He?s the world?s most famous secret agent, and the selection of watches on his wrist is at least as varied as the parade of ?Bond girls? at his side. Each watch reflects its epoch: from robust mechanical timekeepers, through digital timepieces, to state-of-the-art chronometers. Our timeline presents an overview of 007?s wrist-wear.
1962

James Bond first appeared on the silver screen in 1962 and has remained there ever since, but the Bond character was born 10 years prior to 007?s cinematic debut. Ian Fleming wrote Casino Royale, his first novel about the adventures of the charming MI6 agent, while on his honeymoon in 1952. Although Bond immediately showed extraordinarily good taste in automobiles and clothes, his wristwatch wasn?t identified until Fleming?s second novel, Live and Let Die (1954). Bond wears a Rolex in this book, which is not surprising, because Fleming himself wore a Rolex Explorer, Reference 1016, on an extensible Oyster riveted strap. Fleming?s affection for Rolex is apparent in the first James Bond film, where Bond, played by Sean Connery, casually straps on a Rolex Submariner without a date display while hunting the nefarious Dr. No, for whom the movie is named. Reference 6358 has a leather strap here. Film buffs believe that this model was one of Sean Connery?s personal possessions. Rolex Submariner, Ref. 6538
 
1963/1964

James Bond remained faithful to Rolex in his second cinematic adventure, From Russia with Love. The movie shows Connery wearin...