Raiders of the Lost Bomber

 SCUBA Diving On the Submerged Wrecks of Thunderball and Never Say Never Again    

By Donald Grant

Donald Grant holding the nose antenna of the Vulcan Bomber mock up.

Marriage Bond Style

Approximately ten years ago in 2000, I travelled to Nassau, Bahamas for my honeymoon after a very Bondian wedding replete with Morning Suit a La George Lazenby and Satchmo’s We Have All The Time In The World as our wedding song.  As you might have guessed, my wife is a very understanding woman.  She knew my fascination with James Bond right from the get go and that several Bond movies had been filmed in Nassau, including one of my favorites Thunderball.  Our honeymoon was not only to be a sun and sea soaked enjoyment of each other’s charms but also an archaeological style search for locations used in Thunderball and to a lesser degree Never Say Never Again.  The locations included in the plan for location reconnaissance were the steps and sea wall where Bond does surveillance of the SPECTRE rendezvous point (now a part of the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island), Rock Point, the estate once owned by the Sullivans that doubled as Palmyra, Love Beach where Vargas “gets the Point”, the Fiona Volpe Mustang drive location on West Bay Street and lastly the remains of the Vulcan Bomber.  I was able to visit just about all the locations and even gained access to Rock Point/Palmyra (http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/35156/palmyra-and-the-sea-wall-in-2000/) and also obtained a topographical map of it.  However, when it was time to go SCUBA diving with Stuarts Cove’s Dive Bahamas, I was told that diving the “Thunderball Wrecks” was subject to the choice of the dive master, weather conditions and the choice of the majority of the divers on the boat on that particular day.  Needless to say, although I was able to accomplish a dive in Nassau, it was not on the “Thunderball Wrecks”.  Awe phooey!

Photograph by William Creighton of the Vulcan Bomber being built in Nassau, Bahamas. Photograph courtesy of Louise N. at shipofdreams.me.uk/pinewood/index.htm.

Ten Going On Twenty

Fast forward to 2010.  My tenth wedding anniversary was rapidly approaching and my wife and I thought about and then set about planning a return trip to Nassau.  As the trip became a reality in terms of hotel reservations and airline tickets, I thought about what Bond sights I would try to see when we visited again for our anniversary.  No doubt, some of the new filming locations from 2006’s Casino Royale were on my list, but that paled in comparison to my deep desire to SCUBA dive on the remains of the Thunderball Vulcan Bomber mock-up.  I made some tentative calls to Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas and found out yet again that diving the Bond Wrecks on any given day were not guaranteed and that such a dive was subject to the choice of the dive master, weather conditions and the choice of the majority of the divers on the boat on that particular day.  Awe come on!  No way was I going to embark on another dive only to find out I was going to dive some such reef or other.  Maybe some other dive shop could help me?   No dice, Stuart appeared to be the only remaining game in town.  So I shelved the idea of diving, maybe next time.  It would give me more time with the wife.  Yeah right, wasn’t happening, my mind would not let it go.  That faux Vulcan Bomber haunted me, there had to be a way!  I dialed up Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas yet again and pressed hard this time.  I was told the only way to guarantee the dive on the Bond Wrecks was to purchase a private charter.  A private charter?  Yes, a private charter.  Bloody hell, how much is a private charter?  It costs $$$$.  No “freakin” way, that’s several times the price of an ordinary dive!  Dive shelved yet again.  Vulcan bomber daydreams and Vulcan Bomber nightmares ensued.  How much did they say for the private charter?  Screw it, I can do that.  Nothing but a chicken wing on a string.  As they say you only live once, or was it twice?  So I booked the private charter to dive the James Bond Wrecks.   Damn cool!

International Orange

As a consequence of booking the dive, I decided that I wanted to do it in true Bond style.  I needed an orange wetsuit jacket similar to what Sean Connery wore in Thunderball.  The wetsuits worn in Thunderball were all made by Voit and had a smooth skin.   Vintage Voit scuba suits are like hens teeth to find in good condition and even harder to find in international orange; so much so that several years ago I contacted JMJ Wetsuits in Torrence, California about making a custom smooth skinned wetsuit in international orange.  JMJ makes a smooth skinned vintage style wetsuit in black.  Unfortunately, the smooth skinned neoprene in orange was the main problem, because neoprene manufacturers no longer make it in that color.  Perhaps with a group order large enough for the neoprene manufacturer to make a run of smooth skinned orange neoprene it could be done.  That would not be the case this time.  So instead I contacted JMJ Wetsuits to order their “Old School Surf Jacket – Style 2306″ and provided them with my measurements dutifully taken by my wife.  I customized the jacket by ordering it in rough skin international orange, changed the diagonal zipper to a center zipper, added arm zippers and kept the twist lock closures instead of opting for the Velcro closure at the groin.

Photograph by William Creighton of completed Vulcan Bomber mock up. Photograph courtesy of Louise N. at shipofdreams.me.uk/pinewood/index.htm.

White Boy Shorts

While my wetsuit was being made, I set about trying to find a pair of white swim trunks that were similar to the ones worn by Connery.  That search proved somewhat difficult not because of the cut, but because of the color.  I was able to find many contemporary vintage style square cut bathing suits, but none in all white.  I found designer versions in white but with stripes on one side or with piping or some other such addition that made them not quite right for my planned Bondian dive on the Vulcan Bomber mock-up.  Then I found Don Mitchel Swimwear.  They offered a square cut pair of men’s swim trunks in all white with no additional adornments called the DM-2020.  I ordered them via telephone and had them within three days.  When they arrived I tried them on and became concerned about how tight fitting they were, they looked like those undergarments women call boy shorts.  The trunks would be fine with my surf jacket, but not for running around Nassau like Bond does with Fiona Volpe, not on my frame.  Moreover, I did not think my wife would like to see my rather, heh, heh, protuberant masculinity on display in such a gross fashion.  I needed a more contemporary pair of white trunks to go with the shirt I had in mind.  So I set about looking for another pair of white trunks for night duty.  After several false starts, I found the perfect pair of Tommy Hilfiger surf trunks at my local Macy’s department store.  The trunks were not strictly what Bond wore in Thunderball, but I would feel much better wandering around downtown Nassau and Paradise Island in them.

Wiliam Creighton and the Vulcan Bomber mock up. Photograph courtesy of Louise N. at shipofdreams.me.uk/pinewood/index.htm.

“CAN YOU HELP? Please have a look at our unidentified photo page, and contact us if you have any information about any of these pictures – thank you! Identification of much of the material is quite difficult, as it relies mainly on what my father can remember! Most of the photographs are not annotated in any way, and identification of some of the locations has proved tricky.”  From Louise N. http://shipofdreams.me.uk/pinewood/index.htm“.*

The Name’s Perry, Fred Perry

One of the coolest clothing items worn by Sean Connery as James Bond in Thunderball was the navy blue Fred Perry pique tennis shirt with white laurel logo on the left breast.  The trip to Nassau would not be complete without one.  Although I had several copies of this shirt including a brand new unopened one, I had put on sufficient enough weight over the years that I needed a new bigger one.  I have never been able to find this specific shirt in the United States.  True, Fred Perry does have stores in the United States, however the solid colored shirts available generally have a contrasting color on the sleeves and collar.  Bond’s shirt was solid blue; the only contrasting color was the white laurel logo.  Not a problem, I ordered the shirt from Fred Perry dot com, which is based in the United Kingdom, and had the shirt within three or four days.  It would be the perfect accompaniment to the white trunks.  Some have speculated that because Bond wears Fred Perry, he has Mod sensibilities because the shirts were adopted by that working class British subculture during the late 1950’s.  Perhaps, but Fred Perry himself represents the best of Britain since he was the world’s number one player for five years and is considered by many to be one of the greatest male players to have ever played the game.  Perry won Wimbledon three times and is one of only six men in history to have won all four grand slam tennis events.  However you view Bond’s choice of the Fred Perry, it’s a rather expensive shirt, beating out my personal favorite Lacoste in terms of price.

The good taste of Fred Perry.

Of Vice and Men

In the movie Thunderball, Connery as Bond spends a good deal of time with his feet in what I’d like to call magic espadrilles.  They are magical because you’ll see him exiting the water in more than one scene bare footed only to end up moments later with a pair of grey espadrilles on.  Espadrilles are a type of casual shoe made of rope soles and canvas uppers originating from the Pyrenees and originally worn by peasants.  Men’s espadrilles had a wildly popular resurgence during the mid to late 80’s because they were worn by Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas as James “Sonny” Crocket and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs in Miami Vice along with pastel colored T-Shirts worn under deconstructed Armani jackets, linen pants and designer stubble.  What I like to call the “Miami Narc Look”.  I needed a pair of grey Espadrilles to complete my Connery/Bond look.  Like it or not Connery made wearing espadrilles manly.  I never owned a pair of Espadrilles before.  I missed the “Miami Narc Look” because I had been firmly entrenched in prep school attire mainly because of a father who shopped at Brooks Brothers and Paul Stuart and because of having attended an ivy covered pile of rubble otherwise known as a New England Prep School.  My sandal like shoes of choice had always been Sperry topsiders, L.L. Bean’s Camp Moccasins, or those oh so comfortable reef runners for wet/dry occasions.  As I began looking for a pair of espadrilles I discovered that most of the offerings were available outside of the United States.  That would not normally be a problem; however I waited for the last minute to buy the espadrilles.  Shipping from Europe or any place outside of the U.S. would take too long.  Then I discovered that Urban Outfitters sold men’s espadrilles and in the correct shade of grey.  Order placed, espadrilles delivered, problem solved.

The Dangerous Depths

I learned to scuba dive on at least two occasions, but I finally became PADI open water certified in Guam while working as an Officer on a Merchant ship.  Nevertheless, the last time I had gone scuba diving was ten years ago on my honeymoon.   Because I spent many years of my life in the maritime environment, I know that the sea can be a very unforgiving place, particularly to the untrained and unwary.  So I set about trying to find a PADI refresher course.  It turned out to be relatively easy and I found a location with its own pool that gave the course at night in one evening.  All the basics were gone over prior to entering the pool including hand signals, buddy breathing, entry techniques, proper weighting, use of the BCD and mask clearing.  Once that was done, we entered the pool and put to use what I had been refreshed in verbally.  All in all, excellent training that I would highly recommend to anyone who has not gone diving for many years.

Donald Grant gets his sea legs back!

Sea Fever

Stuart Cove's dive boat.

I scheduled my dive for the afternoon of my second day in Nassau.  Scuba diving should not be done within 24 hours of flying because of the effects of pressure on the body.  When the Stuart Cove’s van came to my hotel to pick me and my wife up, I was fully prepared with all my gear ready to go.  It was a short trip to Stuart’s which is located on the south side of the island.  After checking in at Stuart Cove’s, it turned out that my diver had had trouble equalizing her left ear.  So a switch was made to Ryan Banks.  I was given about 15lbs of weight for the dive from the dive locker as well as my regulator and boarded my boat and introduced my wife and myself to the boat captain/dive master, Stephen Stuart.  As we headed out to open water I reflected on my years at sea and the various “ports-o-call” that I had been to, the beautiful women I had known, and the many sea stories that I had heard.  As my mind turned these bits of memory around, I stumbled on the index card in the rolodex of my mind marked John Masefield.  Sea Fever, that famous poem by the great British Poet Laureate of his time came flooding back:

“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.”

Yes, I missed the sea, that sometimes cruel mistress.  But I knew deep down that one day I would return to her one way or another. 

Stephen Stuart, Boat Captain, Dive Master.

Smugglers Blues – The Tears of Allah

After a short trip heading South and then West along the coast, we arrived at a mooring buoy that was tethered to the bow of the vessel named the Tears of Allah.  The Tears of Allah was the sunken vessel that Connery/Bond dives on with Fatima Blush and is later attacked by a tiger shark.  She began life as a 92 foot supply boat that was used as a drug smuggler and was subsequently confiscated by authorities.  She was later sold to the movie producers and sunk as a prop for the movie Never Say Never Again.  While my vessel was being moored, I began donning my gear.  First my vintage style beavertail dive jacket, U.S. Divers dive booties purchased at the Naval Exchange in Guam way back when, followed by my BC and tank, mask and snorkel and lastly my fins.  I was first in the water doing a seated back roll entry followed by Ryan.  We swam to the bow of the vessel with Ryan in the lead and slowly descended down the mooring line.  As we travelled down the line, I set the timing bezel on my Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean so I could measure elapsed time.  At about 15 feet my left ear would not equalize and I felt the pressure and pain.  I signaled to Ryan and he simply cocked his head to the left and then right.  I mimicked his motions and my left ear popped and equalized.  We slowly continued descending the mooring line.  Twenty, twenty five, thirty, thirty five and then forty feet!  At about forty two feet the bow of a long cigar shaped wreck appeared more clearly in the mist.  Yes, there it was!  The rotting hulk of The Tears of Allah as it had become known.  The bow of the wreck pointed in a westerly direction and was listing ever so slightly to the port side.  We traversed the starboard side heading easterly.  We came around the stern and headed back west down the port side.  When Ryan and I approached the Bow, we crossed above the bow and headed in a northeasterly direction.  What I had really come to see lay directly ahead of us shrouded in the chasm of the eternal sea.

Donald Grant's dive buddy, Ryan Banks, Master Diver, Dive Instructor.

Donald Grant Jones and the Temple of the Sunken Vulcan

After swimming approximately 100 hundred yards in a northeasterly direction we came upon what looked like a big mossy patch.  Upon closer inspection I discovered what looked like giant set of monkey bars covered by all manner of gorgonians, sponges and invertebrate life.  Because I had seen pictures of the Vulcan Bomber prop set in its present state, I knew that this was it.  But it took more than a moment for it to set in.  I had re-discovered one of the lost temples of Bondiana, Indiana Jones Style!  Cue the ultra cool Thunderball soundtrack. 

To the uninformed, the mock up of the Vulcan Bomber is hardly recognizable.  All that remains is the metal framework because after filming, it was blown up with dynamite and primacord**.  This was done by EON to prevent it being used again by other filmmakers.  What was recognizable were the wheels and flaps.  They were, for the most part, still intact.  If I did not have foreknowledge that this was the remains of the bomber, the wheels and flaps would be the only thing that could positively identify it.

Donald Grant in front Of Vulcan Bomber mock up.

Donald Grant touches one of the Vulcan Bomber tires.

As we swam over the wreck, I stopped at the starboard wheel and dug up some sand that I placed in a Ziploc baggie.  This, apart from photographs, would be my souvenir of the dive.  But, I had miscalculated.  The sand in the seawater was hard to corral.  Every time I tried to put some in the baggie, most of it would simply escape causing the water to silt up and visibility to decrease greatly.  After toiling at it for what seemed like forever, I felt I had retrieved enough for my purpose.  I would keep some for myself and give the rest in small vials to good friends in the hobby.  The remaining wheels of the Vulcan were buried deep in the sand with only the tops of the rubber tires showing.  As we continued swimming over the wreck, I paused at the nose while Ryan took my picture.  The front wheel assembly was completely gone, as the nose of the Vulcan was resting on the bottom.  After swimming over the wreck for what seemed like a very short period of time, Ryan signaled that it was time to go back.  I heard the strains of Tom Jones singing Thunderball in my head as we set off to swim the gap separating the Vulcan and the Tears of Allah.

Vulcan mock up wheel.

Vulcan mock up wheel outline.

Ascent to Shrublands

As we approached the bow of the Tears of Allah we began to slowly ascend grabbing the mooring line that was tethered to our vessel.  At fifteen feet we stopped (a safety decompression stop) to allow the nitrogen in our blood to dissipate.  I glanced at the big Planet Ocean on my wrist with the oversized rubber strap.  The elapsed time bezel told me we had spent approximately 23 minutes on the bottom, and my depth guage registered a greatest depth of 43 feet.  After about 3 minutes we continued our slow ascent being careful not to rise faster than our bubbles.  When we reached the surface I inflated my BCD and I removed my regulator and began using my snorkel.  Ryan motioned to swim to the stern of the vessel and I followed.  Once at the stern, Stephen told me to remove my fins before climbing the ladder.  As I struggled to remove my fins, I must have over exerted myself because when I got on deck and removed the rest of my gear I felt totally exhausted.  I collapsed in a spent pile next to that beautiful “bubble watcher” known as my wife.  I was way out of shape.  A simple 43 foot dive had reduced me to a wet clump of guano.  The M in my mind’s eye chastised me for being so unfit.  Time to get to Shrublands!

*Louise N.’s grandfather William Creighton worked as a model builder at Pinewood Studios and on at least two Bond movies, Thunderball and Goldfinger.  Creighton built the Fort Knox scale model on Goldfinger.   Louise needs more information on her grandfather’s involvement with Pinewood and the Bond Movies.  Please contact her through this address: http://shipofdreams.me.uk/pinewood/index.htm

**Found on the second audio program of the Thunderball Special Edition DVD.

Article Copyright © November 2010 Richard Dos Santos

Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas Thunderball Wrecks Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0j8AcSxBWg

A Breitling 806 Navitimer and Rolex 6238 Pre-Daytona Chronograph

It should be noted that this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every watch worn by Bond in every scene, but rather a list of watches that the filmmakers intended that Bond wear and that the audience be aware of. Likewise, this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every watch that every villain or ally major or minor has worn, but rather a listing of the more interesting watches that can’t help but be noticed on the wrists of Bond’s allies and villains

This is part 2.2 of two articles, continuing the watches of Thunderball to The Man With The Golden Gun in case you missed part 2.1 it covered the watches From Russia With Love to Thunderball. Don’t forget part 1 of Bonding With Time looks at the Rolex Submariner watch.

Thunderball’s Breitling Top Time

The Breitling Top-Time is the only other watch besides the Rolex Submariner that Sean Connery as Bond is noted for wearing. This watch is also the first issued watch by Q-Branch in the Bond cannon. In the movie Thunderball, the Top-Time has the Q-function of working as a Geiger counter. I have spent many years looking for the Top-Time as worn by Connery in various books as well as on-line all to no avail. After having several conversations with various Bond aficionados including the doyen of Bond props and co-creator of Yoda’s lightsaber Ed Magianni, I have concluded that although the Top-Time is an actual watch, the case of the watch as it appeared in Thunderball was custom made by the EON prop department.
My belief in the custom cased Top-Time is based on:

1. The Thunderball Breitling Top-Time does not appear in any reference material that I’ve seen related to Breitling.
2. The Breitling Top-Time as made by Breitling is a two register chronograph and has two pushers on the case at approximately two O’clock and 4 O’clock on either side of the crown, however the Thunderball Top-Time has no pushers evident on the outside of the case. Moreover, the Thunderball Top-Time has no crown.
3. Chronographs of this nature are susceptible to water incursion at the pushers, and it is a reason why Rolex ultimately started using screw down pushers on its Daytona’s. A fully encased Top-Time used by Connery in and around the water in Thunderball would suffer little water damage with a customized case devoid of pushers or crown.
4. The bigger watch case simulated the geiger counter Q-function as well as the diver function as imagined by EON productions.

It should be noted that in Thunderball the novel, Bond is given a geiger counter watch, after a fashion, by Felix Leiter. However, the watch itself is really just the display for the actual Geiger counter which is a Roliflex camera. The watch is connected to the camera via wires up the sleeve and out through holes in a jacket pocket to the camera while slung over the shoulder. A waterproof version is later used by Bond while looking over the hull of the Disco Volante. The watch, the brand of which is never mentioned, then takes the radioactivity count via the sweep hand. A very ponderous affair. It’s no wonder the movie producers chose to make these two separate and autonomous Geiger counters, a Calypso/Nikonos camera that Bond ultimately gives to Domino and the Breitling Top-Time that Bond uses.

The Top-Time as issued by Breitling existed in both round and cushion cased varieties with alternate case, and dial colors as well as different style pushers. There is also a three register version of the Top-Time with various dial and pusher configurations. One of the most handsome of the Breitling issued Top-Time series is the stainless steel, round case, round pusher variety with black dial, twin silver sub-dials, and silver outer tachymetric scale. I suspect that it was this version used by EON and that the whole watch was encased in an outer faux case designed by the props department. On its own, the watch has an understated elegance fit for both the boardroom and the bedroom, and will work equally as well in the field. If you want to sport the Bond look but want to stand out from the sea of Rolexes and Omegas while doing it, the round case/round pusher silver/black Breitling Top-Time sans faux case is the way to go.

The Count Lippe Watch

The watch Count Lippe wears in Thunderball, is one that is rarely talked about by watch aficionados or Bond aficionados for that matter. The watch itself has always appeared to me as a gold coin watch. Although I have no definitive proof of this, close-ups of the dial reveal irregularities consistent with a gold coin. It’s anyone’s guess what make or model, but I suspect it was something cheaply manufactured by the EON prop department. The watch along with the unique split twin gold band/bracelet, apart from covering Lippe’s “Tong sign” tattoo (a red square with a spike through it), served as a device for the audience to follow who was messing about with Bond’s motorized traction table, refereed to as the “rack” in both the movie and the novel. The Count Lippe watch can be replicated expensively using a 20 dollar gold coin watch from Corum or Piaget, although these appear somewhat larger than the watch Lippe wears in the movie. An economical and probably more appropriate way to go would be to use any number of inexpensively made coin watches and a modicum of gold paint or gold leaf. The real trick is getting a jeweler or metal-smith to make that unique bracelet.

Again, I have no direct knowledge of what in fact the Count Lippe watch is. The Thunderball novel is not much help either, because it simply refers to a watch used to cover a red tattoo that “looked like a small zig zag crossed by two vertical strokes” on Lippe’s wrist. My belief in the gold coin watch is merely an informed guess based on close-ups of the watch and knowledge that many of Fleming’s villains are often expensively, if ostentatiously, turned out. Chapter 4 of Thunderball says the following with respect to Count Lippe’s personal effects while Bond is doing a reconnaissance of Lippe’s room at Shrublands:

“All he learned-from the clothes-was that the Count was a much traveled man-shirts from Charvet, ties from Tripler, Dior, and Hardy Amies, shoes from Peel, and raw silk pyjamas from Hong Kong. The dark red morocco suitcase from Mark Cross might have contained secrets, and Bond eyed the silk linings and toyed with the Count’s Wilkinson razor.”

I believe EON took a cue from Fleming’s description of Lippe’s personal effects in creating a movie version of the novels non-descript watch. A watch made out of a gold coin would certainly be expensive and ostentatious, at least according to Fleming’s sensibility. However, if any of you have direct knowledge and supporting documentation to the contrary with respect to the Count Lippe watch please let me know.

George Lazenby’s Pre-Daytona Cronograph Model Reference 6238

Rolex 6238 Pre-Daytona Chronograph

In the movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, George Lazenby as James Bond is seen wearing two different Rolex watches. Bond’s main watch was a Rolex Submariner model reference 5513. Since the 5513 Submariner was one of the subjects of my previous article, it will not be discussed here. Bond dons another watch when going undercover as Sir Hilary Bray Baronet. That watch was a Rolex chronograph model reference 6238.

The 6238 is often referred to as the pre-Daytona because it preceded the 6239, the first chronograph in the Rolex stable to be called a Daytona. Initially, the 6239 had only “Cosmograph” printed on the dial. Later, the 6239 had both “Cosmograph” and “Daytona” printed on the dial. The 6238 shares the same case as the 6239, however the 6239 had the tachymetric scale engraved on the bezel rather than on the outer edge of the dial like the 6238. Apart from dial colorations, this is the only real difference between the 6238 and the 6239. The 6239 was apparently the model worn by Paul Newman in publicity photos for the movie Winning and also apparently appeared on his wrist much later while on the cover of an Italian magazine. The 6239 worn by Paul Newman had an exotic colored dial with the base dial one color and the sub-dials a contrasting color. Today Daytona Cosmographs with an exotic dial are referred to by some collectors as Paul Newman dials regardless of the model reference number and are particularly sought after, commanding outrageous prices.

I’ve always thought the 6238 was an interesting choice for Bond to wear undercover as an expert in heraldry because chronographs are associated with race car drivers and pilots. It is used for timing or stopping time and is not something one would associate with a stodgy academic. However the 6238 worn by Lazenby as Bond undercover as Bray is a particularly understated watch especially with its silver dial and silver sub-dials. So, its understated elegance works very well within the context of the movie. It’s also interesting to note that the Rolex chronographs, including the early Daytona’s were the only watches that Rolex ever discounted because they just did not sell very well. It’s a watch that an academic might very well buy particularly during the time frame of 1969.

The Rolex 6238 Chronograph existed in three series and lasted from approximately the mid 1960’s to about 1967. The first series had dials similar to the 6034 and 6234 reference numbers and existed with or without the tachymetric scale. The second and rarest series had the handsome two tone dials with the dial being one color and the three sub-dials being another contrasting color (the precursor to the so called Paul Newman dials), for example a black dial with silver sub-dials. The third series is the one with the monochromatic dial, where the dial and sub-dials are all one color. It is from this third series that EON culled the 6238 that Lazenby wore for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. This third series 6238 existed with three different dial variations. One was a black dial and was the rarest of the third series dials, one was a dark silver dial, sometimes referred to as graphite and one was a light silver dial and is the one Lazenby wore.

The hand wound movement in the 6238 was either the 72B or the 722. Both movements are based on the hand wound Valjoux Caliber 72A. Rolex essentially took the base model Valjoux 72A and modified it by upgrading and engraving certain parts. The 6238 housed the 72B until approximately 1965 and was replaced by the 722 from 1965 on. It is interesting to note that all Rolex chronograph movements were based on the Valjoux Caliber 72A from about 1960 until roughly 1987, and that’s quite a testament to the greatness of the caliber. It powered the various later Rolex chronograph model references as the 722-1 and lastly the 727. The Valjoux 72A was also widely used by other watch companies in their chronoraphs including but not limited to Heuer (now Tag Heuer), and Longines. For a short while the Valjoux 72 even powered the Breitling 806 Navitimer and is considered a rarity amongst Navitimer collectors. Rolex finally replaced the Valjoux 72A based movement in their chronographs by the heavily modified automatic Zenith caliber 4030 in 1988.

Apparently, the 6238 that was purchased for Lazenby by the production department was supposed to have an additional Q type function beyond timing the Piz Gloria cable car ride. As the story goes, the watch was to also function as a compass. The red sweep hand was to function as the compass pointer. Since 6238’s were not made with red sweep hands, and the Lazenby/Bond/Bray 6238 does have it, this appears to be an accurate statement.

Roger Moore’s Hamilton/Time Computer Pulsar P2 Model 2900 Astronaut

Hamilton Pulsar P2 model 2900
© www.oldpulsars.com – Z Holtelius

The Hamilton Pulsar P2 model 2900 was the first watch to appear on the wrist of Roger Moore in his first outing as James Bond in 1973’s Live and Let Die. Bond/Moore checks the P2 while cradling Miss Caruso in his arms after he is awakened at an early morning hour by M and Miss Moneypenny at his front door.

Although I am not a big fan of digital quartz watches, the P2 is one of the must haves for any watch collection either Bond related or otherwise. The fact that it was the first of its kind and initial models were marketed in high-end stores and jewelry shops and sought after by celebrities and politicians only adds to its mystique. The April 2004 article in WatchTime Magazine entitled Pulsar A Space Odyssey by Lucien F. Trueb had this to say:

“The Pulsar triggered a worldwide sensation. The emperor of Abyssinia, the shah of Iran, King Hussein of Jordan, U.S. presidents Nixon and Ford, Soviet head-of-state Leonid Brezhnev, actors Jerry Lewis and Roger Moore, as well as numerous other celebrities had already ordered their Pulsars in 1970 – and were obliged to wait nearly two years before they could accept delivery. The first series of 300 specimens sold out in just three days. This model was equipped with a solid gold case and an integrated wristband and retailed for an extravagantly high $2,100. Despite the steep price, Hamilton received thousands of orders. A version in a steel case was soon launched, selling for the more moderate price of $275.”

I’d like to point out that despite the fact that Hamilton was at the time one of the most successful watchmakers in the United States they actually purchased the technology for the P2 and its predecessor models form a small electronics company called Electro/Data located in Garland, Texas for hundreds of thousands of dollars. This was done as a time saving measure because Bulova had already made incursions into Hamilton’s market share with their Accutron’s tuning fork technology and the Swiss and Japanese were about to make significant inroads with their own new quartz technology. Hamilton was behind the eight ball in terms of electronic watches when Electro/Data called Hamilton and said they had, according to the aforementioned WatchTime article:

“A functional model of a digital clock with a point-matrix light-emitting-diode (LED) display.”

After entering into a contract with Hamilton, this technology was subsequently shrunken down to watch size by Electro/Data and the clock’s creator an electrical engineer named Willie Crabtree. The name Pulsar had previously been registered after John Bergey, Hamilton’s research director, had recognized Pulsar as a great sounding name for a new electronic watch that had been envisioned for Hamilton’s future. It was thus that the Hamilton Pulsar was born.

Unlike the later LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) watches made by Seiko and others, the Hamilton the P2 had an LED display (Light Emitting Diode). Different than the constant on feature of LCD watches, the LED watch could only display time by the push of a button. It makes the watch a cool gadget and can be considered gee whiz technology especially within the context of 1973. The case, bracelet and dark red display are very pleasing to the eye and have a very organic shape. Although I don’t presently have a Hamilton Pulsar P2, I do intend to add one to my collection because, apart from it being in a Bond movie, it represents a first in the world of horology.

Scaramanga’s Rolex King Midas Model Reference 9630

In The Man With The Golden Gun, Scaramanga obviously has a penchant for all things golden. Apart from his golden gun (made of a pen, a lighter, a cigarette case and a cufflink), gold bullets, and gold rings, Scaramanga also sports a solid 18 karat gold Rolex King Midas with asymmetrical case and integrated gold band. As I said earlier, the villains in Fleming’s world are often expensively, if ostentatiously, turned out, and the screen version of Scaramanga is no different. Kudos to EON for having insight into Fleming’s world and getting it right. Although the King Midas is not in keeping with my particular taste, it certainly broadcasts to the world that you have money, new money probably, but money nevertheless. Having said that, if I inherited one, I certainly would not throw it away.

The Rolex King Midas model reference number 9630 had a hand wound movement and the integrated gold bar link bracelet had a double deployant clasp. The King Midas was a limited edition of only 1000 watches originally introduced by Rolex in 1964 but apparently available into the 1970’s. Apart form the serial number, the King Midas also had a separate edition number. The watch was engraved on the side of the case on either side of the crown with the words “KING” and “MIDAS”. At the time, the King Midas was the most expensive Rolex watch money could buy. It was also the heaviest gold watch money could buy. It’s no wonder that Elvis Presley owned one. The King Midas was named after the king in Greek mythology that had the golden touch and was presented in very unique packaging. The outer box was decorated with Greek motifs and the inner box, made of wood, was shaped like an urn with more Greek motifs. A very special watch indeed, made for people with money to burn. Please note that the King Midas was later introduced as an unlimited edition as part of the Cellini line. Although similar looking, it is a different watch.

A Word About Books & Sources

If you have any questions or comments on the article visit the Absolutely James Bond Forums and the Bonding With Time Topic.

I am not a watch expert my knowledge of watches rests firmly on the hard work and determination of real watch experts who sought to commit their hard work and research to the written word. I am more or less a person who coalesces information taken from various and disparate sources. It does help a great deal, however, to like what you are writing about. And boy, do I like watches.

When I began to write this article, I came across the article about the Red Grant watch in the October 2007 issue of Hr: WATCHES LUXURY LIFESTYLE while browsing the watch magazines in the bookstore. It was indeed a fortuitous occasion because I was not looking for information about Girard-Perregaux. The article is titled “Girard-Perregaux’ Lasting Value A Fully Functional Full Calendar. I don’t know if you can purchase back issues but it’s worth a try and you can check on line at www.hrwatches.com.

One of my all time favorite Rolex books is the Best Of Time Rolex Wristwaches An Unauthorized History by Jefferey Hess and James Dowling, ISBN: 0-76430011-3. I borrowed generously from this book regarding the creation of Pussy Galore’s GMT Master reference 6542 and its association with aerospace. James Dowling still has his own website at www.ukwatches.com where he sells watches and continues to be a contributor on www.timezone.com and www.vintagerolexforum. Likewise, the book Vintage Rolex Sports Models A complete visual reference & unauthorized history ISBN: 0-7643-1496-3 by Martin Skeet and Nick Urul helped round out my knowledge of the GMT 6542 as well as its replacement the GMT 1675 of Casino Royale fame.

My references concerning the Breitling series of watches including the Navitimer and Top Time are many and varied. My first source was the second edition of BREITLING THE HISTORY OF A GREAT BRAND OF WATCHES 1884 TO PRESENT by Benno Richter ISBN: 0-7643-1006-2. I also consulted www.navitimer.net, a fantastic site about the various incarnations of the Breitling Navitimer. In the “50 years” gallery you can determine that the Derval Navitimer falls into the IV generation of the Navitimer issue because of the bezel, and the small size of the sub-dials. Luckily my personal Navitimer from 1967 falls into this IV generation. If you are looking for certified service or restoration work on a vintage or modern Breitling watch, look no further than www.horologicalservices.com. Mark and Theresa Heist along with Ronald Pfleger will do your ailing Breitling justice. I bought my vintage 806 Navitimer from them in September of 2005, and it was damn near new in appearance. It seems, however, after recently talking with Theresa Heist, that they are focusing more on repair and restoration work rather than sales.

The absolute best reference with respect to the Rolex Chronograph model reference 6238 was the book Rolex Daytona a legend is born by Carlo Pergola, Steffano Mazzariol and Giovanni Dosso. The book does not list an ISBN number but I purchased it directly from www.alfowatch.com. Although it is presently out of print, the last time I checked Amazon.com, there was a used one for sale. Do whatever you can to get this book, it is presented in both Italian and English and is wealth source of information about the Rolex Daytona including the Pre-Daytona. The original print date was 11/2006, Best Edizioni SRL, V. Londonio 22, 20154 Milano (MI), ITALIA. I must also mention the Christies auction catalog for a close up and description of the actual 6238 as worn by George Lazenby that went up for auction. The accompanying picture clearly shows a red sweep hand. The catalog is dated December 16, 2003 (Christie’s South Kensington, 85 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3LD).

My information regarding the Pulsar P2 Model 2900 came from, as noted above, the April 2004 article in WatchTime Magazine entitled Pulsar A Space Odyssey by Lucien F. Trueb. I’m not sure if they sell back issues, but you can check their website here www.watchtime.com. More information than you could ever imagine about the 2900 is available at www.oldpulsars.com. It also has links to other sites regarding LED watches.

Trying to find information about the Rolex King Midas was very difficult. Although the Dowling/Hess book had a picture of the asymmetrical Cellini version of the King Midas, not much is said about the watch. Then I found Jakes Rolex Watch Blog www.rolexblog.blogspot.com, and it had a mint of information regarding the original limited edition Rolex King Midas. Apart from just words the blog is liberally sprinkled with pictures. Moreover, Jakes blog also contains information about Rolex’ association with Astronauts as well as interesting articles concerning famous people and Rolex. Did you know that Chuck Yeager has worn a Rolex for over 50 years, or that he also at one time wore a 6538 Submariner of James Bond fame? If you didn’t now you do, go check out the picture and more information regarding all things Rolex at Jake’s Rolex Watch Blog.

Lastly, I wanted to mention the book 1001 Wristwatches From 1925 To The Present ISBN 978-1-4054-9463-2 (Editor: Martin Hausserman). I used it as a general reference and the book is separated into sections by watch type. The great things about the book are the numerous pictures and the low price I obtained it for in the bargain book section of my bookstore.

I have of course used other books, websites and references in writing this article that I may not have mentioned. However, the above represents what I feel are the best sources for obtaining real world information on the watches in Bond’s world. As the saying goes “scientia potentia est” which roughly translates to knowledge is power.

Article Copyright © 2009 Richard Dos Santos

A Breitling 806 Navitimer and Rolex 6238 Pre-Daytona Chronograph

It should be noted that this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every watch worn by Bond in every scene, but rather a list of watches that the filmmakers intended that Bond wear and that the audience be aware of.  Likewise, this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every watch that every villain or ally major or minor has worn, but rather a listing of the more interesting watches that can’t help but be noticed on the wrists of Bond’s allies and villains. 

Red Grant’s Fascinating Watches

To me, Red Grant is one of the most fascinating Bond villains of all time and the watches associated with him are equally fascinating.  In the movie From Russia With Love Donald Grant, AKA Donovan Grant, Red Grant or Krassno Granitski as he’s variously referred to in the novel From Russia With Love is seen wearing a keen bit of kit in the form of a time telling device that masked its truly deadly purpose.  It was a watch containing a garrote on a brown colored strap.  It’s one of those pieces that have always fascinated me.  The watch as seen in the movie had a very thick silver colored case, probably because it housed a mechanical movement along with a wire reel used to simulate a garrote.  Remember, this movie was made before the quartz watch almost killed mechanical watches.  It also had straight or wire lugs, Arabic numerals on a white or cream colored dial, and what looks to me like a pigskin strap that is the same width from lug to buckle (in other words, no taper in the strap).

Recently, a fellow Bond collector and top notch prop and model builder by the name of George Vasquez presented me with some compelling evidence in the form of an extreme close-up that suggests that Grant’s watch, as it appeared in the movie, had a sub-dial at the 6 o’clock position.  That close-up photograph shows a smudge near the 6 o’clock position but much higher than where the 6 would be.  Also, the photograph shows no “6″where it should be.  So, unlike the Grant watch pictured in the book James Bond The Secret World Of 007 (ISBN 0-7894-6691-0), it appears the real prop had a sub-seconds sweep hand rather than a regular full dial sweep hand.  Incidentally, the watch pictured (artist’s rendering) appears somewhat thinner than the movie prop.  Likewise the movie watch has a ring for the garrote rather than a crown within a crown as pictured.

I have seen various one off replicas of this watch over the years, but none have come close to the original.  Most of the replicas are made with the wrong style case.  The case needs to have strait or wire lugs similar to a World War I era Officer’s trench watch or perhaps a World War II era field watch. Another area where the replicas go wrong is in using a quartz movement.  The quartz movement did not exist in 1963, at least not to any great degree, so a true replica would need a mechanical movement.  Lastly, most of the replicas are too thin.  The watch in From Russia With Love had an exceedingly thick case.  It would have to if it were to house a mechanical movement and a wire reel.

From a horological perspective however, the watch Grant wears in the novel is far more interesting.  Chapter 1 (Roseland) paragraph 3 of From Russia With Love says the following with respect to Grant’s personal effects as they lie in a pile next to his naked body while awaiting a massage:

“To judge by the glittering pile, this had been or was a rich man.  It contained the typical membership badges of the rich man’s club-a money clip, made of a Mexican fifty-dollar piece and holding a substantial wad of banknotes, a well used gold Dunhill lighter, an oval gold cigarette case with the wavy ridges and discreet turquoise button that means Faberge, and the sort of novel a rich man pulls out of the bookcase to take into the garden-The Little Nugget-an old P.G. Wodehouse.  There was also a bulky gold wrist-watch on a well used brown crocodile strap.  It was a Girard-Perregaux model designed for people who like gadgets, and it had a sweep second-hand and two little windows in the face to tell the day of the month, and the month, and the phase of the moon.  The story it now told was 2:30 on June 10^th with the moon three-quarters full.”

Girard Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar Watch

The Girard-Perregaux that was in Grant’s tidy pile of membership badges to the rich man’s club is what is known in horological parlance as a calendar watch, or more precisely, a triple-date moonphase watch.  Such watches are fascinating to watch collectors because they have what are called complications that are added to the ordinary time telling function of the watch.  In this instance the complications enable the watch to tell the wearer the day of the month, the date, the month and the phase of the moon.  Watches with complications are more “complicated” to make and serve to exhibit the skill of the watchmaker beyond just mere time-telling.  I was almost positive that Fleming chose the name Girard-Perregaux because it was one of those “double barreled” words that he loved so much rather than because this particular Girard-Perregaux model truly existed or because Girard-Perregaux was one of the oldest swiss watch manufacturers with a long tradition of innovation and excellence.

I’ve looked for one of these watches for years to no avail.  Oh there were plenty of triple date moon phase watches that were available during Fleming’s time that could be bought, but none made by Girard-Perregaux.  It seemed more and more that this particular model did not exist, and that Fleming had appropriated the name creating a fictitious watch based upon details of real watches made by other brands.  Then I got lucky while searching EBay.  There it was a vintage Girard-Perregaux triple date moon phase watch.  Maybe Fleming had described a real Girard-Perregaux after all.  Although it was cool and looked suitably old, I’d never seen one of these before and something told me it was not quite right.  So I watched it, and it never sold.  It was re-listed, and then hastily removed from auction.   Then I stumbled across an article in the October 2007 issue of HR WATCHES Magazine entitled “Girard-Perregaux Lasting Value A Fully Functional Full Calendar”.  The article talked about a new calendar watch in its stable, one of which never existed before in the Girard-Perregaux line up, a triple date moon phase.  Here is anexcerpt:

 

“The Girard-Perregaux 1966 full calendarwith its once futuristic complication that displays the date, day of the week, month and phases of the moon might seem like something straight out of a James Bond novel.  That would be because, in a way, it is.  A watch with alarmingly similar specifications was described to a “T” by author Ian Fleming when he introduced the swashbuckling secret agent in ‘Casino Royale’.   It bears a striking resemblance to the watch originally described in the James Bond book by Ian Fleming where they talk about a Girard-Perregaux watch that has those functions”, said Ron Jackson, President of Girard-Perregaux in the United States.  There was no other watch that fit that description.  Ian described a watch that didn’t exist, but it does now.”

Casino Royale?  Not quite, but the article proved that Girard-Perregaux here-to-fore never made such a watch.  So the one on EBay was a fake.  As I’ve said before, if you intend to collect something, educate yourself about what is and is not correct.  That self education requires reading everything you can get your hands on about the items you intend to collect, and it’s a never ending process.  As for the comment about Casino Royale, it’s like I said in my last article, watch experts are not experts on Bond so be careful.  It should be noted too, that the Complete Price Guide To Watches (ISBN: 1-57432-592-2) shows a vintage 18kt Girard-Perregaux triple date moon phase chronograph most recently in the 2008 edition on page 766.  The problem is that the watch Fleming described did not have a triple register chronograph function.

Nevertheless, the fact that Girard-Perregaux now makes the watch that Ian Fleming first described in a book written in 1956 and published in 1957 is exciting news indeed.  It’s a case of life imitating art.  However, I’m afraid you’ll need somewhat of a rich man’s pile in order to afford the watch in Red Grant’s pile.  The Girard-Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar watch only available in rose gold retails for $14,250.00.  That’s what I’d call a high end Bond collectible, but it’s nice to know that if you just had to have it, you could.

Pussy Galore and the Rolex GMT Master – Reference 6542

Rolex 6542 GMT Master Watch

In the movie Goldfinger, Pussy Galore is seen wearing a Rolex GMT Master reference 6542 while piloting Goldfinger’s Lockheed Jetstar.  This is the early version of the GMT master without crown guards like the Connery Bond Submariner and it appears to have the black and red bezel rather than the blue and red so called “Pepsi” bezel.  It’s fitting that Miss Galore should wear a GMT Master because she is a pilot and this particular model has a long association with aerospace despite the fact that the Omega Speedmaster is touted as the moon watch and the watch of space.

According to Chapter 14 of the The Best Of Time Rolex Wristwatches An Unauthorized History, the GMT Master was created by Rolex at the request of Pan Am.  The newly designed Boeing 707, the first triumphant intercontinental jet passenger liner, was enlisted by Pan Am for various trans-Atlantic journeys.  However, because of this new faster jet airline, the journey times were cut in half creating a new phenomenon known as jet  lag.  Pan Am was concerned about the effects of jet lag on their pilots enough to commission research into this new phenomenon.  It was determined that pilots should be kept on home time while being simultaneously aware of the time at their various destinations.   A meeting of the minds between Pan Am and Rolex led to the creation of the G.M.T. Master model reference number 6542 first issued in 1954.

The GMT Master was named in honor of Greenwich Mean Time, the world’s standard time and the time at the Greenwich meridian.  It was powered at first by movement caliber 1035, followed by the 1065 and later the 1066.  It had four hands; hour, minute, seconds and a fourth hand that told the time in a different time zone.  This fourth hand was used in conjunction with a 24 hour rotatable bezel and enabled the wearer to keep track of the time in two different time zones simultaneously.

Chuck Yeager, a decorated combat pilot and the man who broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 wearing a Rolex Oyster, was known to wear aRolex GMT Master and so were most of the NASA astronauts.  Here is an excerpt from chapter 14 paragraph 6 of The Best Of Time Rolex Wristwatches An Unauthorized History, concerning the NASA astronauts:

 

“Almost all of the astronauts owned their own GMT-Masters, which had become the standard aviator’s timepiece, and continued to wear them at all times including during space flights.  Those from the NASA group who had flown the “X” planes would have been issued GMT-Masters. The Speedmasters were relegated to occasions when they had to be worn, such as during space walks when the special extended bracelet allowed them to be worn outside the space suits.”

The GMT Master was also on the wrist of Astronaut Jack Swigert during the infamous Apollo 13 mission that although not successful in terms of landing men on the moon, was successful in exhibiting coolness in the face of extreme danger.  It was a bright shining moment for NASA and proof that real pilots with “the right stuff” were the men needed to take the world into space.  Those pilots, rugged individualists in their own right, almost unanimously chose the Rolex GMT Master as their personal timepiece.

Pussy Galore’s use of the Rolex GMT Master model reference 6542 served to exhibit the fact that she was a consummate professional in her chosen field as an aviator.  The fact that she was wearing a man’s watch may have also been a device used to bolster the fact that she was a lesbian, a point that was directly talked about in the novel, but that could only be hinted at on screen.

As stated earlier, Miss Galore’s GMT Master 6542 is devoid of crown guards like the earliest incarnation of the Submariner and also appears to have the black and red bezel.  The 6542 GMT Master can be found with 3 bezel configurations.  The first and earliest configuration had a transparent acrylic bezel that had 24 hour markings printed on the underside.  This bezel insert was then mated to an acrylic bezel ring that was coated in an alloy to resemble metal.  Due to fractures and cracking of the acrylic bezel insert, Rolex subsequently replaced it with a metal insert that sat in the same alloy coated acrylic bezel.  Before the end of the 6542 model run, Rolex also replaced the bezel with an all metal version resulting in a metal bezel insert sitting in a metal bezel.

My first expensive watch was a Rolex GMT Master II model reference 16710 with red and black bezel purchased new in the 1990’s. At that time, although I wanted a new Submariner like Bond would have, I reasoned that nothing would really do except the exact model reference Submariner that Connery wore as Bond.  So, I elected to purchase the Rolex tool watch that was more suited to my needs, the GMT Master II reference 16710.  The fact that it could be considered the spiritual heir to the watch used by the men with the “Right Stuff” and was also the modern model reference worn by Chuck Yeager in the late 80’s and early 90’s” only added to its appeal.

I used the 16710 extensively while an Officer in the United States Merchant Marine.  The watch accompanied me on my voyages around the world including carrying Army unit equipment cargo to Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield/Desert Storm as well as to Mogadishu, Somalia during Operation Restore Hope/Continue Hope both before and after the “Black Hawk Down” incident.  Although now relegated to my watch box for the most part, the 16710 occasionally sees wrist time as a nod to those daring men who push the outside of the envelope, as a remembrance of my time traveling the world in pursuit of action and adventure, and of Bond’s conquest of Pussy Galore under that cool red and white parachute.  Nevertheless, as nice as the 16710 is, it is merely a place holder for the one that started it all, the 6542.

Casino Royale and the Rolex GMT 1675

 In the 1967 spoof, Casino Royale, Evlyn Tremble (Peter Sellers),  the baccarat master who goes undercover as James Bond, is presented a “1965 Rolex Submariner with date indicator”.  However, the actual watch shown is a Rolex GMT Master model reference 1675.  This is evident because of the red and blue so called “Pepsi” bezel and crown guard.  The real watch face is not seen because it is shown to function as two way wrist T.V. transceiver.  I’ve placed this watch here out of movie order because it was the next evolution of the preceding GMT 6542.

Interestingly enough, this same watch was also worn by the well known television spies Kelly Robinson and Alexander Scott (Robert Culp and Bill Cosby) in the I Spy series.  The 1675 was initially powered by the 1565 movement and later by the 1575 movement.  The 1675 was replaced by the 16750 in the early 1980’s and had a totally new caliber, the 3075.  Incidentally, Thomas Magnum of Magnum P.I. fame also wore a 1675 that he inherited from his father, a Naval Aviator.

Thunderball’s Breitling 806 Navitimer

Breitling 806 Navitimer Watch

In Thunderball Commandant Derval is fitted out with an identification disc and a cool looking watch, a Breitling Navitimer.  That Breitling Navitimer had the model reference number 806 and has always held a special fascination for me because I suppose it just looked so damn cool.  The 806 Navitimer along with the I.D. disc was used as an identifier by S.P.C.T.R.E. for their agent Mr. Angelo who with the aid of plastic surgery and voice lessons assumed the identity of Derval after the real Derval is given a lethal dose of gamma gas.  With Mr. Angelo in place as Derval, S.P.E.C.T.R.E. could advance its evil plan to steal a nuclear bomb and extort 280 million pounds worth of blue/white diamonds from
the world via NATO.

Interestingly enough, Derval’s character in the novel is named Giuseppe Petacchi and is “bent” or turned rather than assassinated and doubled by SPECTRE because of his weakness or” passion for owning things-flashy, exciting, expensive things”.  One of those things that he owns is a gold Rolex that he consults regularly during his flight to deliver the nuclear bombs to SPECTRE.  Chapter 9, Multiple Requiem of Thunderball says the following with respect to Petacchi’s desires and specifically mentions his gold Rolex:

“He had most of what he desired-a couple of gold cigarette cases, a solid gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer on a flexible gold bracelet, a white convertible Lancia Gran Turismo, plenty of sharp clothes, and all the girls he wanted (he had once been briefly married but it had not been a success).  Now he desired, and what he desired he often got, a particular Ghia-bodied 3,500 GT Maserati he had seen at the Milan motor show.”

While the solid gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer fits very well the literary Giuseppe Petacchi because it’s very suggestive of his greedy nature, I think the producers were very wise in choosing the Breitling 806 Navitimer for his screen persona as Derval.  The Navitimer has far more on-screen visual appeal than a solid gold Rolex, and is exponentially more suggestive of a pilot with that white outer ring and those rather neat looking sub-dials in a 3-6-9 configuration.  In fact, it is quite fitting that an aviator should wear a Breitling 806 Navitimer.  It was designed specifically for pilots and aside from having a three register chronograph function, it also had a slide rule (navigation computer) for speed, time and distance calculations.

It also appears that Derval’s Navitimer was a personal purchase within the context of the real world rather than an issued watch.  As a member of the French Air Force (Armée de l’Air), Commandant Derval would most likely have been issued a Dodane Type 21 flyback chronograph.  The Dodane Type 21 was issued to pilots of the French Air Force from about 1960 to 1980 and it’s a very handsome watch indeed.  Nevertheless, I think the 806 Navitimer has, perhaps, a slight edge in the looks department.   The looks coupled with cutting edge technology (slide rule) and the Navitimer’s status as a pilot’s instrument may have led Derval to deep six the Dodane in favor of the Breitling.

A version of the Navitimer called the Cosmonaute Navitimer was used by Astronaut Scott Carpenter (one of the original Mercury 7 Astronauts) aboard the Aurora 7.  Although the Cosmonaute has the reference number 809, it differs from the regular Navitimer only in having a 24 hour dial and an extra cog enabling the hands to traverse the dial once in 24 hours instead of twice.

The 60’s era 806 Navitimer was powered by the hand wound Venus 178 movement, had a black face with white sub-dials and was available with one of two logos at the 12 o’clock position.  It either had two stylized airplanes or the rarer and much sought after A.O.P.A. logo. A.O.P.A. stood for Airplane Owners and Pilots Association and the 806 Breitling Navitimer was endorsed by that organization.  The earliest incarnation of the 806 Navitimer, the so called rice grain version because of the beaded bezel, had the A.O.P.A. logo exclusively on the dial.

When I went looking to purchase my 806 Navitimer, I wanted the double airplane dial, however Horological Services in Pennsylvania had the rarer AOPA dial for sale, with sub dials that aged to an even gold patina.  After several telephone conversations and e-mails, I became the proud owner of a vintage  AOPA dialed 1967 806 Navitimer.  From close-ups of the Thunderball Navitimer, it’s near impossible to tell whether it’s the AOPA or double airplane dial, so it’s up to personal preference how you decide to go.  In my case the relative rarity of the AOPA dial coupled with those golden sub-dials made it an easy choice.

A Hard Break – To Be Continued

It is now necessary to take what’s called in broadcasting, “a hard break”.  In this case not for a commercial, but so you the reader can rest your eyes and your mind and digest what I’ve written.  This article is 14 pages long and you are now at page 7.  Thanks for sticking with me this long.  Part II of Bonding With Time will be continued with THUNDERBALL’s BREITLING TOP TIME, and the section on books and sources (my references for what I’ve written) will be included.

It’s alsos a perfect time to discuss the article with Donald Grant on the Absolutely James Bond Forums or read the first article which covers the Rolex Submariner.

Part 2.2 – Bonding With Time

Part 2.2 of Bonding With Time continues…

Article Copyright © 2009 Richard Dos Santos

“Quantum of Solace” on DVD
© MGM / Eon

James Bond is back…again!  And this time, he’s got some unfinished business lingering from Casino Royale, the debut for the current Wearer of the Tux, Daniel Craig.  Quantum of Solace follows 007 from Italy to London, then to Haiti, Austria, back to Italy, then Bolivia….and finally to Russia, where he confronts the treacherous ex-boyfriend of Vesper Lynd.

Along the way, he enlists the aid of CIA operative Felix Leiter, former suspected traitor Rene Mathis, Agent Fields (”Just Fields”) from Station B, and Camille, an enigmatic and beautiful member of Bolivia’s secret service…as he investigates Quantum, a worldwide criminal organization with tentacles into the highest levels of business and government, and foils a plot to overthrow a South American country and control one of the world’s most precious natural resources…

All in 106 minutes!

The Film

From the opening, ominous low flyover of Lake Garda, intercut with close-up shots of an Aston Martin DBS at speed, it’s clear we’re in new territory for James Bond.  And then…there we are, riding along with him through a twisting mountainside tunnel, amid automatic gunfire, screaming tires and pinwheeling point of view.  It’s a maelstrom of visual confusion, and it’s clear that this is no accident.  The close-in, handheld-style camera work—and a buzz saw-like, all-over-the-place editing approach to the action sequences—is probably the most controversial aspect of the film.  There is a school of thought that says that such ’subjective perspective’ camera/editing work effectively immerses the viewer in the chaos of the moment—where detachment and ease of perspective is impossible—and thus achieves an element of ‘artistic truth.’  However, in QoS this clearly comes at the expense of some viewer convenience.  Clearly, the editing philosophy of the film is problematic, and hopefully it will not be repeated in future Bond films.  The good news is that the overall effect of this is muted somewhat on the smaller screen of the home theatre, which seems to contain and focus the point of view in a way that the big screen could not.

Similarly, the convenience of watching movies at home mitigates another issue many fans had with the film: that of narrative pacing.  Director Marc Forster declared that he wanted this film to be, as he put it, “Like a bullet fired from a gun.”  Thus, the bullet on a flat trajectory, as seen during the titles sequence, turns out to be not only a metaphor for Bond himself, but also for the film as a whole.  The kinetic forward momentum of the piece can be overwhelming, and the cliche of not having a chance to ‘catch one’s breath’ is a perfectly appropriate one to use.  Unfortunately, this pacing takes a toll on plot and character accessibility for some viewers, who might be looking for a more conventional narrative.  Scenes such as those between Bond and M, Bond and Mathis, Bond and Leiter, Bond and Fields, Bond and Camille, etc., give us what we need—and indeed contain many wonderful moments, with humour and fine dramatic performances—but are over before we can savour them…and we do yearn to savour such things, like Bond himself enjoys fine food and drink.  Because of Forster’s ’bullet fired from a gun’ ethos, he deliberately decides not to let certain dramatic beats play out to a more satisfactory conclusion.  Instead, he essentially demands that we keep up, which can be an alienating prospect.  Many go to a Bond film to simply be entertained, not challenged.  Frequently I have hit the ‘review’ button to enjoy some of the film’s finer fleeting moments…but granted, such a thing shouldn’t be necessary.

The locations are lush and beautifully photographed, and the captions that introduce them are visually interesting.  The Perla de las Dunas hotel in the desert is very evocative of legendary Bond production designer Ken Adam’s distinctive style—and the interiors, particularly the space where Bond and Greene have their climactic fight as the flames erupt around them, looks like something Mr. Adam would have conceived—even the texture on the walls looks like ‘classic Bond.’

It’s interesting that one of the many criticisms leveled at the film, when it debuted in the cinema, was an apparent lack of emotion, but like anything in QoS that doesn’t explode or move at high speed over land, sea and air, it can be lost in the jetstream of the film’s dizzying pace.  Craig’s performance is pretty much perfect; internalization is the most difficult acting assignment, and sadly it’s not always recognized or rewarded.  His denial (with M) of caring about Vesper…his no response to Mathis’ saying “She died for you”…his reaction when Mathis, with his last breath, tells Bond to forgive her—and himself…his face when presented with Fields’ oil-coated corpse, his playing of the scene where Camille tells him that his prison is ‘in there’ (Bond’s mind)…are all quite rich.  The disposal of Mathis’ body was poignant:  Bond’s remark that his friend “wouldn’t care,” the jarringly field-expedient utility of removing the cash from the wallet, the way the camera lingers on the dumpster from above—it all elicits revulsion, which it is intended to do, and belies the grief so brilliantly underplayed by Daniel Craig, but it also speaks to the compartmentalization required by someone in Bond’s line of work in order to avoid going insane.

Supporting performances were all very solid.  Giancarlo Giannini was pitch-perfect in every scene, as was the great Jeffrey Wright—his scene with Bond in the bodega, where they spar briefly over the notion of failed British empire and American corruption, is well done.  I look forward to more of Wright’s Felix Leiter in films to come.  Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton are both very effective (especially Camille).  Mathieu Amalric’s Dominic Greene isn’t the best Bond villain, but that’s not his fault.  He’s very good in every scene, possessing the most punchable face and demeanor of any baddie since Kronsteen, and is clearly another relatively minor stepping stone up from Le Chiffre, as we ascend the organizational chart of the nefarious ‘Quantum’ in future outings.  His fight with Bond is fantastic, and his ultimate fate is something that would have made Ian Fleming smile.

The scene between Bond and Vesper’s ‘ex’ is positively electric; a rather nice ‘book-end’ to the opening (pre-title) scene of Casino Royale, with a decidedly different outcome.  Though the ultimate resolution might seem disappointing at first blush, it banks significant character capital for the future, and the love knot left in the snow signals a necessary closure for James Bond, who is now free to do what he does best…and nobody does it better.

Quantum of Solace is, essentially, the violent and lightning-quick third act of Casino Royale—that film’s angry and misunderstood little brother—and, like ‘Tosca,’ it isn’t for everyone.  Like a bullet fired from a gun, it howls along on a short and flat trajectory, and takes its target down.  

The DVD

Picture transfer and sound quality seem fine on the DVD version, considering what this quickly diminishing format is able to deliver when compared to the broader features and capabilities of the ascending Blu-ray format. 

Ironically, given the feature film’s short running time, it’s very possible that they could have squeezed all of the provided Special Features into a single disc release…but that would have robbed Sony of an obvious marketing opportunity—namely, having a “Two Disc Special Edition” alternative to the Ultra-Vanilla single disc option, given that they clearly have a long-range strategic plan to release a more improved (three-disc) version down the road, probably to coincide with the theatrical release of Bond #23.   

Besides the feature film itself, Disc One contains the “Another Way To Die” music video, featuring Alicia Keys and Jack White, and Theatrical and Teaser trailers.  Music videos have been a staple of Bond DVD releases for some time, and the trailers are also pretty standard stuff.

Disc Two’s Special Features include Bond on Location, a very good 24-minute featurette on the production’s globe-trotting schedule.  The other featurettes—Start of Shooting, On Location, Olga Kurylenko and the Boat Chase, Director Marc Forster and The Music, average out to just over three minutes apiece, which is a bit disappointing in terms of substance.  Many snippets and sound bites from the Bond on Location featurette are repeated during subsequent featurettes, unfortunately creating a sense of wasted opportunity.  Interestingly, the final special feature, Crew Files (which first appeared, in individual installments, on the official Sony/Eon Quantum of Solace website), contains 32 fascinating and often quite funny (if lamentably brief) glimpses into the jobs and personalities of many people involved in getting the film made, and provides some of the disc’s best added value. 

All in all, the Special Features on Disc Two run about 90 minutes—45 minutes of which are used up by the Crew Files Behind-The-Scenes clips.  Commentary tracks, especially one with Craig himself, would have been most welcome.  No doubt we’ll get some when the next version of Quantum of Solace is released on disc…but meanwhile, it’s hard not to be cynical.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Quantum of Solace—perhaps the most unapologetic, uncompromising film in the Bond canon—benefits by the transition to the small screen, thanks to a more focused media venue.  However, in these economic times, a little more “Bang for the ‘Special Edition’ Buck” would have been a good thing.

Buy Quantum of Soalce on Blu-Ray and DVD

Quantum of Solace is available online and in all good DVD and Blu-Ray retailers.

• Quantum of Solace on DVD from Amazon.co.uk
• Quantum of Solace on Blue-Ray from Amazon.co.uk
• Quantum of Solace on DVD from Amazon.com
• Quantum of Solace on Blu-Ray from Amazon.com

By David Zaritsky

Dear Mr. Ford,

Enclosed please find the routing number to my checking account to which every two weeks my paycheck will be deposited for your withdrawal for the next three years.  In addition I have enclosed the deed to my home and shortly there will be a delivery of my car on a large car carrier as the title has been signed over to you.  I hope the sum of all this is enough for the lovely tie your company designed for Quantum of Solace.

Yours Truly,

The much poorer David Zaritsky

The above is a slight exaggeration.  Only slight.  When I began writing the “On a Budget” articles for those wanting to dress like Bond the world was a very different place…a much fatter place.  Back then those on a budget or those that were budget minded appreciated the articles and the places to find alternative brands to capture the same look.  NOW with the financial environment we live in these articles seem to resonate even louder, acting as a resource for those that are experiencing the recession we are living in BUT who have not lost their desire to dress well.  Before we dive into the discussion I do want to let everyone know that I am a HUGE fan of the brands that Bond wears in Quantum of Solace.  I own the Ryder 3 boots, the Staprest jeans, the 7 of Mankind Jeans, the Tom Ford sunglasses and clothes, the black Y-3 jacket, and others so I am the first to tell you there is nothing like the original makers and brands to deliver what you see on screen.   Those brands have worked hard to develop their look and feel and I support them both philosophically and financially.  That being said I am also keenly aware that not all of us are built financially equal yet we are built the same when it comes to the penchant for capturing the look of QoS- thus this article is for you.  The article will be divided by outfit and described how the viewer sees it on screen, but in no particular order.

TOSCA:

If only you and I could be like Bond and walk into an opera dressing room and pilfer a tux JUST in the right size for us.  But alas, we are not Bond.  I do implore each of you to visit www.uniformalwearhouse.com.  Not only can the everyman walk away with the perfect fitting tuxedo, not only can you choose the correct style shirt and bow tie but you will do it all by spending between $59.00 and $150.00.  I was telling a work colleague about this site and explained to him that no discerning gentleman should rent a tux when this site exists.  After all, do you know what people DO in rented tuxes?  You don’t want to know.  The site also carries shoes but to truly acquire the TOSCA scene look of Bond and mimic the Churchs he wears I would go no further than www.target.com and look at the Mens Merona Teddy-Cap Toe Dress Shoes for $26.99.

HAITI:

In Haiti Bond wears the Levis Staprest crème colored jeans which have been discontinued and fetch a mint on the open market.  He also wears a Tom Ford navy polo that IF it were available would cost $495.00.  After his ‘altercation’ with Slate he finds himself in the possession of a Y-3 black jacket that is rarer than hen’s teeth and goes for hundreds of dollars when you can find one.  Finally, he wears those amazing Ryder 3 chukka boots from Churchs, retail price of $500.  So all in your entire Haitian Bond outfit will cost you roughly $1500.00 IF you could find all the pieces. OR….

You could first buy a Sunspel navy polo instead of the Tom Ford one.  What’s that you say?  Sunspel?  Hey, aren’t those the blokes that made the shirt for Casino Royale?  Why yes they are, and a better representation of what you see in QoS you will not find.  The shirt is comfortable, breathes well and at $95 is an investment in what will be one of your favorite Bond pieces.  Not to mention it carries the Casino Royale crest of approval!  If however $95 is still too steep you could always purchase a great navy polo at http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10038531 which is (wait for it) only $3.  For crème or white jeans you could visit www.levis.com and look under their 501 Original Jeans-Global Blues in the color white.  The blue jean that started it all. Their button-fly 501® Original Jean is still straight through the seat, thigh and leg, just like the Staprest. The tilted waistband pitches toward the front just like it as well and it’s only $59.  There are a multiple of places to buy the black jacket Bond wears while on the motorcycle but I found some of the best ones at Banana Republic and Gap for about $50.  Still breaks the bank?  I have personally seen the George – Men’s Metro Zip jacket at www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10136078 and it fits the bill nicely, even being a slim fit type jacket.  Finally, you will need the suede chukka boots and these can be obtained for ¼ the cost of the Churchs at http://theshopforshoes.com/shop/Classic_Boots.html.  Make sure you look at the John White – Westbury chukkas as they have received HIGH reviews for those that have purchased them.  For under $125 you will have a great replica of the Ryder 3s and these boots are even welted like the Churchs with amazingly high standards.

MATHIS Retrieval:

When Bond has no one to trust he heads to Italy to implore his friend Mathis to join him on his mission.  As he drinks cheap white wine Bond relaxes in a Tom Ford cardigan costing $1300, Tom Ford shirt costing $750, Levis Beige Staprest jeans, and those wonderful Ryder 3 boots for a total of $2600.00.  DON’T spill any wine on your outfit, Bond!  Since we have already discussed the boot alternatives we will continue to work our way up with the pants.  The Levis eco Vintage Straight 539 Pants in beige are a terrific version of the ones seen in the movie and they retail for $39.00.  JCrew has a wonderful slim fit white dress shirt that mimics the feel of sea island cotton but a white shirt like Bond wears under his cardigan can really be found anywhere.  You do want to pay special attention to one that is not broadcloth but rather light and airy.  Finally, the black shawl cardigan can be had at Zara stores now.  Simply replace the buttons that this sweater has with leather cross-hatch ones and viola, instant accuracy.  I also hear that www.marksandspencer.com has a very good alternative called The Autograph.  This cardigan is a chunky mid-weight one as opposed to the Zara one that is light weight.

Perla de las Dunas:

Because a pair of 7 of mankind jeans will set you back $175.00 and we know what the TF Polo and Church’s Chukkas will cost you, but MOSTLY because you can’t buy the dark blue jacket Tom Ford made for the movie we bring you some other choices.  We have already discussed the chukkas and the blue polo but let’s discuss the jeans.  The 501s in Tidal blue are not only a great alternative to the other higher end jeans, but are flattering and comfortable as hell.  I own a pair and I can tell you first hand they are among my favorite jeans.  They can be found in Kohls or at the following web site for Macys:

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=321212&CategoryID=16513&LinkType=EverGreen.  As Tom Ford made the blue jacket especially for the film (even though he offers a brown or black one in his store for $2500.00) you will be hard pressed to find one that’s dead on.  That being said www.warriorclothing.com offers an excellent deal on a navy blue Harrington jacket cut to the same vintage patterns of the 60s and 70s versions. It is a plain cotton jacket in Navy with an eye-catching red tartan lining and famed for the unique features on it. It has all the details you need on a Harrington- the button collar, flap style pockets and even the wavy shoulder seam.  This jacket on their web site is only $35.00 and definitely plays the part.  it can be purchased at: http://warriorclothing.com/uk/shop//product_info.php?cPath=74&products_id=548&osCsid=92bdb989bd9593eef05737f1b00af75c

Sunglasses:

The observant among us will notice that I haven’t mentioned anything about sunglasses alternatives.  I truly believe this is one area you shouldn’t scrimp and quite frankly the Tom Ford official ones are a good deal and they look great on.  Bad lenses are a recipe for bad eyesight.  Now, if you already have bad eyesight www.target.com carries a pair of men’s sunglasses that looks the part except it has a little extra ridge material around the nose.  But trust me, if you are going to invest in any Bond piece from this movie the sunglasses and the Churchs Chukka boots are sure things.

Well, now that the wife has locked me out of my finances and has forced me to write a rescinded letter to Mr. Ford, I too will be dipping back into the world of Budget Bond.  The next article will focus on the suits, ties, shirts, and accessories we see Bond wear in Quantum of Solace.  Till then, watch those sheckles and keep watching those bargain bins…