What would James Bond be without his watches? Whether Rolex, Omega or even Seiko: the agent’s timepieces have played an important role for decades. This is not only of great importance for the respective brands, but also for the films. Because watches speak their own language. With certain models, subtle (or very obvious) messages can be sent.
So, when you look at Jonah Hill’s wrist in “The Wolf of Wall Street,” it immediately becomes clear where you are in relation to him: a gold Rolex is somehow part of the outfit of a rich stock trader.
Sometimes watches also take up the theme of a film. For example, in “Le Mans 66” Matt Damon could actually wear nothing other than a chronograph to measure the time in car races. The props makers chose a Tag Heuer Carrera 7753 SN.
Famous films help some watches gain worldwide fame
For collectors, the movie watches are both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, the often highly visible appearances arouse desire and make the models sought after – on the other hand, the watches are put in the spotlight and the price rises.
This effect is sometimes quite limited. For example, if you want to own Captain Benjamin L. Willard’s (Martin Sheen) Seiko from “Apocalypse Now”, you can get away with it relatively cheaply at around 2000 euros.
Things are very different when you look at the watches of icons such as Paul Newman or Steve McQueen – originals can easily fetch seven-figure prices. This could be the case again with a Tag Heuer Monaco in December, for example, when a watch that McQueen actually wore in the film “Le Mans” goes on sale for the first time in more than 50 years (find out more here).
Other legendary models have long since made history. For example, Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona, which was sold some time ago for 17.7 million US dollars, is still considered the most expensive wristwatch in the world. Without the actor and the film, the model would certainly be quite expensive, but the price is probably far from this dizzying record.
A selection of watches worn by actors in famous films can be found in the gallery.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
