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Large metal watches with tailoring.

Sport watch with tailoring.

  • Yes, I’m tacky like that.

  • No way José! Dress watch with leather strap for me!

  • No watch at all.


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smittycl

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Both my grandfather's served in WW2 and Korea, and I can't remember either one much caring for Bond. My dad likes the Connery version, but he never served.

I liked the character a lot as a kid, it just doesn't hold much allure for me now.
I also liked Bond more as a kid although I really appreciated Craig's portrayal in Casino Royale and Skyfall.
 

dieworkwear

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2egbfa.jpeg
 

yorkshire pud

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Both my grandfather's served in WW2 and Korea, and I can't remember either one much caring for Bond. My dad likes the Connery version, but he never served.

I liked the character a lot as a kid, it just doesn't hold much allure for me now.

Yep, both mine too and both my Grandmother's. I think they all deserved a bit of an escape in the 50s and 60's. Both my Grandfather's were mad keen on horse racing (gambling) and boozing, so there was definitely some truth behind it ?
 

smittycl

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Yep, both mine too and both my Grandmother's. I think they all deserved a bit of an escape in the 50s and 60's. Both my Grandfather's were mad keen on horse racing (gambling) and boozing, so there was definitely some truth behind it ?
Bond has also been a cultural/tourism boon for the Brits.
 

ValidusLA

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Yep, both mine too and both my Grandmother's. I think they all deserved a bit of an escape in the 50s and 60's. Both my Grandfather's were mad keen on horse racing (gambling) and boozing, so there was definitely some truth behind it ?

Neither of my grandfather's gambled much and neither was a heavy boozer.
My father's father was in most ways quite austere. Interested in his research and not much else.
My mother's dad had many bad habits (buying a new car every 3-6 months, or cycling art like mad), but drinking was not one of them.

I think part of what people forget is thst Rolex was not a super expensive watch in the 60s.

As a point of reference, when my grandfather bought his GP Chronometer Gyromatic in '67 when he got his big promotion, that watch in solid 18k was $485.

The GMT Rolex at that time was $215-225. A TAG Carrera was $90.

Rolexs from that period are expensive now because of value attached later, not because of their value or cache at the time.
 

yorkshire pud

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Glad you like it, but clearly not everyone's cup of tea.

I really like the Hamilton, they aren't really a big thing in the UK, but there is something cool about the heritage that appeals to me ?
 

yorkshire pud

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Neither of my grandfather's gambled much and neither was a heavy boozer.
My father's father was in most ways quite austere. Interested in his research and not much else.
My mother's dad had many bad habits (buying a new car every 3-6 months, or cycling art like mad), but drinking was not one of them.

I think part of what people forget is thst Rolex was not a super expensive watch in the 60s.

As a point of reference, when my grandfather bought his GP Chronometer Gyromatic in '67 when he got his big promotion, that watch in solid 18k was $485.

The GMT Rolex at that time was $215-225. A TAG Carrera was $90.

Rolexs from that period are expensive now because of value attached later, not because of their value or cache at the time.

I have a TAG Heuer (It's my favourite watch actually)

As a young man my dad was the proud owner of a Lotus Cortina (a humble Ford saloon tuned by the greatest F1 team), he traded it in for a larger four door car as the family grew.

Nowadays of course they are up there with expensive Porsches and Ferraris thanks to a Scottish genius called Jim Clark.

If only I had been around then to advise him (or access to a time machine)

?
 

pkincy

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That's not entirely true, James Bond is actually an amalgamation of real people that Fleming worked with during WW2 mixed in with his own fantasies!!!
Fleming was a friend and admirer of Charles Englehard, Jr. the proprietor of Englehard Industries which made industrial things out of Gold, Silver, Platinum and other precious metals. Here is an image of Englehard and you can guess which character was modeled after him. BTW, Englehard had a BAC-111 as a company jet. It was painted black and as you walked aboard there was a solid gold plaque saying "Head Stewardess-***** Galore" I worked for him a few years in the early 70's selling platinum catalysts to the fertilizer industry.
Englehard.jpg
 

yorkshire pud

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Fleming was a friend and admirer of Charles Englehard, Jr. the proprietor of Englehard Industries which made industrial things out of Gold, Silver, Platinum and other precious metals. Here is an image of Englehard and you can guess which character was modeled after him. BTW, Englehard had a BAC-111 as a company jet. It was painted black and as you walked aboard there was a solid gold plaque saying "Head Stewardess-***** Galore" I worked for him a few years in the early 70's selling platinum catalysts to the fertilizer industry.
View attachment 1684087

That's awesome, I've never heard Goldfingers backstory before, but I know many of them are based on real people (as ridiculous as it seems)!!!

This old gentleman went to school with Fleming and became a famous Cricket commentator (not nearly so evil as his namesake)

 
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ClassicStyle1950

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Neither of my grandfather's gambled much and neither was a heavy boozer.
My father's father was in most ways quite austere. Interested in his research and not much else.
My mother's dad had many bad habits (buying a new car every 3-6 months, or cycling art like mad), but drinking was not one of them.

I think part of what people forget is thst Rolex was not a super expensive watch in the 60s.

As a point of reference, when my grandfather bought his GP Chronometer Gyromatic in '67 when he got his big promotion, that watch in solid 18k was $485.

The GMT Rolex at that time was $215-225. A TAG Carrera was $90.

Rolexs from that period are expensive now because of value attached later, not because of their value or cache at the time.
I bought a Rolex Submariner (1680) in 1975 for $480. Turns out it is a "Red Rolex". Gave it to my son when he graduated from college.
 

ClassicStyle1950

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Cary Grant, James Dean and Steve McQueen are (were) real people though...James Bond isn't. You know that right?
Ad Harry Bosch (LAPD detective) to the Rolex Submariner list.
 

ValidusLA

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I bought a Rolex Submariner (1680) in 1975 for $480. Turns out it is a "Red Rolex". Gave it to my son when he graduated from college.

Rolex prices began taking off in the mid 70s.
PSX_20211013_140438.jpg
Their cache from the 70s onward is not the same as the 60s and before.

As @RSS Alluded to earlier, arguing against Rolex Fandom is almost pointless.

To me, Rolexs are a signifier I don't care for. To me they strike me more as a....LV purse circa 2008.

I think there are many appreciable stories regarding them. I recently heard @dieworkwear tell his, and I think its great.

But in the early 60s when Dr No came out, they were nothing like they were today.
 

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