How James Bond turned the Rolex Submariner into an icon

The other day, a friend of mine, in a suitably iconoclastic mood, exclaimed, “What’s the big deal about James Bond? Sean Connery wearing the Rolex Submariner in a publicity still from Dr. No The Dive Icon What you’re looking at is, for most enthusiasts of horology, simply the most important watch ever made. Both brands, of course went to town with full page James Bond’s watches The writer of the Bond books, Ian Fleming was a Rolex wearer, the owner of at least one Rolex Explorer. Before Bond, no one would ever dream of wearing a dive watch with a tuxedo, for example, while if you’re out for a swim with Honey Rider, well, of course! Connery’s Bond used the Sub to basically tell the time, though later Roger Moore’s Bond would use another Sub, the reference 5513, to both act as a magnet and as a tiny saw in Live and Let Die.