Which watch would James Bond really wear?

Would 007 wear an Apple Watch?

I’m told today, October the 5th, is International James Bond Day. Not quite as important as Mother’s Day (is any day, really?) but for those of us who are faithful followers of the maneuvers of that least secret secret agent, it’s an excuse to revisit a favorite film or two, dust off Moonraker, the novel (so much better than the film) and strap on a striped NATO.

Much has been written about the wristwatches of James Bond, some of it by this humble reporter. But I’ve long wanted to explore the thought exercise of “which watch would 007 really wear?” What would James Bond, Royal Navy commander and member of Britain’s secret service, really wear if product placement contracts didn’t factor in? Let’s have some fun, shall we?

First of all, some ground rules. I realize that this is an inherently silly exercise. British secret agents don’t behave remotely like James Bond, with a six-figure company car and Savile Row suits. But I’m not going to go fully realistic and reimagine 007 as a sedentary desk bound analyst sitting in a windowless office, reading people’s emails. Bond can be Bond, not a modern day George Smiley (which watch would he wear? There’s another article.)

Also, I’m going to focus on a modern Bond, not the literary Bond. When 007 was born on the page, the choices were more clear—something mechanical and as rugged as possible in those days. Fleming’s own experiences in the British military with its tough issued “Watch, Wrist, Waterproof”, and the timepieces spawned from that tradition of legible, no-nonsense mechanicals. Nowadays, watches are a luxury item, if worn at all and have been replaced by activity trackers and notification devices. But Bond does have a sense of tradition and style, so one can hope.

Let’s pretend Omega didn’t land the 007 franchise back in the 90s, when Jean-Claude Biver was in Bienne, and Pierce Brosnan was Bond. Let’s also pretend, since we’re taking this whole fictional farce way too seriously already, that Bond picks his own watch. What would he wear? In Fleming’s writings and the early films, it’s Rolex. That made sense back then. Rolex was a supplier to the Royal Navy, of which Bond was a member, and outfitted the successful British expedition to Everest. Rolex would have been a logical choice, given its reputation for quality and stolid ruggedness. Today? Not so much. An $8,000 Submariner is perhaps the most recognizable status symbol in the world, not a good choice for a man who needs to stay under the radar.

The same applies to Omega. Had Bond been conceived in 1968 instead of 1953, we might have seen a Seamaster 300 on his wrist instead of a Sub, when Omega was an official supplier to the British Royal Navy, Fleming’s branch during his service. In 1995, 007 costume designer Lindy Hemming chose Omega for Bond’s wrist partly because she remembers seeing a Seamaster on the wrist of her uncle who was a Royal Navy man. Omega pounced on this golden opportunity and the rest, as they say, is history. Nowadays, Omega carries more luxury baggage than it did in the 1960s, and its pricing is on par with Rolex. So we can assume Omega is also out as Bond’s choice.

In the 1970s and ‘80s, with Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton wearing the tux, Bond moved to other marques, most famously the digital Seikos that spit out telex messages and had television screens. As gadgets from the quartermaster these made sense; Bond appreciated his toys and purpose-built kit. But as a “daily”, it’s doubtful he’d have chosen such fussy watches. A Seiko for Bond today would still be a suitable choice, a solar powered Astron perhaps, that automatically changes time zones as 007 steps onto the tarmac in Nassau, Istanbul, or Tokyo. Or maybe a simple automatic or quartz diver, proven in combat for decades, unobtrusive, and classic, and likely a worthy knuckle duster should the need arise, easily replaced in almost any port of call.

One might think a G-Shock is the obvious choice for the increasingly casual and rough-and-tumble Bond, and given his military background. Indestructible, lightweight, cheap, and disposable, it would be a formidable tool watch, its backlight perfect for night time limpet mine laying or subtle bedroom wrist checks. But then, Bond is not one to want to carry a bunch of watches with him, and a G-Shock would be far too gauche under his tailored sleeve (if it would even fit) at the baccarat table. The same goes for any of the other connected sports watches out there from Garmin or Suunto.

In The Living Daylights, Timothy Dalton’s Bond wore a white-dialed quartz TAG Heuer dive watch in a black case, a perfectly understated, rugged yet classic 1980s sports watch. So what about TAG for today’s Bond? Maybe the homage Aquaracer “Night Diver” TAG released a couple years ago. Possibly, but arguably the best choice from TAG’s lineup is its Connected watch. The angular Carrera-esque lugs and swappable bands could go from wetsuit to three-piece suit easily and the connected features could be useful for a man on the go, transmitting updates from HQ, weather reports, and other mission critical data, like flights climbed or steps taken. OK, forget those last two.

The elephant in the room, of course, is the Apple Watch. Would James Bond wear one? Like the TAG Heuer Connected, it is chock full of useful data plus an easy means for making calls, sending and receiving messages, and navigating a foreign country. Detonate a bomb or start the Aston Martin? There’s probably an app for that. The Apple Watch is even sleek enough to work with dressier attire and has the advantage of being so ubiquitous nowadays, that it fits the “everyman” look a spy often needs. There are even “Bond” striped nylon straps for it. But is it tough enough for the rigors of hand to hand combat or parkour? Not to mention, like the TAG, it needs regular charging and the cable that does it, two nuisances a man on the go, often off the grid, would find problematic.

Bond, for all his “lone wolf” tendencies, is still a loyal servant of Her Majesty’s government, and a dyed-in-the wool Royal Navy man. So maybe he’d make a patriotic choice and don a Bremont, a British brand with an established relationship with the armed forces. Look around Instagram and you quickly find a roster of British ex-military and Special Forces guys, from Jason Carl Fox to Aldo Kane and Brian Wood, all wearing Bremont on their burly wrists. Any one of these guys seems cut from the Bond archetype and the watches could surely take a beating as well, with their hardened steel cases and shock resistance, particularly the Supermarine series. Somehow, Bremont’s broad-shouldered refinement fits well with the modern James Bond and, should he need it to be serviced, Henley-on-Thames is just up the motorway from MI-6 HQ.

But if a Bremont is still too rich for Bond’s blood, there is a more logical, but also surprising, watch for James Bond’s choice. Coming of age in the Royal Navy of the 1990s and early 2000s, today’s Bond likely would have been issued a dive watch from Cabot Watch Company. These watches trace their origins to the early ‘80s (Dalton’s and Brosnan’s Bonds would have worn them too) when CWC replaced Rolex as the dive watch chosen by the Ministry of Defence. Incredibly tough, yet classic looking, the CWC Royal Navy dive watch, as it’s still known, makes the perfect Bond watch. 300 meters of water resistance would survive the occasional submarine lockout, the bright dial and hands suitable for night maneuvers, and fixed strap bars would ensure it stays on 007’s wrist, even ill-fitted with a 16 millimeter striped nylon strap.

The CWC divers since 1983 have been quartz watches, which watch connoisseurs sniff at, but for a working tool watch, is the best choice when faced with discharging a handgun or whacking a henchman, accurate for years with no winding or adjustment. They’re affordable too, so our man could keep a few as backups in his MI-6 desk drawer, ticking away to grab and go should he have destroyed one as a knuckle duster. Chances are, the modern Bond would still have his issued CWC on his wrist, scratched up, faded a bit, but still faithfully ticking. Q Branch can always replace the battery between missions.

Perhaps one day, upon retirement from active duty, Bond might relent and offer himself one frivolous splurge, a watch to celebrate surviving a gauntlet of dangerous missions. It would be no dainty gold Patek, but something he could still wear skindiving off the back of his sloop in the Caribbean, perhaps a new Planet Ocean or Oyster Perpetual. Or maybe even go vintage with an old Submariner. But Bond would have it fully serviced and brought up to spec, of course. Because one never knows when duty might call.

Thanks for indulging my whimsy. If you agree, disagree, or have any other choices for 007’s wrist, drop in a comment.

—-Burn after reading—- Transmission ended.