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James Bond in the mid-1980s
Immediately before and after the two Timothy Dalton
films, wristwatch product placements can be ascertained from references
in the closing credits. But The Living Daylights includes
no such acknowledgment; if these watches were supplied to the production
from an original manufacturer, it would have to have been done according
to some curious departure from a practice that recognized
SEIKO in the film just prior (A
View to a Kill, 1985), and
Omega in the one that next followed Dalton’s pair (GoldenEye,
1995).
Most likely, then, James Bond watches for The
Living Daylights were either purchased outright, or provided by
a jeweler or another general properties supplier not further specified
as the wristwatches source.
Watch selection for The Living Daylights
also fell under the context of an intense and challenging effort to
replace Roger Moore in the lead role that he’d held for the previous
seven films, spanning a dozen years. Bond producer Albert R. “Cubby”
Broccoli described this in his autobiography as an urgent time. John
Glen, director of both A View to a Kill and The
Living Daylights wrote for his book, “Despite what you may have
read elsewhere, we really didn’t have a clue who to cast as James Bond
when Roger hung up his gun holster.” So, a very tight 25 months between
premier dates here.
Even after Pierce Brosnan became heir-apparent after a
variety of hopefuls were screen-tested during the summer of 1986, his
deal fell through — leading to the casting of Timothy Dalton that
August: Ten months before the June 1987 opening of The Living
Daylights. Not much time to negotiate and close a product
placement deal, which first assumes that wristwatches would have even
ranked near the top of such an efforts list.
Broccoli wrote of the time that, “we not only needed a
new 007, but an entirely fresh concept for the fifteenth James Bond
film.” Further to this, Glen recalled, “Tim was a serious fan of the Ian
Fleming novels and was keen to incorporate as much of Fleming’s original
characterization as possible…. We had to be bold. Tim referred to the
Fleming novels a lot and I could see he was preparing a characterization
for Bond connoisseurs…. Tim’s input began with the first wardrobe
meeting: when Bond wasn’t wearing the obligatory tux, he wanted a more
casual look, perhaps more in keeping with the times.” Major changes.
Many of them.
It’s been established that Fleming made very effective
use of wristwatch choices to flesh out many important characters in his
original stories. Hugo Drax wore a
Patek Philippe in
Moonraker. For Jed Midnight of the Shadow Syndicate, a
“complicated gold watch on his wrist must have weighed nearly half a
pound” in
Goldfinger. And for Agent 007 himself, a “cheap Japanese
wristwatch that Tiger had provided” told him the time during his
undercover mission (disguised as a poor fisherman) to finally dispatch
his arch-enemy Blofeld in
You Only Live Twice.
SEIKO watches helped define the James Bond role for
Roger Moore through most of his tenure. SEIKO Watch Corporation has
confirmed directly to me in writing that it ceased to be a formal
product placement partner with Eon Productions following A View to
a Kill. So Dalton’s Bond would be fleshed out by some other time
piece brand.
Which one? The door to the next 007 watch stood wide
open.
Go to
"James Bond wore a TAG Heuer
wristwatch," Part I (b) |
