two clearly different watches worn by Timothy Dalton as James Bond in The Living Daylights. No documentation or even an opinion has been provided on either to JamesBondWatches.com from Eon Productions.

    James Bond wore a TAG Heuer wristwatch: Part II

    Close-up of the distinctive dial on a Heuer 980.031 Professional “Night Diver,” à la Agent 007 at Gibraltar.

    That’s not uncommon in historical research, of course. As a case in point, any ultimate study aimed at the identification of the many and various wristwatches that Ian Fleming himself had clearly worn during his lifetime will largely rest on approaches similar to those laid out in these articles. It’s the way most real-world, historical timepieces are found outside of Tinsel Town.

    At a minimum, however, these articles break the monopoly held by so much of the duplicated guesswork by others that has actually inhibited a thoughtful and ultimately fruitful search for the James Bond watches worn in The Living Daylights. Evidence and bases are transparent in my research. Thus, even those who intelligently disagree with the conclusions here are at least now pointed in the right direction.

    It is 100% certain, as Paul Gavin, David Chalmers, and I have agreed, that a Heuer Airline GMT appears in The Living Daylights as the signature gadget watch. We’re almost as sure that a Heuer or TAG Heuer 980.031 Professional Diver’s watch is worn by James Bond. It’s probable that two other characters wore the same model as well, including Felix Leiter. Still another watch is “very likely” a Heuer, and the last one is at least “consistent with” another Heuer of this period.

    Writing next now strictly on behalf of myself, the history of James Bond filmmaking as it stood in 1986 suggests a very low probability that Timothy Dalton wore anything other than a Heuer or TAG Heuer in The Living Daylights. And it seems an extreme long shot, indeed, to think it any sort of Rolex, let alone a Rolex Submariner Date, despite its choice as the Bond watch one film later in Licence to Kill.

    Chances are good that the silver-colored James Bond watch in The Living Daylights is some sort of Heuer or TAG Heuer. With a 20-40% “certainty,” JamesBondWatches.com is calling the “Tangier Rooftop Heuer” a thin-case reference 980.013 Professional Diver; it’s a non-coated stainless steel brother to the “Gibraltar Heuer,” but with a black dial. This watch seems a bit more readily available to collectors, in the $200.00 to $400.00 (U.S.) price range, depending on condition.

    Whatever the ultimate models confirm as, and whatever eventually may be proven regarding formality of relationship between Eon Productions and TAG Heuer in the past, one thing is for certain: TAG Heuer has unquestionably been an important part of the James Bond legacy at least since the mid-1980s.

    That’s exciting news.


    Dell Deaton is the creator-author of JamesBondWatches.com and guest curator for the “Bond Watches, James Bond Watches” exhibition, June 18, 2010 through April 30, 2011. He is a member of both the National Watch & Clock Association and American Marketing Association, and a recognized expert on Ian Fleming and James Bond horology. Previously, he was elected to a three-year term on the board of directors that governs the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, and served three terms on the editorial advisory board for Exhibitor Publications.

  10. James Bond wore a TAG Heuer wristwatch: Part I

    By Guest writer on 2010-04-02

    Written by: Dell Deaton, www.jamesbondwatches.com author-creator

    The Living Daylights (1987) offers less than 10 seconds of focus on the wristwatches worn by Timothy Dalton in this, his first outing as James Bond. Most of this reveals little more than a hint of bezel and crown, or merely profile the bracelets. In all instances, the watch is adjunct to some larger action, seen briefly in passing motion.

    Yet this is still enough for JamesBondWatches.com to identify the first Dalton-Bond watch as a thin-case TAG Heuer 980.031 Professional “Night-Dive” watch. For now we’ll call it 80-100% “certain,” short of having direct confirmation from Eon Productions (makers of the Bond films) – which, based on history, isn’t likely to be forthcoming. Furthermore, we’ll point collectors in a better direction to look for the second, silver-colored Bond watch Dalton wore later in The Living Daylights. That means equally important clues regarding where not to look (hint: Rolex-Switzerland isn’t the origin for this one).

    Unlike a lot of what JamesBondWatches.com does in terms of providing bulletproof identifications, the research here is actually more akin to what broader historians do in search of details for horological artifacts associated with real-world people, in real-world circumstances. In other words, the substance upon which Ian Fleming created his 007 fantasies and the watches his protagonist wore throughout.

    Now back to the world of James Bond, thirty-five years after Fleming first wrote of it: Why has the TAG Heuer watch affiliation been so hard to nail down?

    James Bond in the mid-1980s

    James Bond wore a TAG Heuer wristwatch: Part I

    Heuer 980.031 watch similar to the one worn by Timothy Dalton as James Bond in The Living Daylights pre-title sequence.

    Immediately before and after the two Timothy Dalton films, wristwatch product placements can be ascertained from references in the closing credits. But The Living Daylights includes no such acknowledgment; if these watches were supplied to the production from an original manufacturer, it would have to have been done according to some curious departure from a practice that recognized SEIKO in the film just prior (A View to a Kill, 1985), and Omega in the one that next followed Dalton’s pair (GoldenEye, 1995).

    Most likely, then, James Bond watches for The Living Daylights were either purchased outright, or provided by a jeweler or another general properties supplier not further specified as the wristwatches source.

    Watch selection for The Living Daylights also fell under the context of an intense and challenging effort to replace Roger Moore in the lead role that he’d held for the previous seven films, spanning a dozen years. Bond producer Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli described this in his autobiography as an urgent time. John Glen, director of both A View to a Kill and The Living Daylights wrote for his book, “Despite what you may have read elsewhere, we really didn’t have a clue who to cast as James Bond when Roger hung up his gun holster.” So, a very tight 25 months between premier dates here.

    Even after Pierce Brosnan became heir-apparent after a variety of hopefuls were screen-tested during the summer of 1986, his deal fell through – leading to the casting of Timothy Dalton that August: Ten months before the June 1987 opening of The Living Daylights. Not much time to negotiate and close a product placement deal, which first assumes that wristwatches would have even ranked near the top of such an efforts list.

    Broccoli wrote of the time that, “we not only needed a new 007, but an entirely fresh concept for the fifteenth James Bond film.” Further to this, Glen recalled, “Tim was a serious fan of the Ian Fleming novels and was keen to incorporate as much of Fleming’s original characterization as possible…. We had to be bold. Tim referred to the Fleming novels a lot and I could see he was preparing a characterization for Bond connoisseurs…. Tim’s input began with the first wardrobe meeting: when Bond wasn’t wearing the obligatory tux, he wanted a more casual look, perhaps more in keeping with the times.” Major changes. Many of them.

    It’s been established that Fleming made very effective use of wristwatch choices to flesh out many important characters in his original stories. Hugo Drax wore a Patek Philippe in Moonraker. For Jed Midnight of the Shadow Syndicate, a “complicated gold watch on his wrist must have weighed nearly half a pound” in Goldfinger. And for Agent 007 himself, a “cheap Japanese wristwatch that Tiger had provided” told him the time during his undercover mission (disguised as a poor fisherman) to finally dispatch his arch-enemy Blofeld in You Only Live Twice.

    SEIKO watches helped define the James Bond role for Roger Moore through most of his tenure. SEIKO Watch Corporation has confirmed directly to me in writing that it ceased to be a formal product placement partner with Eon Productions following A View to a Kill. So Dalton’s Bond would be fleshed out by some other time piece brand.

    Which one? The door to the next 007 watch stood wide open.

    Beginning research, May 2008

    Early in 2008, I started an organized effort to identify the James Bond watch or watches worn by Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights. It quickly became clear that at least two different watches were featured: The first appeared to have a cream-colored dial, black case, and black band; the second showed a silver-colored case on a silver-colored band. As an aid to research and collection, JamesBondWatches.com labeled the first “Gibraltar Watch,” the second, “Tangier Rooftop Watch.”

    Glimpses of the Gibraltar Watch can be seen at various points in the pre-title sequence. But the best close-ups come during the parts where Bond has torn through the canvass roofing on the bad guy’s getaway vehicle, between approximately 5½ and 6½ minutes into the film (as viewed on the 2006 Ultimate Edition DVD). Here Dalton grabs the steering wheel with his left hand, wristwatch exposed below the sleeve, providing over seventy-five distinct frames that we stop-captured for closer analysis.

    Several attributes are readily apparent. In addition to the Gibraltar Watch description above, Bond’s timekeeper shows dark hands and dark markers. It has a graduated bezel, black in color. Additionally, the bracelet is jubilee-style.

    While it wouldn’t have made sense at this point to rule out some form of polymer or high-tech resin as a case material, the first most likely candidate here is something with PVD-coated surfaces.

    “Physical Vapor Deposition,” or “PVD,” is a term used to describe a family of coating processes. The general purposes for PVD application are to improve performance in specific applications, namely, hardness and lubricity (reduction of friction). By way of perspective, the average relative micro-hardness of tool-steel measures 58 to 62 Rc (Rockwell scale), versus well-over 80 Rc for some PVD-coated materials applied using evaporation or sputtering technologies (based on current 2010 standards). Some process experts conservatively estimate that this can result in a life of two- to three-times that of an uncoated tool; extreme cases have shown ten-fold increases in performance versus comparable base metals sans coating.

    As various watch alternatives might have been considered for 007 in 1986, this is very much the sort of description one might imagine as having appeal to the James Bond film producers. It’s in keeping with the cutting-edge direction that instructed horological selections that began with the Hamilton Pulsar featured in Live and Let Die fourteen years earlier, and the various quartz watch choices selected for many of the films that followed.

    It also enhanced the new characterization of James Bond as anticipated from the outset of the Timothy Dalton casting. A tougher 007, as Michael G. Wilson, co-author and co-producer of The Living Daylights said in the September 1987 issue of Starlog magazine.

    James Bond wore a TAG Heuer wristwatch: Part I

    Heuer 980.031 Professional “Night Dive” watch, featuring luminescent dial, with PVD-coated case and jubilee bracelet; mint condition (new old stock).

    But in order to identify this watch with only the visual information to which we had access, JamesBondWatches.com poured through leading printed references and began periodically posting different screen captures on various non-brand-specific Internet wristwatch forums. The only context given was that the watch in question was from the year 1986 or prior. The 980.031, of course, was in current production during this time frame, TAG Heuer a leading user of PVD coatings in wristwatch designs.

    On Monday, May 19, 2008, I posted to the JamesBondWatches.com Blog an entry titled, “Was the first Dalton-Bond a Heuer?” In summary, the following was observed. “Shading makes it difficult at this point to say a great deal about the case and bracelet color, but the dial is clearly light. Overall, the images make the black 1000 series Heuer 980 diver with glow face a strong possibility. The second image I’ve posted would be consistent with that watch in a PVD body and matching bracelet.”

    For the next twenty months, I sporadically shared images from among the seventy-five-plus screen-captures collected. No better alternative ever surfaced; nothing even close. At the same time, arguments favoring reference 980.031 produced by the company now known as TAG Heuer grew increasingly persuasive.

    Serious analysis of TAG Heuer watches

    During the first week of January, 2010, JamesBondWatches.com formed a study group with David Chalmers and Paul Gavin to critically test the Heuer-Bond watch theory. Chalmers, based in Hong Kong, runs Calibre11.com, “a website dedicated to both the Vintage Heuer watches from the 1960-1980 period, as well as the new TAG Heuers of today.” Gavin, in the United Kingdom, collects Heuer watches focusing on 1964 to 1984, and includes among his current projects an effort to extensively catalogue Heuer and TAG Heuer diver watches. He has just launched HeuerWorld.com to facilitate ongoing research into these tool pieces.

    Neither of these men was predisposed to name TAG Heuer the first newly identified addition to any list of James Bond watches since Omega took on the mantle with GoldenEye in 1995. They’re watch guys, not 007 fans. Further to this, I actually held off for a bit in our initial discussions before revealing even the possibility that our work might involve a potential James Bond connection.

    Although consistent with the 980.031, the Timothy Dalton Gibraltar Watch from The Living Daylights “could” have been seen as a 980.031.60 reference. The former has a standard diver’s bezel: With numbers on the tens, major indices between each of those increments, and further marked for each minute between zero and fifteen; these increase around the clockwise direction. The 980.031.60 features a countdown bezel on which all sixty minutes are marked, numbers are shown at each five-minute increment, and numbers ascend in counter-clockwise rotation.

    In one of the earliest of what would turn out to be a series of invaluable side-by-side comparisons produced for our team review, Paul Gavin identified the Gibraltar Watch bezel as that of a standard diver’s configuration. This eliminated the 980.031.60 from further consideration. No surprise; it’s also the much rarer one.

    By the way, for those who collect 007 (watch) trivia, we can confirm that the time shown on this Dalton-Bond wristwatch is 3:30, with the sweep second-hand pointing to the 12 o’clock position.

    Unfortunately, the position of these hands presents serious problems in key areas of further differentiation among reference 980.031 options including the brand logo.

    In 1985, a company by the name of Techniques d’Avant Garde (“TAG”) bought an established Swiss watchmaker with a history dating back to the late 1800s, founded by Edouard Heuer and his sons Jules-Edouard and Charles-Auguste. The result was what became known as TAG Heuer by the time pre-production began on The Living Daylights. Even before the merger, Heuer had produced a number of dial variations for its 980.031 diving watch. Some simply showed the “Heuer” logo below the 12 o’clock position; others had added the number “1000” just below the name.

    James Bond wore a TAG Heuer wristwatch: Part I

    TAG Heuer 980.031 wristwatch, evidencing typical PVD wear, bracelet stretch, and aged dial coloring (this sample is in very good condition).

    With the advent of TAG Heuer, a re-branded 980.031 was produced with the “TAG Heuer” logo, otherwise indistinguishable from the “Heuer” version it replaced. But distribution channel queues and indeterminate production change-over date records suggest that the Gibraltar Watch – which JamesBondWatches.com now calls the “Gibraltar Heuer” – is equally as likely to have branded with either logo. Therefore, the dial on the Gibraltar Heuer at this point can be narrowed no further than to one of perhaps two to four variations (mostly differentiated by small changes to text and placement details).

    Some Heuer reference 980.031 wristwatches had filled 6, 9, and 12 o’clock markers. The aforementioned Gavin analysis, however, clearly shows that the watch worn by Timothy Dalton as James Bond had open markers at these positions.

    Conversely, some of these watches showed date windows with black numbers against white backgrounds; others had white numbers against black backgrounds. The note made above about the time showing as 3:30 puts the hour-hand in a position to obscure meaningful attempts at reaching certainty on this question for the James Bond Gibraltar Heuer. Similarly, the 12 o’clock second-hand position adds to the problem of calling the logo “definitely Heuer” versus “definitely TAG Heuer.”

    Finally, many 980-series Heuer watches were produced in two different case thicknesses. One is approximately 30% thicker than the other, crystal-to-protruding-caseback. The thicker case features crown guards that more fully surround the winding crown than does its less-hefty brother. Examination of available profile images showing the watch on Dalton’s wrist clearly indicate the thinner, i.e., 10 mm O.D., case version.

    The first TAG Heuer Bond watch

    Both David Chalmers and Paul Gavin expressed concern during our research about the relatively small bezel diameter of the TAG Heuer 980.031 relative to current style trends. It didn’t seem “big enough” to be a James Bond watch.

    So we took a close look at Timothy Dalton wearing the Rolex Submariner Date in Licence to Kill (1989), the second of Dalton’s two outings as James Bond. This watch has been clearly identified by model, if not number, and thus it can thus be used as a frame-of-reference on the actor’s wrist. The Sub Date bezel diameter is 8% larger than that of the Gibraltar Heuer, and it’s well-over 6% longer lug-to-lug. That gave us the comparative fit for which we were looking to validate the Heuer.

    Short of having original detailed records from Eon Productions, the thin-case Heuer or TAG Heuer 980.031 Professional black PVD “Night-Dive” watch with phosphorescent dial, uni-directional turning bezel with click-stops, 38mm case (excluding crown), and water-resistant to 660 feet, is the JamesBondWatches.com 80-100% certainty determination for the Gibraltar Watch worn by Timothy Dalton as 007 in The Living Daylights.

    Equally, though subtly different possibilities include the version with Heuer-only branding, and with either white-on-black or black-on-white date window numbering. Markers must be open at the 6, 9, and 12 o’clock positions (actually, they are filled with Tritium), with or without “1000” below the logo, and either “1000” or “Quartz” above the depth-rating near the 6 o’clock dial position.

    Use of its watches in The Living Daylights is no surprise to TAG Heuer itself. Last month, David Chalmers contacted several current and former Heuer and TAG Heuer employees in the United States and in Europe with fundamentals of the research presented here.

    TAG Heuer confirmed that it was already aware of the arguable James Bond connection to its brand, but declined to “officially” confirm which watches were used.

    For James Bond fans with interests beyond the lead character, Chalmers, Gavin, and I believe that the TAG Heuer 980.031 is worn by two other actors in The Living Daylights. Starting approximately 3 minutes, 16 seconds into the film, it is evidenced on the imposter (Carl Rigg) as he clips the Smiert Spionam tag to the climbing rope of a Double-O agent who meets a sad demise. Later, proximal to 2 hours, 52 seconds, Felix Leiter (John Terry) raises his left hand to his ear in contact with Bond – showing the audience that he, Leiter, is also wearing a 980.031 TAG Heuer wristwatch.

    It’s credible, one might suppose, that James Bond and Felix Leiter could be wearing virtually the same type of watch as field operatives. But the imposter on Gibraltar, too? Sure. Recall at just after 3 minutes into the pre-title sequence, the imposter’s clothing closely resembles that of the three men deployed from MI6. This is clearly intended to fool the NATO exercise guards on the military installation, which it does, as we see when the imposter is shot with what appears to be pink paint, as if merely another player in the exercise.

    Two of the added challenges to identification of this James Bond Heuer lie in the watch itself.

    In a marketplace where appearance is important to the trade of aging pieces, these watches not only take a step back to the shine of comparable stainless steel horology, but also more readily show their age in PVD wear. Many of the few watches that do come up for sale have cases where the coating has degraded to a point that leaves them looking more silver than black; a large number no longer include their original bracelets. Mid-sized diver watches such as this are not that popular among collectors anyway.

    Pricing is another factor. Used reference 980.031 Heuers and TAG Heuers currently sell for between $250.00 and $500.00 (U.S.). That’s a far cry from Omega and Rolex values. Over the years, it’s possible that owners of these TAG Heuers simply haven’t seen them as worth the effort to market as vintage.

    There’s a final note of irony in this watch as it relates to the original Ian Fleming short story that provided the impetus for scripting The Living Daylights. That brief adventure was first published in the June 1962 issue of ARGOSY magazine under the title, “Berlin Escape.” There, on page 99, “…James Bond glanced down at the luminous dial of his watch.” How nicely consistent these words are with what we now know of the actual watch that Timothy Dalton wore for his introduction as Agent 007.

    But what of the second James Bond watch in that film, the “Tangier Rooftop Watch”? Look for those details in “Introducing the TAG Heuer James Bond Wristwatch: Part II,” coming up next.

    That article also completes the indications that point to a dominant, if not exclusive TAG Heuer association with The Living Daylights.


    Dell Deaton is the creator-author of JamesBondWatches.com and guest curator for the “Bond Watches, James Bond Watches” exhibition, June 18, 2010 through April 30, 2011. He is a member of both the National Watch & Clock Association and American Marketing Association, and a recognized expert on Ian Fleming and James Bond horology. Previously, he was elected to a three-year term on the board of directors that governs the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, and served three terms on the editorial advisory board for Exhibitor Publications.