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delldeaton · 9 July 2011, 01:09 AM

It's always good to put some numbers to James Bond lifestyle choices, right?

And what better audience to POLL (with options for additional comments, but of course) than the great folks here on TRF?

Okay-- so, author Jeffery Deaver, who was commissioned by Ian Fleming Publications to write the latest James Bond continuation book, Carte Blanche, has gone on record as saying that the personal watch of Our Man in that novel is a Rolex Oyster Perpetual with date complication, 34mm case size.

Comments, please.

The Joker · 9 July 2011, 01:19 AM

I think small watches are super cool

your not just following this big watch trend. I walk past a vintage watch shop and drool on the window. I thought vintage was supposed to be cool. So I would wear a 34mm watch. And I love my DJ.

But I concede I have a small-ish wrist, 6.5inch. So perhaps that's why I aint got a problem with it.

But I like bigger watches aswell, each to their own.

I think it's a good chioce for a modern Bond, but I voted no impact, I suspect this will be the most popular vote.

The Laird · 9 July 2011, 01:22 AM

Hi,

If I am really truthful, then it would not have been my first choice for James Bond to wear.

Just my opinion, of course.

But I bet a lot of other people like that choice of watch, but it's not for me!

I would have liked to have seen the 36mm Rolex Explorer.

Or, of course, the Submariner.

Till next time...

The Laird

Hansch99 · 9 July 2011, 01:22 AM

Ever since Fleming died, I think the movies define the character, not the books. The 34mm Rolex's appearance in the book makes me no more inclined to buy a watch that sized than before.

This is coming from someone who owns a 14060M, a blue Seamaster Pro, and has owned a Planet Ocean, so clearly I like "Bond watches."

delldeaton · 9 July 2011, 01:32 AM

Beyond the evolving poll results, I really want to thank you guys for weighing in with comments.

I suspected this might have some, um, "strong" advocacy along all sorts of lines. So I set the POLL to stay open for well-over a month (don't you hate it when you discover something late, only to be closed out?).

Particularly interested in the comments so far here as they relate to weight given for present-day influence of Ian Fleming and movies.

Is Fleming not the anchor for Rolex?

rolexertion · 9 July 2011, 01:52 AM

Jeffery Deaver's latest screed is no more a 'James Bond novel' than a piece of music would be a Mozart composition if I were to research a few details of Mozart's style, pen a page of music imitating it, and sign Wolfgang's name to it. James Bond was a purloined name* applied to a literary hero, relating some of Ian Fleming's personal training and experience in the field, dressed up for readers' consumption. Jumping that fictional persona five or six decades into the present and attempting to make its attitudes and hardware-complement jibe with present-day sensibilities and technology makes no more sense than hypothetically transporting Baroness Orczy's 'Scarlet Pimpernel' to the present day and trying to construct a credible story around that. What possible pertinence to anyone could Jeffery Deaver's choice of watch on the wrist of a hijacked-name character in a book have? Seriously.

*(From a writer of a book on birds of the West Indies).

delldeaton · 9 July 2011, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rolexertion

... What possible pertinence to anyone could Jeffery Deaver's choice of watch on the wrist of a hijacked-name character in a book have? Seriously....

To answer your question directly (and seriously), the James Bond affiliation has been attributed to a 10-fold increase in sales of at least one Seamaster Professional Diver watch model. As a matter of fact, I cited this research, from Omega and WatchTime magazine (2008) in an update to my Blog posted earlier today.

Objectively speaking, that's quite pertinent.

Well, you know-- to people who buy and sell watches.

Dr. Robert · 9 July 2011, 02:56 AM

36-40mm is my preferred watch diameter size..........& a maximum case length of 48mm, measured lug to lug.

Subfiend · 9 July 2011, 01:54 AM

It's better than a Panerai, but not by much.

Gerardus · 9 July 2011, 02:02 AM

No problem with 34mm and >till 42mm
But not smaller for me.

dddrees · 9 July 2011, 02:48 AM

When I chose my DJII I did so because the DJ looked a bit too small. I'm not sure I could ever be comfortable with a 34 mm watch.

capote · 9 July 2011, 02:58 AM

James Bond has no influence on any of my choices, but if he was to wear an Exp2 I like to think that I influenced him.

Blue Lantern · 9 July 2011, 04:31 AM

This reminds me of an Oyster Date that I saw for sale a year or two ago with CIA provenance:

http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/2009/12...gh-rugged.html

AJMarcus · 9 July 2011, 04:43 AM

If James Bond could choose his own time piece I have no doubt it would be a SS SUb C! And he'd probably still have his old Sub and probably a GMT Pepsi somewhere laying round from the old days that he would occasionally wear when relaxing off duty on weekends;)

The Laird · 9 July 2011, 05:31 AM

Hi Everyone,

I think that in the original Ian Fleming books, James Bond would have been wearing the Rolex Explorer in some adventures and the Submariner in other adventures.

Whichever was most suitable for the particular adventure he was in at the time? Perhaps he would have taken both watches along with him?

Just my opinion, of course!

Till next time...

The Laird

jay_man2 · 9 July 2011, 05:54 AM

Sean Connery is still my favorite Bond.

landroverking · 9 July 2011, 06:26 AM

Someone who buys a watch based on a book or movie is like the soccer mom running to the store in a H2 Dummer. I mean Hummer.

Caraptor · 9 July 2011, 06:27 AM

James Bond has never had an impact on me in any way in regards to anything ever.

East Bay Rider · 9 July 2011, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caraptor

James Bond has never had an impact on me in any way in regards to anything ever.

X2
Except my quest for PG

(you know her name)

delldeaton · 9 July 2011, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by East Bay Rider

... (you know her name)

And surely we know how the name is properly pronounced: "Poo--

AJMarcus · 9 July 2011, 06:29 AM

A lot people buy all sorts of things because of marketing. I have no doubt the success of the omega blue seamster was largely due to the bond movies starting with brosan for example.

Boothroyd · 9 July 2011, 06:47 AM

In the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, the watch was a disposable tool to any adventure. So even though it was Rolex, not exactly an endorsement that some folks seem to think (and it was only mentioned briefly in two of the novels).

Of course, for most, the movies are the reference.

Boothroyd · 9 July 2011, 06:49 AM

And delldeaton, I of course defer to your scholarship on the subject if I am in error!

Paulie 50 · 9 July 2011, 06:57 AM

James Bond is only a figment of Ian Flemings mind, so should we not be concerned with his watch of choice ?. I already own an Explorer 1 so i'm out.
Good night and have a great weekend.

Boothroyd · 9 July 2011, 06:55 AM

Sorry, I should have added that I WAS influenced in my choice of an Explorer I, (admittedly, I got the newer 39MM version) by the fact that Ian Fleming wore one while writing the James Bond novels. But not by the novels or movies themselves.

mrbill2mrbill2 · 9 July 2011, 07:33 AM

A movie or celebrity has never influenced my choice of watch.

As for 34mm - too small for me.

Art 1 · 9 July 2011, 07:57 AM

No impact.

mjm800 · 9 July 2011, 08:02 AM

The other day I saw a guy standing in line next to me wearing a 34mm Rolex at first I thought it was a ladies Rolex I had to look again.

It just didn't look right.

I have a 36mm Explorer and that's as small as I'll go.

Dan2010 · 9 July 2011, 08:35 AM

I will never buy or wear a 34mm watch. I have 8" wrists and that would look silly. And since James Bond has worn a bunch of different watches over the years in the movies and books, he might as well wear a girly 34mm watch too

. If he had his choice he would wear a GMT anyways.......

The GMT Master · 9 July 2011, 08:42 AM

It will help the Date be a bit more interesting, but it's just too small for my wrists, unfortunately

View Poll Results: That fact that James Bond wears a 34mm Rolex in Carte Blanche:
... makes me very likely to consider 34mm Rolex models for myself	13	5.37%
... makes me somewhat more likely to consider 34mm Rolex models for myself	6	2.48%
... makes me at least open to considering 34mm Rolex models for myself	2	0.83%
... has no impact on watches I'll choose for myself, either way	190	78.51%
... makes me a bit less open to considering 34mm Rolex models for myself	0	0%
... makes me clearly less likely to consider a 34mm Rolex model for myself	0	0%
... makes me very unlikely to consider any 34mm Rolex models for myself	21	8.68%
No opinion / refuse to answer	10	4.13%
Voters: 242. You may not vote on this poll

9 July 2011, 01:09 AM	#1
delldeaton "TRF" Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Real Name: Dell Deaton Location: NAWCC Museum! Watch: Never kiss & tell! Posts: 883	How does new James Bond Rolex choice influence your opinion of 34mm watches? It's always good to put some numbers to James Bond lifestyle choices, right? And what better audience to POLL (with options for additional comments, but of course) than the great folks here on TRF? Okay-- so, author Jeffery Deaver, who was commissioned by Ian Fleming Publications to write the latest James Bond continuation book, Carte Blanche, has gone on record as saying that the personal watch of Our Man in that novel is a Rolex Oyster Perpetual with date complication, 34mm case size. Comments, please. __________________ . Watches, James Bond Watches .

9 July 2011, 01:32 AM	#5
delldeaton "TRF" Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Real Name: Dell Deaton Location: NAWCC Museum! Watch: Never kiss & tell! Posts: 883	Great arguments -- right out of the gate! Beyond the evolving poll results, I really want to thank you guys for weighing in with comments. I suspected this might have some, um, "strong" advocacy along all sorts of lines. So I set the POLL to stay open for well-over a month (don't you hate it when you discover something late, only to be closed out?). Particularly interested in the comments so far here as they relate to weight given for present-day influence of Ian Fleming and movies. Is Fleming not the anchor for Rolex? __________________ . Watches, James Bond Watches .

9 July 2011, 02:56 AM	#8
Dr. Robert 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Real Name: Bob Location: U.S.A. Watch: 1655 Posts: 64,251	36-40mm is my preferred watch diameter size..........& a maximum case length of 48mm, measured lug to lug. __________________ Founder & Card Carrying Member of the Global Association of Retro-Grouch-Curmudgeons

9 July 2011, 01:54 AM	#9
Subfiend "TRF" Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Outside Watch: Isn't it obvious? Posts: 1,926	It's better than a Panerai, but not by much. __________________ Subfiend

9 July 2011, 01:19 AM	#2
The Joker "TRF" Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Gotham Posts: 9,641	I think small watches are super cool your not just following this big watch trend. I walk past a vintage watch shop and drool on the window. I thought vintage was supposed to be cool. So I would wear a 34mm watch. And I love my DJ. But I concede I have a small-ish wrist, 6.5inch. So perhaps that's why I aint got a problem with it. But I like bigger watches aswell, each to their own. I think it's a good chioce for a modern Bond, but I voted no impact, I suspect this will be the most popular vote.

9 July 2011, 01:22 AM	#3
The Laird "TRF" Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: On a boat!!! Posts: 387	Hi, If I am really truthful, then it would not have been my first choice for James Bond to wear. Just my opinion, of course. But I bet a lot of other people like that choice of watch, but it's not for me! I would have liked to have seen the 36mm Rolex Explorer. Or, of course, the Submariner. Till next time... The Laird

9 July 2011, 01:22 AM	#4
Hansch99 "TRF" Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: USA Watch: 14060M, 116200 Posts: 318	Ever since Fleming died, I think the movies define the character, not the books. The 34mm Rolex's appearance in the book makes me no more inclined to buy a watch that sized than before. This is coming from someone who owns a 14060M, a blue Seamaster Pro, and has owned a Planet Ocean, so clearly I like "Bond watches."

9 July 2011, 01:52 AM	#6
rolexertion Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Montreal, PQ Posts: 722	Jeffery Deaver's latest screed is no more a 'James Bond novel' than a piece of music would be a Mozart composition if I were to research a few details of Mozart's style, pen a page of music imitating it, and sign Wolfgang's name to it. James Bond was a purloined name* applied to a literary hero, relating some of Ian Fleming's personal training and experience in the field, dressed up for readers' consumption. Jumping that fictional persona five or six decades into the present and attempting to make its attitudes and hardware-complement jibe with present-day sensibilities and technology makes no more sense than hypothetically transporting Baroness Orczy's 'Scarlet Pimpernel' to the present day and trying to construct a credible story around that. What possible pertinence to anyone could Jeffery Deaver's choice of watch on the wrist of a hijacked-name character in a book have? Seriously. *(From a writer of a book on birds of the West Indies).

9 July 2011, 02:02 AM	#10
Gerardus "TRF" Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Real Name: Gerardus Location: often in the air Watch: ♕ Posts: 12,142	No problem with 34mm and >till 42mm But not smaller for me. __________________ ♕126610 ♕126333 ♕116300

9 July 2011, 02:48 AM	#11
dddrees "TRF" Member Join Date: May 2010 Real Name: Dan Location: USA Watch: This N That Posts: 34,253	When I chose my DJII I did so because the DJ looked a bit too small. I'm not sure I could ever be comfortable with a 34 mm watch. __________________ When it captures your imagination, that's when you know you have found your passion. Loyal Foot Soldier of The Nylon Nation. Card Carrying Member of the Global Association of Retro-Grouch-Curmudgeons

9 July 2011, 02:58 AM	#12
capote "TRF" Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Real Name: Daniel Location: Sweden Watch: 16570 Posts: 7,315	James Bond has no influence on any of my choices, but if he was to wear an Exp2 I like to think that I influenced him.

9 July 2011, 04:31 AM	#13
Blue Lantern "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Delaware Watch: Tudor 79190 Posts: 366	This reminds me of an Oyster Date that I saw for sale a year or two ago with CIA provenance: http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/2009/12...gh-rugged.html

9 July 2011, 04:43 AM	#14
AJMarcus "TRF" Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Real Name: AJ Location: USA Watch: Swiss Posts: 5,238	If James Bond could choose his own time piece I have no doubt it would be a SS SUb C! And he'd probably still have his old Sub and probably a GMT Pepsi somewhere laying round from the old days that he would occasionally wear when relaxing off duty on weekends;)

9 July 2011, 05:31 AM	#15
The Laird "TRF" Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: On a boat!!! Posts: 387	Hi Everyone, I think that in the original Ian Fleming books, James Bond would have been wearing the Rolex Explorer in some adventures and the Submariner in other adventures. Whichever was most suitable for the particular adventure he was in at the time? Perhaps he would have taken both watches along with him? Just my opinion, of course! Till next time... The Laird

9 July 2011, 05:54 AM	#16
jay_man2 "TRF" Member Join Date: May 2011 Real Name: Jay Location: Northern Virginia Watch: Rolex Posts: 2,490	Sean Connery is still my favorite Bond.

9 July 2011, 06:26 AM	#17
landroverking "TRF" Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Real Name: Jay Location: TEXAS Watch: Daytona Posts: 7,648	Someone who buys a watch based on a book or movie is like the soccer mom running to the store in a H2 Dummer. I mean Hummer.

9 July 2011, 06:27 AM	#18
Caraptor Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: North Carolina Watch: me save for it. Posts: 444	James Bond has never had an impact on me in any way in regards to anything ever.

9 July 2011, 06:29 AM	#21
AJMarcus "TRF" Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Real Name: AJ Location: USA Watch: Swiss Posts: 5,238	A lot people buy all sorts of things because of marketing. I have no doubt the success of the omega blue seamster was largely due to the bond movies starting with brosan for example.

9 July 2011, 06:47 AM	#22
Boothroyd 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: May 2011 Real Name: Daniel Location: Minneapolis, MN Watch: Wilsdorf(s) Posts: 10,258	In the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, the watch was a disposable tool to any adventure. So even though it was Rolex, not exactly an endorsement that some folks seem to think (and it was only mentioned briefly in two of the novels). Of course, for most, the movies are the reference. __________________ Explorer 214270 MK I/Datejust II Black 116300/Tudor Heritage Black Bay Black 79220N

9 July 2011, 06:49 AM	#23
Boothroyd 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: May 2011 Real Name: Daniel Location: Minneapolis, MN Watch: Wilsdorf(s) Posts: 10,258	And delldeaton, I of course defer to your scholarship on the subject if I am in error! __________________ Explorer 214270 MK I/Datejust II Black 116300/Tudor Heritage Black Bay Black 79220N

9 July 2011, 06:57 AM	#24
Paulie 50 "TRF" Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Lancs. England Posts: 1,000	James Bond is only a figment of Ian Flemings mind, so should we not be concerned with his watch of choice ?. I already own an Explorer 1 so i'm out. Good night and have a great weekend.

9 July 2011, 06:55 AM	#25
Boothroyd 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: May 2011 Real Name: Daniel Location: Minneapolis, MN Watch: Wilsdorf(s) Posts: 10,258	Sorry, I should have added that I WAS influenced in my choice of an Explorer I, (admittedly, I got the newer 39MM version) by the fact that Ian Fleming wore one while writing the James Bond novels. But not by the novels or movies themselves. __________________ Explorer 214270 MK I/Datejust II Black 116300/Tudor Heritage Black Bay Black 79220N

9 July 2011, 07:33 AM	#26
mrbill2mrbill2 "TRF" Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Real Name: Mr. Bill Location: South Florida Watch: 16610 Posts: 6,148	A movie or celebrity has never influenced my choice of watch. As for 34mm - too small for me. __________________ Card Carrying Member of the Global Association of the Retro-Grouch-Curmudgeons - ID # 13

9 July 2011, 07:57 AM	#27
Art 1 Banned Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Florida, Canada Watch: Rol/Seik/Tud/Omega Posts: 30,244	No impact.

9 July 2011, 08:02 AM	#28
mjm800 "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: USA Posts: 1,950	The other day I saw a guy standing in line next to me wearing a 34mm Rolex at first I thought it was a ladies Rolex I had to look again. It just didn't look right. I have a 36mm Explorer and that's as small as I'll go. __________________

9 July 2011, 08:35 AM	#29
Dan2010 "TRF" Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: South Carolina Watch: Panerai 914 Posts: 6,540	I will never buy or wear a 34mm watch. I have 8" wrists and that would look silly. And since James Bond has worn a bunch of different watches over the years in the movies and books, he might as well wear a girly 34mm watch too . If he had his choice he would wear a GMT anyways.......

9 July 2011, 08:42 AM	#30
The GMT Master "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Real Name: Chris Location: England Posts: 8,150	It will help the Date be a bit more interesting, but it's just too small for my wrists, unfortunately

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