The fantastic Mr Ehrlich over at Jake’s Rolex blog (a must for any Rolex nutter) recently unveiled the next step in Daniel Craig’s masterplan to annoy the hell out of Omega. Treachery is a bit too harsh of a term, but the alliteration appealed to me. So what’s the story?
As most of you already know, Omega has been a heavy sponsor of the Bond film franchise, beginning with GoldenEye in 1995. The partnership has had its up and downs. For Omega, it’s probably their most successful marketing effort ever since equipping Buzz Aldrin with a Speedy. Quite frankly, the modern day blue Seamaster is one of the most common timepieces on people’s wrists these days, atleast in the upper echelon of watches (anything you can’t buy at a gas station). I’m not blaming them, who wouldn’t want to be James Bond? If only the bracelet wasn’t so hideous… The Planet Ocean is way nicer, in my opinion.
For watch nerds (especially if you’re also a movie buff like me), the collaboration is not as exciting. Not because there’s something inherently wrong with Omega (I love Omega), but because anyone with the slightest interest in the Bond series will know that there’s only one true Bond watch, and that’s a Rolex (let’s not bring Seiko into this, shall we?). Even in the very first Bond book in 1953, Ian Flemming specifically mentioned that Bond wore a Rolex. Moreover, in the old Bond movies (even when they were as camp as they were), there was never a moment so horrible (this is the cineast in me talking) such as the dialogue exchange between Bond and Vesper Lynd on the train in 2006’s Casino Royale (you know which one).
Alright, enough movie talk. With the Bond franchise revigorated with the aforementioned movie (and subsequently ruined again by botching the script and having a real estate agent as the villain in 2008’s Quantum of Solace. OK, I swear, no more movie talk), I kind of wish they could go back to Rolex. And evidently, I am not alone. A while back, Daniel Craig was spotted wearing a vintage SS Submariner ref 6538, very close to the watch worn by Sean Connery in Thunderball. Probably not a coincidence, and probably an annoyance to Omega (even if Mr. Craig isn’t seemingly contractually bound to wear Omega exclusively).
The watch community took notice and discovered that Craig just might be even more of a Rolex nut than we thought. After a while, Craig had been seen publically wearing (in chronological order) a two-tone DJ on a jubilee bracelet, a SS DJ on an oyster bracelet, a 50th anniversary Milgauss, a vintage panda Daytona and a vintage SS GMT Master. This just solidifies my belief in Craig as the best Bond. Sean Connery purists, get bent.
Now, the discovery of Craig’s latest acquisition is something else. A photograph of him, sporting a pretty rockin’ stache, speaking to Sean “Puff Daddy, Puffy, P Diddy, Diddy” John of all people while wearing a pretty mysterious Sub that took some time to be identified. Jake Ehrlich, after some impressive detective work, managed to find out that it’s certainly might be something special. It’s rumoured to be a customized LV, made by Project X Designs dubbed the PXD SS1. A very cool mod that brings my thoughts to old vintage Rolexes (such as the ref 6538 from the first Bond flick), what with the crown guards having been shaved off. Daniel Craig reportedly wears it since he does not wish to damage his 6538 (understandable, considering what those go for, if you can find one. Rumor has it it was given to him by Barbara Broccoli).
POST UPDATE
We have removed comments on this post as they have become a source of acrimonious accusations rather than constructive discussion.
