Article: 5 Rolex Watches Worn in James Bond Films

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Mar 15, 2022

5 Rolex Watches Worn in James Bond Films

Few partnerships between watches and cinema are as recognisable as James Bond and Rolex. Across the early Bond films, Rolex sports watches became part of 007's screen identity, with several references now closely associated with particular actors, films and scenes.

Which Rolex watches did James Bond wear? Among the best-known are the Rolex Submariner ref. 6538 worn by Sean Connery, the Submariner ref. 5513 associated with George Lazenby and Roger Moore, the Rolex Chronograph ref. 6238 worn by Lazenby, and a Submariner Date worn by Timothy Dalton in Licence to Kill. Rolex also appeared on other memorable characters, including the GMT-Master ref. 6542 worn by Pussy Galore in Goldfinger.

Here are five of the most significant Rolex watches associated with the James Bond films.

If Bond's connection with Rolex has sparked your interest in the brand, you can also explore our current collection of pre-owned and unworn Rolex watches.

Rolex Submariner ref. 6538

Few watches are as closely connected with the early James Bond films as the Rolex Submariner reference 6538.

Sean Connery wore the distinctive ‘Big Crown’ Submariner in Dr No in 1962, before it went on to appear during his Bond era in From Russia with Love, Goldfinger and Thunderball.

Although the 6538 is sometimes described as the first James Bond watch, Bond is also seen wearing a slim dress watch earlier in Dr No. The Submariner was, however, the Rolex that established one of cinema's most enduring watch associations.

Its appearance in Goldfinger is particularly memorable. Connery wears the Submariner on a striped nylon strap during the famous sequence in which Bond checks the time while wearing his white dinner jacket.

The connection between Rolex and Bond also extends to Bond's creator, Ian Fleming. Fleming himself wore a Rolex Explorer reference 1016, while his 1963 novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service explicitly describes Bond wearing a heavy Rolex Oyster Perpetual on an expanding metal bracelet.

What should be avoided is presenting the exact ownership history of Connery's film watch as settled fact. Various stories have circulated over the years about where the original production watch came from, but its precise provenance remains debated.

2. Rolex GMT-Master ref. 6542

Not every important Rolex in a Bond film was worn by Bond himself.

In Goldfinger in 1964, Honor Blackman appeared as Pussy Galore wearing a Rolex GMT-Master reference 6542. Her character was an aviator, making Rolex's dual-time pilot's watch an appropriate choice.

The appearance became so closely associated with the character that collectors and auction houses have subsequently referred to examples of the reference 6542 as the “Pussy Galore” GMT-Master.

The original GMT-Master had been created during the growth of long-distance commercial aviation, allowing its wearer to follow more than one time zone. Early reference 6542 watches are particularly distinctive because of their red-and-blue Bakelite bezel.

Its appearance in Goldfinger ensured that another Rolex sports watch became permanently linked with the Bond universe.

3. Rolex Submariner ref. 5513

The Submariner returned for On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969, this time with George Lazenby wearing a Rolex Submariner reference 5513.

The reference later became even more memorable on Roger Moore's wrist in Live and Let Die in 1973.

For the film, the familiar Submariner was transformed into a Q-Branch gadget. Prop versions were modified to produce the film's magnetic and rotating buzz-saw effects, allowing Bond's watch to become part of the action rather than simply part of his wardrobe.

One of the ref. 5513 watches adapted for Live and Let Die later became a significant piece of Bond memorabilia. In 2015, Phillips sold the watch at auction in Geneva for CHF365,000.

The Submariner 5513 was also associated with Moore's Bond in The Man with the Golden Gun the following year, strengthening the model's place in the history of 007 watches.

4. Rolex Chronograph ref. 6238 – the ‘Pre-Daytona’

George Lazenby actually wore more than one Rolex during his single appearance as James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Alongside the Submariner 5513 was a stainless-steel Rolex Chronograph reference 6238.

Today the model is widely known among collectors as the “Pre-Daytona”, because it represents an important stage in Rolex's chronograph development immediately before the Daytona family became established.

The actual watch worn by Lazenby has unusually strong provenance. Records show that it was purchased by EON Productions from Bucherer in Switzerland in October 1968 specifically for use during production.

After filming, the wardrobe department sold a number of costumes and accessories, with the Rolex eventually passing into private ownership and later appearing at auction.

Its combination of Rolex provenance, Bond history and relative rarity has made the reference 6238 one of the most interesting watches connected with On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

5. Rolex Submariner Date in Licence to Kill

Rolex returned to Bond's wrist with Timothy Dalton in Licence to Kill in 1989.

Dalton wore a stainless-steel Rolex Submariner Date, generally identified as reference 16610. Because Rolex was transitioning between extremely similar Submariner Date references around the time the film was made, specialist research has also discussed the closely related reference 168000 in connection with the production.

Whichever transitional reference appeared in individual shots, the important point for Bond history is clear: Licence to Kill marked the final appearance of a Rolex on James Bond's wrist in the EON film series to date.

When Pierce Brosnan debuted as Bond in GoldenEye in 1995, the character moved to Omega. Omega has remained Bond's principal on-screen watch brand throughout the Brosnan and Daniel Craig eras.

Why Rolex and James Bond remain so closely linked

Rolex was never the only watchmaker to appear in the Bond films. Gruen, Breitling, Seiko, TAG Heuer and Omega have all had their place in 007's watch history.

Even so, the early Rolex appearances established an association that has proved remarkably durable. The Submariners worn by Connery, Lazenby and Moore in particular have become part of both watch-collecting and Bond history.

That combination of recognisable design, film provenance and cultural significance is why vintage Rolex watches connected with the Bond era continue to attract so much interest from collectors.

For collectors interested in Rolex more broadly, browse our current Rolex watches. Availability changes regularly and the watches currently offered are not necessarily the same references featured in the Bond films.

Already own a Rolex and considering parting with it? Our Sell Your Rolex service explains how we assess individual watches and provide specialist valuations.