Cor Blimey Friday: Gilbert James Bond 007 Spy Watch

It’s been a while since we dipped into the always fascinating vaults of vintage watch expert Derek Dier’s WatchesToBuy.com. If you can’t find a great collectible watch here, you simply aren’t into collecting watches.

Currently up for sale is what has to be one of the strangest items of Bond merchandising ever put on the market. It’s a James Bond 007 Spy Watch made by Gilbert, with secret sighting lenses and a world time guide. It measures a whopping 60mm.

The sheer crazy size and shape of the watch would attract all the wrong type of attention no matter where you were, so as a spy watch it’s a resounding fail, but as a piece of retro Bond equipment, it’s priceless – well $1,025 to be exact.

It comes on its original Nato strap with a turning world bezel. It even has what is described as a reliable Swiss movement. Complete with the original packaging and papers, this is a valuable and rare Bond collectible. You can bet Sean Connery, Roger Moore and even once only Bond George Lazenby never strapped this awkward chunk of metal onto their wrists, but now you can.

Incidentally, George Lazenby won the Bond role after a worldwide search. He was actually an Australian wrestler, car salesman and model who excelled in physical presence and impressed the producers. But he was not prepared for the harsh spotlight of fame and fortune that came with the part. Nowadays he would probably jump at the chance to be a Gilbert 007 Brand Ambassador, but sadly, with the watch nestling in the vintage vaults of Mr. Dier, that ship has sailed.

 

 

Michael Weare

Michael Weare

Michael Weare has been a professional writer for 30 years, writing about Japanese technology, German and Italian cars, British tailoring and Swiss watches. Michael manages the editorial content of Click Tempus and will be keeping the magazine fresh and informative with regular features, as well as bringing great writers to the magazine. Email: michael@clicktempus.com

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