Weekend Edition It's The 60th Anniversary Of James Bond. He Looks Great For His Age, And So Do His Watches

But most of us are here because of our shared love of all things Bond and his watches. And it's not just that he wore them for style. His watches were tool watches in the truest (albeit, the most fantastical) sense of the term. They can cut through anything, unzip any dress, and even blow your mind with a literal EMP. Bond's trusty quartermaster, Q, always made sure to outfit his agent with a proper watch fit for his black-tie lifestyle but one that could also get him out of a jam.

It began with the Rolex Submariner ref. 6538, which we featured yesterday. That watch would last through a few films. We would see Connery pair it with leather straps, as well as the well-known "Bond NATO," though his was a bit small for the watch. He even wore a Breitling in Thunderball (1965). From there, we would witness different actors pair up with different watches in the Bond role, from George Lazenby's Rolex Pre-Daytona Chronograph ref. 6238 to Roger Moore's mixture of Hamilton, Seiko, and his own Submariner (ref. 5513). Timothy Dalton also wore Rolex, as well as a TAG Heuer Night Diver.

And then we meet Brosnan, Pierce Brosnan – and everything changes. Because when Goldeneye hit theaters in 1995, his Bond didn't have a Rolex – he wore an Omega Seamaster Professional 300m with a signature blue wave dial and blue bezel. This has entered watch lore and is now commonly referred to as the "Bond Seamaster." Ever since that film, Bond and Omega have become synonymous to the point where the brand has unleashed a torrent of film tie-in limited editions.

Daniel Craig picked things up where Brosnan left off, wearing some form of Omega Seamaster (Professional and Planet Ocean, included) in each of his turns as Bond. Some of his watches that made it into production by Omega, like his Seamaster 300 from Spectre, received universal acclaim from watch lovers everywhere. But none had a farther reach than the watch tied to his swan song: No Time To Die. The film itself had years-long delays stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning the watch – a heavily vintage-inspired Seamaster Professional 300m with a mesh bracelet or Bond-esque NATO – was announced years before the movie reached theaters. To call it a hit would be an understatement and its popularity underscores the importance of Bond to pop culture and horology.

As we look back on the last 60 years of Bond, we figured this weekend was the perfect time to assemble some of our favorite stories on the subject. So put on your best tux, your favorite watch, and mix your favorite drink (shaken, not stirred). This weekend, it's the Bond edition.

In-Depth: The Watches Of James Bond (And Why They Matter)

In a way, just knowing what the Bond watches are is only half the battle. Context matters and in this incredible deep-dive, Jason Heaton – 007 fan and author in his own right – gives a great breakdown of Bond's  horological lineage.

Watching Movies: Daniel Craig Wears An Omega Seamaster For His Curtain Call As James Bond in 'No Time To Die'

It's the James Bond film that took forever to be released, but once it was, the wait proved to be worth it. In this edition of Watching Movies, I break down the Omega watches on screen, as well as the special capabilities of Daniel Craig's final Bond watch.

Watch Of The Week: How My Nintendo Taught Me To Love The James Bond Seamaster

The Bond Seamaster worn by Pierce Brosnan is one of the few modern watch icons – and it was born in the 1990s. It had far-reaching cultural and consumer impact. In this Watch of the Week, Cole Pennington shows just how important that watch was to him.

Editors' Picks: Our Favorite James Bond Gadget Watches

We can talk about conventional watches until our faces turn blue. Sometimes we like to have a bit of fun. In this edition of Editor's Picks, we take a turn for the fantastical, rattling off our favorite Bond gadget watches and detailing just what they do.

On The Block: The James Bond Breitling Top Time Geiger Counter From Thunderball

In Dr. No, Bond tests a geiger counter on his watch. In Thunderball, his Breitling is a Geiger Counter. This story on the auction of the Breitling Top Time from that film is an early Hodinkee glimpse at the importance of these film watches in the real world.