Pre-Owned Picks — James Bond Watches From Omega, Rolex, and Seiko
Yesterday it became clear that the newest James Bond film “No Time To Die” will be postponed by seven months. Since we’re being forced to wait until November for our next Bond fix, we thought we’d step in with a solution. This week’s pre-owned selection is all about some of the watches that 007 wore over the years.
In the James Bond novels, 007 wore a Rolex. The brand was a favorite of his creator Ian Fleming (who famously wore an Explorer). In the movies though, James Bond wore a lot of different brands until 1995, when Omega took over. As such, I’ve compiled a small selection of watches that James Bond wore over the years. All of these models are available pre-owned on Chrono24. Since Brosnan made his bow in 1995’s Goldeneye, nothing but Omega has graced the super sleuth’s wrist. Prior to that, however, he was known to wear watches from brands such as Rolex, Breitling, Hamilton, and Seiko.
Every week we pick a few pre-owned watches from Chrono24, the largest market place for wristwatches in the world — watches that we love ourselves, or think they will be interesting to you. So to be clear, we picked the watches, Chrono24 only sent us the images without their watermark and in a proper resolution.
Pre-Owned Picks Of Week 10
For this week’s overview of pre-owned picks, I selected two Omegas, two Rolexes, and a Seiko. All of these watches have been worn by James Bond in the movies between Dr. No and Spectre. We all know what 007 will be wearing in No Time To Die, as we covered it here.
Although the first Omega watch that Bond wore was a quartz-powered Seamaster 300M, I selected the automatic version that he wore in Tomorrow Never Dies, the famous reference 2531.80. I bought my first one in 2000. I let it go at some point, only to buy it again (and sell it again) a few times. Until two years ago, I bought a nice 2531.80 only to never sell it again. The other Seamaster I picked is a Planet Ocean model, reference 2900.50.91, that Daniel Craig wore in Casino Royale. Then, in an older movie (View to a Kill) with Roger Moore, we find Bond wearing several different Seiko watches. My favorite being the ana-digi reference H558-5000. It is probably one of the cheapest Bond watches to find today. Sean Connery as Bond in Dr. No had a Rolex on his wrist though, a Submariner with reference 6538, so I included one of those as well. Last but not least, a more modern Rolex Submariner could be seen on the wrist of Bond (played by Timothy Dalton) in License to Kill: the reference 16610.
In the order of the movies, here we go.
Rolex Submariner 6538 (€ Price On Request)
I truly dislike advertisements for pre-owned watches that do not include a price, but this watch is worth mentioning for sure. It’s a 1956 Rolex Submariner reference 6538, also known as the “Big Crown” due to its, well, big crown. The oversized crown emphasizes the fact that these early Submariners didn’t have a crown guard. That’s something 007 might have wanted, with his way of living. Sean Connery wore it on a NATO strap that didn’t exactly fit, but collectors and enthusiasts are very forgiving. This particular reference 6538 looks pretty amazing, with a nicely discolored brown dial. The bezel has faded into they grey tone, which contrasts nicely with the dial. More information on vintage Submariners can be found in our historical overview of them. This watch is located in Miami and the offer can be found here.
Seiko Diver’s 150M H558-5000 (€800)
Also worn by this other movie buff, Arnold Schwarzenegger, this Seiko Ana-Digi reference H558-5000. Also available (again) as a new watch with a solar-powered movement. We also reviewed this H558 here. As I wrote in the introduction, this is probably one of the cheapest “James Bond” watches one can buy on the market and it does look kinda cool. No box or papers for this 45mm beast, but who cares. Just wear it. The other watches Bond wore in View to a Kill (two other Seikos and a Datejust) are less outspoken than this H558-5000 for sure. Click here for the offer on this Seiko H558.
Rolex Submariner 16610 (€8,215)
I thought it would be nice to select a Submariner 16610 that matches the year of the License to Kill movie, which is 1989. This Submariner is from that year and comes with box and papers. Otherwise, I think this is a pretty boring watch and perhaps even the least interesting Submariner ever created, but an icon for sure. My personal preference would be the version without a date or even the Kermit (or LV). Anyway, those are not the ones Dalton wore in License to Kill of course. The 16610 is built like a tank and has all the nice pre-modern era features like an aluminum bezel, lugs with holes, no RolexRolexRolex rehaut and the rattling bracelet. The seller of this watch is located in Bond’s home country, the UK. The offer on this Submariner 16610 can be found here.
Omega Seamaster 300M 2531.80 (€2,286)
This watch was introduced in 1993 and by 1995 it had found its way onto the wrist of Pierce Brosnan’s Bond. The first Seamaster 300M that was used by Bond was a quartz model, with reference 2541.80. In 1997 Bond was wearing an automatic version in Tomorrow Never Dies. That pre-owned pick is the exact same reference 2531.80. The prices of these 300M have gone up quite a bit in recent years. That might have something to do with the current 300M version that has an in-house developed movement, ceramic bezel, and other improvements that make it a more premium watch.
However, they are still relatively affordable and you might find them cheaper, but I wanted to show you one with box and papers. Makes a nice complete package. The bracelet is a bit outdated, but it wears comfortable. It is just an awful thing to resize. Another thing that always annoyed me about this watch is the fact that the bracelet lacks a half-link (or micro-adjustment). Anyway, it is a cool everyday wearer and you can find the offer here.
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M 2900.50.91 (€2,890)
The Planet Ocean is something completely off my radar. I don’t know exactly why. The Seamaster 300, 300M and Aqua Terra or the PloProf 1200M are more my style of watches, I guess. Now I think of it, a PloProf would be a great Bond’s watch! Anyway, the Planet Ocean made its debut in Casino Royale in 2006 and had a role in the next two Bond movies as well. That was until Spectre rolled around. In the most recent movie, Bond wore the rather explosive Seamaster 300. This pre-owned Seamaster Planet Ocean comes on the same rubber strap that Daniel Craig had in Casino Royale. Powered by Omega’s caliber 2500, which was based on the ETA2892-A2 (just like the 300M above) but with the Co-Axial escapement fitted to it. It was at a time before Omega went completely in-house with their movements. Click here for the offer on this Seamaster Planet Ocean.
As always, with pre-owned watches, make sure to do your (own) research. Also, feel free to make an offer on these watches (remember, these are merely asking prices), and don’t be afraid to discuss the warranty the seller can provide. Chrono24 offers its Trusted Checkout system, so you have proper buyer protection (more here). But it never hurts to be surer than sure. Always do your homework. Spending adequate time on a purchase can help minimize frustrations further down the line.
Happy Hunting!
