The Real James Bond Watch

Vesper: "Oh, you are? Hmmmph, hmmm hmmm. Well then that makes perfect sense, because MI6 looks for maladjusted young males who would give no thought to sacrificing anything in the name of Queen and Country. You know, former SAS types with easy-going smiles and expensive watches... Rolex?"

Bond: "Omega."

Vesper: "Beautiful...

Omega's Seamaster is what most people today associate as James Bond's watch for over a decade. In the days when Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton played James Bond, they wore Rolex Submariner's. Exactly what watch the literary James Bond wears is less clear.

Rolex Explorer

Not many clues are provided. In Ian Fleming's Thunderball James Bond's wrist watch is described as having "big phosphorus numerals.” On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1963), Ian Fleming identifies the watch James Bond wears as a "Rolex Oyster Perpetual." One last thing which some take a clue of the mystery of the James Bond watch, is that Ian Fleming actually wore a Rolex, a Rolex Explorer Ref. 1016. The combination of the reference to "big phosphorus numerals" as well as Ian Fleming choice of watch, lead many to conclude that James Bond watch was actually a Rolex Explorer.

However, numerals on the dial does not exclude the Rolex Submariner. Some Ref. 5513 Submariners have numerals on the dial.

Rolex Submariner Ref. 5513

One could also argue that James Bonds watch was the Rolex Submariner, since this was the watch with was issued to the Royal Navies commando's (the Special Boat Service), but this only happened in the 1970's, after Ian Fleming had passed away.

Most researchers agree that James Bond is a highly romanticised version of Fleming himself; the author was known for his jetsetting lifestyle and reputation as a womaniser. Both, for the most part, went to the same schools, like the same foods (e.g., scrambled eggs), have the same habits (e.g., drinking and smoking), share the same view on women (e.g., how they should look and how they should dress), and have similar education and military careers both rising to the rank of Commander. (Source: Licensed to Kill)

So, it does appear to make sense, that the Bond watch would be the same as Ian Flemings own Rolex Explorer.

Personally, the real bond watch for me would be the Submariner. The Submariner was designed from the ground up as a military watch for the navy. If it was not what Ian Fleming wore, it was what James Bond should have been wearing, at least while battling SPECTRE operatives underwater in the Bahamas in Thunderball.