Summer 2024

The Bond Films 1962-2021 Ian Fleming, author of the Bond novels, always cast 007 in a beefy Rolex Oyster or Submariner, while for the past 28 years, most film fans associate Bond with an Omega. A 1960s Rolex Submariner cost $90 in the 1960s. It sold for a cool mil- lion at Christie’s auction in 2018 and just recently, a rare Split-Seconds Rolex fetched $3.5 million in Monaco. “Bullet Train” 2022 A fast-moving assassin group is aboard a fast train in this film, starring Brad Pitt, Joey King and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. However, watch this film again to see the real stars of this crazy mix of characters—the watches. King in a classic Cartier Tank Solo, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in a rare 1940s Rolex Oyster Bubbleback Perpetual, while Pitt flashes the most outrageous watch of all, a Breitling AVI in a stainless steel classic with a black leather strap. A Cartier Tank Solo is priced between $2,300-$6,499; a 1940s vintage Rolex Oyster is priced between $5,600-$38,000; and the Breitling is priced between $5,800-$41,950. “The Gray Man” 2022 The hottest actor on the scene today, Ryan Gosling, captivates with his red blazer and fast moves while sporting a stainless steel 39mm Carrera with a silver-grey dial and Super-Luminova filled hands and markers and Tag Heuer’s Calibre 5 automatic movement. Best spy watch ever. Priced at around $6,450. “Oppenheimer” 2023 Director Christopher Nolan is passionate about bringing watches to the silver screen in his films. In “Oppenheimer,” actor Cillian Murphy wore three distinct Hamilton watches in a span of over 40 years from the 1920s to the 1960s. A Cushion B, an Endicott and a Lexington.They were actual vintage models pulled from the Hamilton archives. The watches of old were extraordinarily elegant with designs that resembled the fluid lines of a classic car. Their evolution over the years went from manual wind movements to quartz. From inaccurate timing to precise. And ultimately to a watch that acts as a cell phone, a computer, withWi-Fi and Bluetooth, making the traditional wristwatch secondary to a generation that has, until now, lost the necessity to wear a timepiece. But the power of the watch is still strong and in the spotlight of the films we love, defining great moments and framing definitions of time. And always with flair and bravado and significance. Here’s to the beautiful people who still wear an amazing watch while looking at their phones to check the time. Marjorie Snow is a published writer and photographer with a vast knowl- edge of antiques and their history. Snow was the owner of Terra Cotta in Las Vegas, an exclusive architectural vintage gallery, which has been featured in numerous West Coast magazines. Clockwise: Ladies’ gold Waltham “Premier” watch; 1940s Helbros men’s watch with a square tank shape and original brown leather strap; men’s Bulova “Arnold” watch from the 1940s in original box; men’s 10K Elgin watch. C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 109