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Movie Time: The Most Iconic Watches In Cinema
Slide Nr 1It may or may not be true that the clothes make the (wo)man, but on the silver screen, costuming sure does a lot of heavy lifting. From Holly Golightly’s little black dress to Freddy Krueger’s striped sweater and everything in between, some of Hollywood’s most iconic heroes and villains have been defined by their duds. The same is true in the timepiece department. A great watch speaks volumes, and some do it so well they become movie stars in their own right. Read on for our list of cinema’s ten most famous watches – and see how you can recreate the look without breaking the bank.
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Movie Time: The Most Iconic Watches In Cinema.
Slide Nr 2James Bond’s Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538 – Where else could we start than with the most famous watch brand’s most famous watch, worn by the most famous movie character of all time? 007 wore three models of Rolex’s Submariner across eight films, but it is the beautiful Ref. 6538 that will forever be known as the ‘Bond Sub’. These days, you’ll be lucky to get much change out of USD100,000 for an example in good condition, but fear not: sister company Tudor has you covered. Their Black Bay 58 is a wonderful vintage reissue with lashings of retro charm for less than USD4,000.
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Movie Time: The Most Iconic Watches In Cinema.
Slide Nr 3Steve McQueen’s TAG Heuer Monaco – One of the most effective product placements ever executed, Heuer’s avant-garde Monaco hit the big time after King of Cool Steve McQueen wore his during the high-octane 1971 outing Le Mans. The innovative, square-cased model was the perfect match for the maverick actor, and the two legends have since become synonymous. TAG Heuer now offers a faithful reproduction of that original, complete with blue dial and left-hand crown, for around USD8,000. However, for just USD400 or so, Hugo Boss has a stealthy all-black alternative.
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Movie Time: The Most Iconic Watches In Cinema.
Slide Nr 4Gordon Gekko’s Santos de Cartier – Released in 1904, the Santos de Cartier is usually accepted as the world’s first wristwatch made for men. By the time ruthless uber-yuppie Gordon Gekko wore one in 1987’s Wall Street, it was among horology’s most revered and diverse creations. Like the Monaco, the Santos is a square model – although more dress than sports watch – and Gekko’s example, called the ‘Or Massif’ or ‘Massive Gold’, was opulence personified in its full 18kt glory. No longer in production, you will have to pay at least USD10,000 for a pre-owned example. Alternatively, take a look at the Seiko Mod Santos collection, a series of homages to the original starting at around USD300.
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Movie Time: The Most Iconic Watches In Cinema.
Slide Nr 5Men in Black’s Hamilton Ventura – It may be able to trace its roots back to the 1950s, but Hamilton’s Ventura has managed to look futuristic for the last 70 years. That distinctive boomerang shape came from styling consultant Richard Arbib, who apparently based it on one of his bomb designs for the US military in WWII. Since 1997, the Ventura has been as much a part of the MIB’s uniform as the black suit and cool shades, but its legacy goes back even further than that; the watch was a personal favourite of one Elvis Presley.
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Movie Time: The Most Iconic Watches In Cinema.
Slide Nr 6Bruce Wayne’s Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso – What better choice for an ultra-wealthy playboy concealing a crime-fighting alter ego than JLC’s glorious Reverso? Dreamt up in the 1930s for British Army officers serving in India, the reversible dial was designed to protect the watch face during polo matches. Now seen as a masterpiece of Art Deco design, it remains just about the most achingly stylish watch there is. The Reverso Grande Date 8 Days worn by Christian Bale in Batman Begins is now discontinued, with pre-owned pieces going for around USD7,000. For all that panache without the billionaire price tag, check out the Vario Versa, a beautiful homage for about USD400.
[Image courtesy of The Watch Club]
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Movie Time: The Most Iconic Watches In Cinema.
Slide Nr 7Marty McFly’s Casio CA-53W – How’s this for some nerd-chic nostalgia? Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly became a Gen X style icon in Back to the Future, from his ‘life preserver’ puffer vest right down to his space-aged Casio CA-53W calculator watch. The compact wrist computer served McFly faithfully in both 1985 and 1955, and is still available today from Casio’s Vintage Collection. And the price for this trip down memory lane? About USD20! Great Scott!
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Movie Time: The Most Iconic Watches In Cinema.
Slide Nr 8Patrick Bateman’s Rolex Datejust – Even if he hadn’t been a demented serial killer, American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman would still be one of cinema’s all-time most odious characters. Played to perfection by Christian Bale (again), Bateman was always clad in the armor of the quintessential ‘80s yuppie. And underneath the Valentino overcoats and Armani suits was the only watch he could possibly have: a two-tone Rolex Datejust. Except, it wasn’t. With Rolex refusing permission, Bale instead wore a Seiko SNXJ90, similar in most ways bar the cost. The Rolex is about USD4,000 these days, while the Seiko goes for less than USD500.
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Movie Time: The Most Iconic Watches In Cinema.
Slide Nr 9Sylvester Stallone’s Panerai Luminor – One would hope Sly gets at least a Christmas card from Panerai every year. The Hollywood action hero completely transformed the fortunes of the Italian marque in the 1990s, when he wore their Luminor model extensively throughout his movie Daylight. Stallone’s patronage elevated the brand into the stratosphere overnight and kicked off the entire oversized watch trend at the same time. The Luminor collection is now some 50-plus strong, with prices starting at USD5,600. But for all that iconic design at a fraction of the cost, check out Citizen’s Grand Touring Sport for less than USD1,000.
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Movie Time: The Most Iconic Watches In Cinema.
Slide Nr 10Apollo 13’s Omega Speedmaster – No watch has been more intertwined with the wonders of space travel than Omega’s Speedmaster. The legendary chronograph became NASA’s official timepiece in 1965, and it has been on every one of the space agency’s missions since. In 1970, it was instrumental in helping Apollo 13 return safely to Earth, precisely timing the stricken spacecraft’s fuel burn – an event immortalised in the eponymous 1995 movie. Today, a ‘Moonwatch’ can be yours for around USD8,000. Or, for a more affordable but no less qualified alternative, there’s Fortis’s Novonaut – the updated version of Russia’s official cosmonaut watch – at just under USD5,000.
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Movie Time: The Most Iconic Watches In Cinema.
Slide Nr 11The Driver’s Patek Philippe Calatrava – 2011’s Drive tells the story of its unnamed protagonist’s (Ryan Gosling) moonlighting escapades as a wheelman for the mob. His one rule? The gangsters get precisely five minutes to commit their nefarious acts before he leaves them behind – a window he times with his heirloom Patek Philippe Calatrava. As such, the watch takes on a starring role of its own, but sadly, all is not as it seems. Although based on the Patek 5196G, the piece is actually a movie prop, due to the fact that the real thing costs upwards of USD20,000 each, and filming was likely to break several of them. If you don’t fancy spending that sort of money but want something equally sophisticated, take a look at the beautiful Longines Master Collection Small Seconds, with prices starting at USD2,500.
[Image courtesy of The Watch Club]
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