A few weeks ago, famed Scottish actor Sean Connery passed away at the age of 90. Connery was best-known for his role as the original James Bond, a role that would go on to define not just his career but an entire film franchise. However, Connery can also be credited with the popularity of one of the world’s most iconic watches, the perfect fake Rolex Submariner.
Now, if you’re a Bond fan, you’re probably well aware that Connery wore the Submariner. But what you might not know is that it was never supposed to be that way. As a matter of fact, in the Ian Fleming novels, Bond wears a quality fake Rolex Oyster, not a Submariner. This makes sense, if you think about it. Bond is a spy, and the Oyster is a formal, but understated watch. The Submariner is eye-catching. Not only that, but in the early 1960s, tool watches had not yet caught on as a fashion trend. The Submariner was a rare watch, used only by actual divers.
But on the first day of filming, someone in the props department had failed to get a watch for Connery. Director Terence Young was willing to settle for a Rolex, any Rolex, and someone on the beach was wearing a Submariner. A legend was born, and while Bond has worn Seikos in the 80s, Agent 007 has returned to the Submariner again and again.
The original Bond Submariner sold for $567,000 in 2018. That’s pretty impressive, but its value is likely to increase in the future. What might we expect? If we’re going to make any comparisons, let’s look at the most expensive watch ever sold: the 1:1 best replica Paul Newman Rolex Daytona.
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