ATOMIC BOND

Examining Omega’s role in the iconic James Bond movie franchise

- Brian Jones

Is it just me, or do we all have our favourite James Bond trivia? The more peculiar the factoid, the better. Take the little-known fact that the first actor to portray Britain’s ultra-suave superspy was an American named Barry Nelson (I know, right?) in the 1954 TV adaptation of Casino Royale. How about the fact that the inspiration for the name was an American ornithologist and expert on birds of the Carribean? Or what about this? To shoot the opening sequence of Skyfall, 85 versions of Bond’s Tom Ford suit were made for Daniel Craig, his double AND stunt double? There’s so much to love about these iconic films, and so much that will leave you scratching your head.

And just as moviegoers have always been fascinated by every minute detail about the James Bond movies, watch lovers, too, have always obsessed over the timepieces that have graced 007’s wrist. With each successive film, fandom for Bond’s long-standing brand of choice, Omega, grows exponentially. So, hang on tight, as we examine the watches’ starring role in one of the most enduring film franchises.

Omega’s entry into the Bond franchise coincided with a changing of the guard of sorts. After 1989’s A License to Kill, out went Welsh actor Timothy Dalton and in came Irish-American actor Pierce Brosnan, who had initially been offered the role before Dalton, but was unavailable due to contractual commitments to the classic 1980s police procedural Remington Steele.

Seamaster-y Sophistication