Chapter 3: Sean Connery–The Original James Bond

R.I.P.

Sir Sean Connery

Nobody Did It Better

I am sad to report that Sir Sean Connery belongs to the ages as he slipped away at age 90. I just did a major update on this story to more accurately contextualize his career wearing his Rolex Submariner "Big Crown" [Reference 6358].

...The James Bond Rolex Story...

The Complete History Of James Bond Watches

Including ALL Watches Worn In All James Bond Movies

The Definitive Guide

Chapter 3: Sean Connery–The Original James Bond

The Watches Of James Bond

Since Quantum of Solace is premiering this weekend in the U.S., I thought I would put together a definitive article that shows every watch James Bond wears in every movie–including all non-Rolex watches, which include Omega, Breitling, and Seiko.

I am not finished writing this article and hope to complete most of it over the course of the next week or so. After I complete as much as I am able to, I will continue to update it in the future until it is complete. If you have any information or photos you wish to share please email them in and I will add them.

I am starting with this short list below that shows how many times each actor played James Bond. Some people would argue that the Original Casino Royale does not belong in this story because it is a spoof. They might also argue that since Never Say Never starring Sean Connery is not an EON Production it is not a real James Bond movie. I decided to cover every movie that revolves around a character named James Bond for the sake of leaving no stone unturned.

I have written a lot about James Bond in the past, but I intend to make this the definitive article that contains all the watch specific information. One of the reasons I am taking this approach is because I often forget the order in which each James Bond movie appears and what watch he wore.

Roger Moore: 7 Movies Appointed Knight Commander of the British Empire.

Sean Connery: 7 Movies Appointed Knight Commander of the British Empire.

Pierce Brosnan: 4 Movies

Timothy Dalton: 2 Movies

Daniel Craig: 2 Movies

George Lazenby: 1 Movie

Peter Sellers: 1 Movie

David Niven: 1 Movie

List of All Watches Worn In James Bond Films

Movie #1. Dr. No [Sean Connery,1st] 1962

• Rolex Submariner [Reference 6358]

Dr. No was the first James Bond movie made for the big screen. It was released the same day as the Beatles first single and stared Sean Connery as James Bond.

The year was 1962 and JFK was in the white house. The Space Race was moving full speed ahead. The first James Bond movie starred Sean Connery and Ursula Andress was made with a budget of $1 Million.

Sean Connery is pictured below on the set of Goldfinger wearing his trademark Rolex Submariner [Reference 6538] on a regimental strap.

James Bond Wears Rolex

The Man With The Top-Secret Job Wears A Rolex

New Scientist: September 12, 1963

This ad is another fascinating piece in the James Bond puzzle. The very first James Bond movie named Dr. No was released in 1962 and Sean Connery wore a Rolex Submariner. This is the first Rolex ad I know of that appears to play on the appeal of a James Bond persona. It was published in England in 1963

If you scroll back up this page 6 images, you see a screen capture from the 1962 James Bond movie, Dr. NO and we see Sean Connery testing his Rolex Submariner with a geiger counter. If you look closely the geiger counter looks similar the machine in the British Rolex Top-Secret ad above.

Movie #2. From Russia With Love [Sean Connery, 2nd] 1963

• Rolex Submariner [Reference 6538]

From Russia With Love was the first James Bond movie to feature Sean Connery posing with the lugger hand-gun. This pose would become a trademark for the James Bond series.

Sean Connery is pictured below in From Russia With Love, sporting his trademark Rolex Submariner on a leather strap.

Movie #3. Goldfinger [Sean Connery, 3rd] 1964

• Rolex Submariner [Reference 6538]

"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

In Goldfinger, Sean Connery as James Bond wears a Rolex Submariner [Reference 6538] as pictured below, on a Regimental belt strap. Many people say Sean Connery wore his 6538 Submariner on a NATO strap. This is not true. There has NEVER been a James Bond movie in which James wears a NATO.

Note that the strap that Sean Connery wears has 9 stripes total consisting of Dark Navy Blue, Dark Olive Olive and fine burgundy stripes. The most interesting part of this story is that Daniel Craig was recently seen wearing and talking about his Rolex 6538 that he wears on a NATO strap. You can read about Daniel Craig an the mystery surrounding his Rolex Submariner by clicking here.

The strap Sean Connery is wearing is a Royal Scots government strap, and its formal color names are: Peony Red, Gosling Green and Oxford Blue. The Royal Scots, also know as "The Royal Regiment" is the oldest British Army Regiment. It was founded in 1633 by Sir John Hepburn by a Royal Warrant from King Charles I, who recruited 1200 men in Scotland. On March 28, 2006, the Royal Scots merged with other Scottish Infantry Regiments to become The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

The Pussy & The James Bond

The female character, Pussy Galore who played Goldfinger's Pilot that James Bond converted from a Lesbian wore a men's Rolex GMT. Today women wearing men's 40mm sport Rolex watches is common, but Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore was the first female to do so on screen. Many Rolex collecting enthusiasts refer to the models of Rolex worn in Goldfinger as The James [Rolex Submariner, Reference 6538] and The Pussy [Rolex GMT, Reference 6542].

The two watches below show what the 6538 and 6542 look like close up.

Pussy Galore is pictured above and in the shots below you see James finally converted her successfully. Of course in these three photos, Pussy Galore is wearing her Rolex GMT 6542 Coke.

Movie #4. Thunderball [Sean Connery, 4th] 1965

• Rolex Submariner [Reference 6538]

• Breitling [Top Time Model]

James Bond was an international phenomenon and remains so to this day. Here is a great Japanese movie poster for Thunderball. Great graphics!!!

Thunderball Rolex Submariner [Reference 6538]

In the photos below from Thunderball you see Sean Connery wearing his Rolex Submariner [Reference 6538]. It is apparently the exact same Submariner he wore in Dr. No because is has the exact Regimental 16mm belt strap which is way too narrow for the lug spacing on the 6538 which is 20mm.

Claudine Auger was Miss France 1958, and she co-starred with Sean Connery in Thunderball, and we see her below sitting on his lap.

Sean Connery is pictured above with actress, Martine Beswick who played the role of Paula Caplan in Thunderball. Martine Beswick also played the role of Zora in the previous James Bond movie, From Russia Wish Love.

As far as I know Rolex did provide the Rolex watch in Thunderball to EON productions, but did not pay a fee for product placement. Rolex did seem to be aware of the James Bond Rolex appeal to men and the closest they ever came to doing an official Rolex James Bond advertisement would be this James-Bond-like ad from 1965.