Bond wears a Rolex in this book, which is not surprising, because Fleming himself wore a Rolex Explorer, Reference 1016, on an extensible Oyster riveted strap. Although Bond immediately showed extraordinarily good taste in automobiles and clothes, his wristwatch wasn’t identified until Fleming’s second novel, Live and Let Die (1954). Ian Fleming wrote Casino Royale, his first novel about the adventures of the charming MI6 agent, while on his honeymoon in 1952. James Bond first appeared on the silver screen in 1962 and has remained there ever since, but the Bond character was born 10 years prior to 007’s cinematic debut.
With the long-awaited (and long-delayed) No Time to Die now in theaters, we re-present our timeline overview of 007’s wrist-wear over the years. Each watch reflects its epoch: from robust mechanical timekeepers, through digital timepieces, to state-of-the-art chronometers. He’s the world’s most famous secret agent, and the selection of watches on his wrist is at least as varied as the parade of “Bond girls” at his side.
