English actor?Roger Moore?took over Sean Connery's role as 007 in the 1973 movie Live and Let Die. The year after, he appeared in The Man with the Golden Gun, and five other Bond movies starring Moore followed The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only?(1981), Octopussy (1983), and A View to a Kill (1985). Moore (1927-2017) was the oldest Bond; he was 45 when he played 007 for the first time and retired at the age of 58. Moore portrayed Bond with humor and a Rolex Submariner 5513. Seiko also had a strong presence in the 1980s Bond movies. Lets have a look at the James Bond watches of Roger Moore's era.Who is your favorite Bond? Sean Connery? Daniel Craig? Both are athletic bulldozers that get the job done. If I had to choose between the two, Id vote Craig. And Craig's debut in Casino Royale (2006) is the deciding factor. But what about Roger Moore? Connery and Craig are the rough-and-tumble choices, whereas Moore is the more gentlemanly option. Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan, sorry to say, are not choices (although my girlfriend has a soft spot for the Irish 007).? I don't recall the 1980s being a decade of elegant and immaculate taste.When I think of Moore as 007, I see him raise an eyebrow wearing a velour tracksuit whilst smoking a long cigar. He struck me as a man who didn't take his very serious job very seriously. Moore played Bond as an ironic and rather aloof smooth talker, not as a trained, aggressive, and dangerous fighter. He was silly at times even, as I remember it. Does that character reflect in the watches Moore wore in the 1970s and 80s Bond movies?
The best James Bond watches of Roger Moore's era A tricked-out Rolex Submariner 5513It all started with Sean Connery wearing a Rolex Submariner 6538 in the first Bond movie Dr. No (1962). When Roger Moore took up the role of 007 in the 1973 movie Live and Let Die, he also wore a Sub. It was a Rolex Submariner 5513, and he liked it so much, he also wore it in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). But it certainly wasn't any ordinary Submariner; MI6's Q, for the first time, added practical functions to the watch, such as a bezel that doubled as a chainsaw, as well as a built-in magnet to deflect incoming bullets. That last function also came in handy when disrobing a love/lust interest in Moores typical suave style.
Hamilton Pulsar Picture via www.horlogeforum.nlBut Bond didn't just stick to his trusty Rolex in Live and Let Die. He also wore the futuristic Hamilton Pulsar LED digital watch, a predecessor to the brand's current PSR. The Pulsar was the Quartz Crisis, or more positively, Quartz Revolution made visible on the wrist. It was a futuristic watch worn by Jack Nicholson, Elton John, Keith Richards, and Elvis Presley, to name but a few. Bond helped Hamilton make USD $150 million a year from Pulsar sales. What in the world do you mean by crisis?
Rolex GMT Master 1675The Spy Who Loved Me also loved Rolex and Seiko watchesSean Connery was the Rolex Submariner in the flesh. Both the man and the watch got any dangerous job done without any hassle. The Rolex GMT Master 1675 that Moore wore in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) was way more fitting for his international-playboy allure. It was the ultimate travel watch for the ultimate globetrotting spy.
Seiko 0674 LC from The Spy Who Loved Me Picture courtesy of Lifestyle AsiaBut what about the Seiko 0674 LC? Not very stylish, for sure, but it was very practical and ahead of its time. The watch was capable of printing out short messages that Bond received from a spy colleague. Sound familiar, smartwatch wearers?
Seiko M354 Memory Bank Calendar Picture courtesy of James Bond WatchesBond in spaceNope, the Omega Speedmaster Professional never made it to Bond's wrist, so no Moonwatch appears in Moonraker (1979). Instead, Bond relies on a Seiko M354 Memory Bank Calendar, outfitted with an explosive device that comes in handy at the end of the movie. Bond clearly chooses tech over style in this unearthly movie that is too silly for most but entertaining for some.
Seiko 7549-7009 Golden Tuna Picture courtesy of Elveez WatchesTwo Seiko models and a parrotBack on Earth and into the water of the Aegean Sea, Moore's fifth Bond movie, For Your Eyes Only (1981) saw him sport a trio of Seiko watches. As a functional diver's watch with a bit of gold allure, the Seiko 7549-7009 Golden Tuna was a most appropriate choice for the gentleman spy.
