I am a massive James Bond fan. The movies, the books, the style. We could do an entire series on the style behind James Bond. And, we could also do an entire series on his favorite watches. If I am being honest, without the MI6 superspy, I don’t know if or when I would have ever learned about Rolex or Omega. Sean Connery wearing his Submariner and Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig wearing their Seamasters defined how I approached the watches I wanted to wear. Meaning I always wanted to wear a James Bond watch.
Having said that, with my time in military and government work, I started to notice something that got me thinking. While there are plenty of things to be said about the realistic natures of Bond movies (he should be a full-blown alcoholic, riddled with diseases, and at least a father of six by this point), his watches seem to be the loss of realism that began to take me out of it. We can start with the honest question of how does a man on a government salary pay for a $12-$20 thousand dollar watch? Sure, you could make an argument for him saving up. The man does love luxury. But then, would he really wear it when he is doing dangerous things? Also, would a man on a government salary wearing a $20K Rolex raise questions about him being bent? I know what you are thinking; “But, Mark, he was issued the watches from Q-Branch. He didn’t buy them.” You’re right. And that makes it more glaring in my mind. Governments always go with the lowest bidder. And since they have to give Bond a new watch every time he leaves on a mission, I would doubt that Q and M would drop $12K on an Omega just to put a bomb in it.
So, what watch would James Bond, a superspy with a love of luxury and a need for function wear? I listed them here. From the most likely to the least likely. The few requirements I put on this list; 1 – high functionality that could put up with the wear and tear of the mission. 2 – luxurious and stylish enough to look good with what Bond wears. 3 – An accessible price point he, or Q Branch, could swallow, so a generous $5K or so or under.
Bremont Supermarine
The most obvious choice for me was the Bremont Supermarine. It is tough, attractive, and in the price range. It also is British. While I didn’t make British watchmakers a requirement to be the new watch for Bond, I did decide that there was something to be said about a British agent wearing a homegrown watch. Forget the Swiss watchmakers, the people over at Bremont know what they’re doing and James Bond and Q-Branch don’t need to go off the island to find the perfect watch for 007 to sport all over the world. It looks just as good with his suit and tie as it does with the Walther PPK in hand.
Cabot Watch Company Automatic Diver
As a bit of a wildcard on this list, The CWC Automatic Diver wasn’t on my radar. It looked OK, and definitely covered the functionality piece, but it didn’t feel very MI6 luxury at first glance. Then, the more I thought about it, the more I dug in, it started to make sense. James Bond is a man of luxury, so a $1500 watch feels off, but he is also more than that. This watch was the standard issue for the British Royal Navy, and Commander Bond wouldn’t throw that away easily. He does have a bit of a chip on his shoulder for the charity of his education (if you take Craig’s turn into account). So, a reminder of where he came from as a grounding element to the larger-than-life extravagance in which he typically engages makes sense.
Norqain Adventure Sport Chrono
At the three spot, we have a virtual newcomer in comparison to the rest of the list. Founder & CEO Ben Küffer, alongside Co-Founders Ted Schneider and Mark Streit, launched Norqain in the height of Daniel Craig’s James Bond in 2018. They feel that the world is meant to be explored and we humans weren’t built to live behind a cubicle. That is why they built a watch that could withstand the harshness of the world, which is exactly what James Bond faces every day. Take that resume, and add in the sleek and simple appearance that looks amazing no matter what you wear, and the Norqain Adventure Sport Chrono becomes a very attractive option for the next James Bond.
Victorinox Air Pro
The rest of the watches on this list are no longer in the $4-$6K range. We are now in the most economical and likely price ranges for the government to be able to swallow Bond blowing them up every few years (around $12-$1500). Victorinox is a classic name, but you likely don’t know them for watches. You likely know them best for their contribution to the knife world. They became household names with their Swiss Army Knife. While the Victorinox Air Pro is going to look amazing on any spy’s wrist, James Bond can pull this off with any look. And, could you think of another name for what he wears than the Swiss Army Knife of watches? I can’t, that is why it landed on the number four spot.
MTM Black Falcon
The last three spots on this list, the three least likely to get chosen by James Bond, are here for two main reasons. They are all in the price range of the CWC and the Victorinox, and they are American. I know, before the James Bond diehards come at me with “James Bond would never wear an American watch!,” he has never worn a British watch either, so he isn’t a stranger to going outside the country. Now that that is out of the way, MTM is a military watch company. It is full of watches made FOR special operators BY special operators. The Black Falcon is one of their toughest and most stylish watches and has a flashlight and emergency strobe light for when Bond needs a little help from Felix. Also American by the way!
Luminox Sport Timer
James Bond is also known as Commander Bond. Why? Because he was a member of the British Royal Navy. Because of that, there is a good chance that Bond would be open to trying a watch that was designed for the greatest Naval force the world has ever seen, The Navy SEALs. Since the time of Goldeneye, Luminox has been making watches specifically for SEAL teams to keep them safe and doing the job the only way they know how, at the highest level. The Luminox Sport Timer is their most luxurious and stylish options, and it doesn’t sacrifice any functionality. If any non-American would be accepted into the “Brotherhood of the Trident,” it would be James Bond.
Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba
Last, but not least, is an iconic tool watch, the Hamilton Khaki. Since this is a James Bond version, I selected the Scuba variation to play on his naval roots and a colorway that looks suspiciously like the last Omega watch that Daniel Craig wore in No Time to Die. While this is the least likely on the list to be one James Bond would choose for himself, the iconic nature and dependable functionality screams Q all the way. At the end of the day, all of these watches are realistic choices for 007 to choose or be issued that are stylish, functional, and could be blown up without a whole lot of grieving or headache to replace.
