Bring 007's Rolex back!

[pwrslider]

Originally Posted by ken72

bond: because she is beautiful



sorry fellas... shes all I got

No shame in that watch.. a real beaut! Now get out there and buy a Rolex!

[Letsgodiving]

Originally Posted by watchlady

Does anyone know if Rolex actually paid for product placement in the older Bond films?
I would doubt it. It doesn't seem to fit into the current Rolex marketing scheme.
I just bought the DVD box set of all the Bond films so I can see James Bond wearing a Rolex anytime I want.

I don't believe they did. Here is a cool site regarding the Bond watches:

http://www.ajb007.co.uk/articles/rolex-submariner/

[Cmaster03]

I recall reading a few years ago some interesting comments by one of the costumer/props people associated with the films. Seems like the gist was that when Pierce Brosnan took over the role a fresh look was wanted in suits and other things like his watch. Of course this oversimplifies and overlooks the product placment money paid by Swatch group for Omega.

The impression I got was that by the mid nineties it was felt that Rolex was a bit too well known or common to be "cool" or interesting enough for Bond. Of course if Rolex had come off the money I suspect it would have been just fine.

It aways struck me as odd though that Rolex couldn't be bothered to provide watches for the movies early on, or that they wouldn't go after the movie deal in modern times. After all, they have never been shy about advertising.

Guess the product placement of watches in movies isn't their thing. I can't help but think they know enough about selling watches to probably not need any help from us!

[RW16610]

I'm with all those who want the Rolex back. I own and Omega and do not even care, Submariner is my all time favourite watch and number 1 love.

[Haole]

Every Bond incarnation since Connery has been a chump anyway, let them they wear their Omegas... <chortle, chortle> ;)

The Seamaster is a wonderful watch, I was going to buy one actually but once I saw the Rolex... I never would have been satisfied with the Omega, put it that way.

[SUPERDOC]

Sorry, but I looooved that scene.
You don't have to hate Omega to love Rolex.

I have both Bond watches and they have a special place in my watch hierarchy.

[ken72]

Originally Posted by Cmaster03

It aways struck me as odd though that Rolex couldn't be bothered to provide watches for the movies early on, or that they wouldn't go after the movie deal in modern times. After all, they have never been shy about advertising.

Guess the product placement of watches in movies isn't their thing. I can't help but think they know enough about selling watches to probably not need any help from us!

I guess going to the moon wasn't quite their thing either, we see how that turned out. Omega stepped right in behind them to accept the NASA request.

[WatchTimes]

Rolex was dropped as the Bond watch as Rolex would not give them a watch to use.
In the first couple movies it was someone on the set who let Bond wear his watch as Ian Flemming wrote Bond wore a Rolex (never mentioned which model)
Anyway....
Omega said here are free watches to destroy and then Im sure paid a pretty penny to have their watches featured....

[SSD]

I'd like to see Bond wearing a Sub again for tradition's sake, if nothing else. If it's not percieved as cool enough, they could always try a different model, like a Daytona or the upcomming DSSD. Of course, the President is always welcome at a card table of discerning players...

They could borrow mine as long as they didn't damage it (and I get documentation is was screen-used)

[Trurolexer]

Originally Posted by pwrslider

No shame in that watch.. a real beaut! Now get out there and buy a Rolex!

[darwin1992]

I heard the same as CMASTER03.. They were looking for a more European look and felt that Rolex at the time was to 'bling' for a new age Bond. They approached Omega who jumped at the chance of such great product placement. In truth they had a point. During the early 90's all the cheesy RnB stars and footballers were getting diamond encrusted Rolex's to show their friends and it wasn't really the look the new Bond wanted. We all know however he belongs with a SUB! there is no substitute lol

[darwin1992]

As for the moon..The Omega speedmaster out tested the rolex over a period of around 20 tests and NASA believed an automatic wouldn't work in space.. Have to say it is a great watch though!

[Defiancekofb]

Actually Bond goes - "OMEEEEEGA"

[Spark]

Please don't shot me, but I am a big Bond fan and a big watch fan and I can't see any problem with Bond wearing an Omega.
Connery, Lazenby (don't laugh) and early Moore wore Subs great, but later moore wore Seiko's and I don't remember a big to do about that at the time.
The Seamaster is a great watch, it isn't a Sub I agree, but it is under half the price too.
The Planet Ocean on the Rubber strap looks great in Casino Royale too (Rolex should offer a Rubber strap IMO for the Sub).
OK the line was pure marketing, but it was quite an amusing snipe at another brand and made me smile at the time, even if I do love Rolex and sold my Seamaster to help fund one of my Rolex purchases.
It doesn't adhere to Flemings creation, but then we are now into the realms of stories that are nothing like Flemings creation, so what the hell.
If the film is great who gives a **** what watch Bond is wearing.

[jasper]

Originally Posted by Spark

Please don't shot me, but I am a big Bond fan and a big watch fan and I can't see any problem with Bond wearing an Omega.
Connery, Lazenby (don't laugh) and early Moore wore Subs great, but later moore wore Seiko's and I don't remember a big to do about that at the time....

I suspect there would have been quite the stink on line if Al Gore had invented the internet back in the 80's....and Lazeby was a decent Bond. I understand he didn't do another one because his agent urged him not to, or pushed too hard for more money or something. I liked Moore allright for Live and Let Die and Man with Golden Gun but after that the movies got stupid...right around the time he started wearing a Seiko in fact. Brosnan plain sucked.

Originally Posted by Spark

..what the hell. If the film is great who gives a **** what watch Bond is wearing....

Ummm - we do. It's a watch forum. Compard to some of the discussions on this forum this rates as high level.

I'm an Omega fan too, and don't mind Bond wearing one for the record. Tradition ened with Connery IMHO.

[Spark]

[QUOTE=jasper;637512]I suspect there would have been quite the stink on Ummm - we do. It's a watch forum. Compard to some of the discussions on this forum this rates as high level.


Perhaps I should have added '' As long as it is a Quality one! '', but with all the things a Secret Agent would require a Casio G Shock would probably suit the bill better

[Tony-GB]

Originally Posted by Spark

Please don't shot me, but I am a big Bond fan and a big watch fan and I can't see any problem with Bond wearing an Omega.
Connery, Lazenby (don't laugh) and early Moore wore Subs great, but later moore wore Seiko's and I don't remember a big to do about that at the time.
The Seamaster is a great watch, it isn't a Sub I agree, but it is under half the price too.
The Planet Ocean on the Rubber strap looks great in Casino Royale too (Rolex should offer a Rubber strap IMO for the Sub).
OK the line was pure marketing, but it was quite an amusing snipe at another brand and made me smile at the time, even if I do love Rolex and sold my Seamaster to help fund one of my Rolex purchases.
It doesn't adhere to Flemings creation, but then we are now into the realms of stories that are nothing like Flemings creation, so what the hell.
If the film is great who gives a **** what watch Bond is wearing.

I agree- I know this is a Rolex forum & we will all be patriotic to Rolex, but even in the original book, Fleming wrote that Bond wasn't too impressed with Rolex. The character thought they were too heavy, but they acted as a great knuckle duster.

So even the acrylic Rolex used in those days must have been tough...

[delldeaton]

Quite a few interesting twists and turns in this Thread. Mind if I join in?

Starting w/ the Rolex reference in Casino Royale, I actually Polled this question on a watch Forum shortly after the film was released in 2006. {LINK} Almost half of those responding (46%) saw the reference as neither positive nor negative; the balance were pretty closely split between positive and negative.

Bigger picture, this was around the time that Omega had made its bold statement of intent to unseat Rolex from its position among watch manufacturers. Consider it as part of an early mix that included a move to manufacture status {LINK}, and a "James Bond 007 Collector's Piece" that seems to take a lot of design cues from the Rolex Submariner {LINK}. I think the strategy was nothing more than to be equated w/ Rolex, to legitimize and commonize comparisons between the two: "We're in the same class."

"James Bond" associations serve that very well. Witness this Thread ~ in a Rolex Forum.

On the other hand, no matter how you Poll it, "Rolex" continues to come up on top as "the James Bond watch."

• "Which watch brand do you most associate with James Bond?" Rolex: 53% {LINK}
• "What's your favorite James Bond watch of all time?" Rolex: 66% said one model or another {LINK}

As to the relationship between Rolex and the 007 film producers (EON), I'll say once again that there's a lot of stuff on the Internet that doesn't pass muster as quality research, but, rather, is simply one self-proclaimed expert copying others w/ often lesser credibility. There's no indication that there was ever bad blood between Rolex and EON. Example: The producers honored Peter Hunt, the Director of You Only Live Twice, by giving him a gold, engraved Day Date in 1967 {LINK}. To me that certainly goes beyond the mere duty to following the Ian Fleming novel references. Years later, after the Hamilton and Seiko period w/ Roger Moore, EON again chose Rolex (a Submariner Date model) for Timothy Dalton as James Bond in Licence to Kill. Indications are that there were no product placement considerations made w/ this; it was simply a choice.

Regarding one of the comments made here on the thoughts of Ian Fleming, I like the attention to detail: Fleming not only commented on the weight of the Rolex as a potential negative in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, but also in at least one other reference I've personally seen. Writing and publication dates for his first reference, in Live and Let Die, eleminate the Submariner as a possibility for that Rolex.

Check out my James Bond Watches website {LINK} for more on what I've found out about James Bond and "his" wristwatches. I also Post to a Blog where I discuss my current research and directions {LINK}.

Good discussion here.

[Tony-GB]

Originally Posted by delldeaton

Quite a few interesting twists and turns in this Thread. Mind if I join in?

Starting w/ the Rolex reference in Casino Royale, I actually Polled this question on a watch Forum shortly after the film was released in 2006. {LINK} Almost half of those responding (46%) saw the reference as neither positive nor negative; the balance were pretty closely split between positive and negative.

Bigger picture, this was around the time that Omega had made its bold statement of intent to unseat Rolex from its position among watch manufacturers. Consider it as part of an early mix that included a move to manufacture status {LINK}, and a "James Bond 007 Collector's Piece" that seems to take a lot of design cues from the Rolex Submariner {LINK}. I think the strategy was nothing more than to be equated w/ Rolex, to legitimize and commonize comparisons between the two: "We're in the same class."

"James Bond" associations serve that very well. Witness this Thread ~ in a Rolex Forum.

On the other hand, no matter how you Poll it, "Rolex" continues to come up on top as "the James Bond watch."

• "Which watch brand do you most associate with James Bond?" Rolex: 53% {LINK}
• "What's your favorite James Bond watch of all time?" Rolex: 66% said one model or another {LINK}

As to the relationship between Rolex and the 007 film producers (EON), I'll say once again that there's a lot of stuff on the Internet that doesn't pass muster as quality research, but, rather, is simply one self-proclaimed expert copying others w/ often lesser credibility. There's no indication that there was ever bad blood between Rolex and EON. Example: The producers honored Peter Hunt, the Director of You Only Live Twice, by giving him a gold, engraved Day Date in 1967 {LINK}. To me that certainly goes beyond the mere duty to following the Ian Fleming novel references. Years later, after the Hamilton and Seiko period w/ Roger Moore, EON again chose Rolex (a Submariner Date model) for Timothy Dalton as James Bond in Licence to Kill. Indications are that there were no product placement considerations made w/ this; it was simply a choice.

Regarding one of the comments made here on the thoughts of Ian Fleming, I like the attention to detail: Fleming not only commented on the weight of the Rolex as a potential negative in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, but also in at least one other reference I've personally seen. Writing and publication dates for his first reference, in Live and Let Die, eleminate the Submariner as a possibility for that Rolex.

Check out my James Bond Watches website {LINK} for more on what I've found out about James Bond and "his" wristwatches. I also Post to a Blog where I discuss my current research and directions {LINK}.

Good discussion here.

Thanks for the reply & info.