Gruen Precision 510 and James Bond
Gruen Precision 510 and James Bond
The James Bond Connection
If you look carefully, the Gruen 510 was the first watch to be worn on set during pre-production and the first day of shooting in the casino scene and when arriving at the airport in Jamaica. The casino is where Sean Connery uttered his introduction, “Bond, James Bond,” The watch is barely visible under his shirt cuff and can be seen while dealing.
The watch worn by Connery as 007, was the Precision 510 featuring a 17-jewel movement. The 34 millimeter gold-filled case was infact average for the time period, most watches were between 32mm and 37mm. The watch features a small bezel surrounding an elegant, classic, white dial. This model features Arabic numbers for 12, 3 and 9 o’clock; the 6 o’clock position is covered by a large sub-seconds dial while the other hours are index markers.
This dress watch is what the gentlemen of the day, 1962, would wear with their tuxedos. It would have been inappropriate to have Bond wearing a diver’s watch while dressed in a tuxedo. Wearing a Rolex Submariner, on the other hand, fit the bold and adventurous activities Bond took part in. Over the years, the Bond watches have continued to reflect the changing times in wrist wear and style while staying true to Bond’s style.
