Thanks guys. @The Red Kind - I'm glad you mentioned the strap on the Rolex because I was never sure I’d done the right thing by putting that on it. I like it myself but constantly wonder if there’s something better for it!
@emtiem - I love the slight chunkiness of the AT too! I know a lot of people don’t, but it makes it feel more like somewhere between a sports watch and a dress watch and I love that about it.
That's really nice; I've not heard of that before. It made me think of the Smiths too but I might even prefer it. And they actually seem to let people buy it, which is an advantage! 😁
I know it's ancient news to many, but new to me thanks to imranbecks, and I thought others might not know it: the Skyfall Planet Ocean had a version especially made in titanium for the film. Pretty special indeed. And look how much it made at auction! 😁
Rather than making a new thread I'll just post in here instead: But on the subject of the Gruen used in Connery's tenure, how do we actually know it's the exact model that's being posted on various blogs and websites?
All info I've found can be summed up to "after years of research it can be determined to be the Gruen caliber 510" and then with the watch listed in the picture below. With that said, if I'm allowed to be a bit critical: There are several variants of the 510, also I'm somewhat sceptical to how we got to that conclusion in the first place? As there is no clear view of the watch at all other than the rough shape of the case and color of the metal/dial.
Asp9mmOver the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,485MI6 Agent
edited October 2022
This has been discussed many times. With UHD now available for Connerys films it’s very doubtful it’s a Gruen. More likely a Smiths. Gruen was just a brand a member here picked out of the air and ran with it like a loon on numerous magazine articles that gained prominence. There is no evidence at all. And as it’s an obscure US brand not available over here, and Smiths being very prevalent within U.K. society at the time, odds are it was a Smiths deluxe. The odds of it being a Gruen are lower than Connery wearing bright yellow Y-fronts with brown piping during his entire Bond tenure. The exact make and model we will never know though. Watch that is, not Y-fronts.
Finally an awnser that makes sense. I assumed one of two things: Either there was some behind the scenes photos where we can clearly see the watch, or what you just mentioned.
Asp9mmOver the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,485MI6 Agent
Sadly there are no behind the scenes photos. There are some clearer images. But you can’t make out any dial detail at all. Loads of us have spent years, and I mean over a decade now, in getting to the bottom of the story. But the long and short of it, is that a Gruen being used makes absolutely no sense. It was chosen by an eager amateur American watch enthusiast years ago, he had never heard of Smiths and had/has no idea of the watch market within the U.K. Its like a Russian watch fan watching it and saying it was a Vostok.
It's almost sad considering the second hand market. I've watched the Gruen somewhat regularly and the majority of them are listed as "James Bond 510 watch" (even though this apply to several different models, if you are to judge from c24/ebay) and from what I can tell, the 510 seen in the picture have gone from €250-€500, to borderline Seamaster 300 Quartz money.
Sure it's a nice watch, but I can't see anything other than the "Bond-Branding" as the reason for the rapid increse in price, and to know it is all based on bad assumption?
I might be wrong but he seems to be wearing a similar watch in the famous tailoring shots, not sure if it's the same one or if it's even possible to tell. It's not impossible that it may be a watch from overseas as he had worked on a Disney film in the US by that point, but as mentioned above, it's all just guesswork and better to go with what's more likely.
Not really the best thread for it probably, but I was just reading about Joe Caroff, the man who designed the 007 logo, and apparently for his 100th birthday last year Eon sent him a watch engraved '007', and I would imagine it's the one he's wearing here as it's rather recognisable!
(He designed the West Side Story logo too of course)
I’ve yet to see a side by side photo of a Gruen next to a still or photo of Connery wearing the watch that actually demonstrates they are visibly similar.
I don't know how many use the and have received Kristian's email regarding the NATO copyright issue. Sounds crazy and must be so frustrating.. for these small businesses😤
As you may have noticed, Shopify suspended our store this week due to an alleged trademark infringement. So it turns out that some 'clever' chap has managed to trademark the word 'NATO' for watch and watchstrap related products. So a NATO strap in the USA can't be called a NATO Strap unless you have permission to use the name from the trademark owner. I know, right?
The guy who owns the trademark is Ron E Sabo through his company International Watchman Inc and he has successfully defended his trademark for the last 20 years from lots of watchstrap makers and sellers in the USA and he has sued them and won.
Good or bad and whether you agree with it or not, its pretty clear that we cannot trade in the USA unless we pay this guy.
Also because the word NATO is in our domain name even though we are a UK company and the trademark is for the USA only, if we continue to trade under the name NATOSTRAPSTORE he can attempt to sue us and Shopify could close us down.
So today we very sadly have to say goodbye to our U.S customers as we can no longer sell in the USA unless we pay Ron. E Sabo of Brunswick, Ohio money.
Further to that we have had to change the name of the store and the domain to NOTOSTRAPSTORE.
So we can continue to sell NATO straps in the UK and worldwide but not in the USA.
Thanks for bearing with us during this very stressful time
Jeez why would anyone buy watch straps from this clown. 5 minutes of googling finds he has a criminal record for being a sex offender. The International Watchman website looks like its stuck in 1993 and his Facebook "shop" looks half assed. This guy deserves to go out of business with this ludicrous stunt.
Comments
Thanks guys. @The Red Kind - I'm glad you mentioned the strap on the Rolex because I was never sure I’d done the right thing by putting that on it. I like it myself but constantly wonder if there’s something better for it!
@emtiem - I love the slight chunkiness of the AT too! I know a lot of people don’t, but it makes it feel more like somewhere between a sports watch and a dress watch and I love that about it.
Just picked this up. A great little watch from Zeno-Watch Basel. The Super Precision.
38mm, Swiss auto NOS movement from the 70s, and a really cool retro vintage feel about it.
An excellent alternative to the Smiths Everest or Tudor Ranger.
Love it.
Nice to get these back in collection.
Minters.
Happy Watch Porn Wednesday. 😊
Instagram: Classy Tourist
Brand new purchase @DCM? Nice😎
@The Red Kind I actually bought it back in January, but haven't really started wearing it (a lot) until recently.
Instagram: Classy Tourist
That's really nice; I've not heard of that before. It made me think of the Smiths too but I might even prefer it. And they actually seem to let people buy it, which is an advantage! 😁
As it’s Wednesday…
An interesting and informed Podcast debating ‘the best Bond watch’.
Well worth viewing and with a very interesting discussion on the cost of Omega’s tie-in.
https://youtu.be/LtVpCA8LTCo
Interesting how little attention is paid to the Submariners in that video. Pretty cool that the TLD Heuer gets quite a bit love though.
I know it's ancient news to many, but new to me thanks to imranbecks, and I thought others might not know it: the Skyfall Planet Ocean had a version especially made in titanium for the film. Pretty special indeed. And look how much it made at auction! 😁
I wonder if that's partly why Mr Craig may have specced the NTTD in titanium.
Yes some forum members have made the Titanium version using 2 diff PO models
Oh wow that's very cool.
arrived on Wednesday, so hope that this is on-topic
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Does it come in green? :)
Interesting 😎
Of course!!
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Looks blue to me 😊
i changed the strap on my Steinhart Ocean Vintage Military…
Amazing how just changing a strap can change the whole personality of a watch.
Rather than making a new thread I'll just post in here instead: But on the subject of the Gruen used in Connery's tenure, how do we actually know it's the exact model that's being posted on various blogs and websites?
All info I've found can be summed up to "after years of research it can be determined to be the Gruen caliber 510" and then with the watch listed in the picture below. With that said, if I'm allowed to be a bit critical: There are several variants of the 510, also I'm somewhat sceptical to how we got to that conclusion in the first place? As there is no clear view of the watch at all other than the rough shape of the case and color of the metal/dial.
This has been discussed many times. With UHD now available for Connerys films it’s very doubtful it’s a Gruen. More likely a Smiths. Gruen was just a brand a member here picked out of the air and ran with it like a loon on numerous magazine articles that gained prominence. There is no evidence at all. And as it’s an obscure US brand not available over here, and Smiths being very prevalent within U.K. society at the time, odds are it was a Smiths deluxe. The odds of it being a Gruen are lower than Connery wearing bright yellow Y-fronts with brown piping during his entire Bond tenure. The exact make and model we will never know though. Watch that is, not Y-fronts.
Finally an awnser that makes sense. I assumed one of two things: Either there was some behind the scenes photos where we can clearly see the watch, or what you just mentioned.
Sadly there are no behind the scenes photos. There are some clearer images. But you can’t make out any dial detail at all. Loads of us have spent years, and I mean over a decade now, in getting to the bottom of the story. But the long and short of it, is that a Gruen being used makes absolutely no sense. It was chosen by an eager amateur American watch enthusiast years ago, he had never heard of Smiths and had/has no idea of the watch market within the U.K. Its like a Russian watch fan watching it and saying it was a Vostok.
It's almost sad considering the second hand market. I've watched the Gruen somewhat regularly and the majority of them are listed as "James Bond 510 watch" (even though this apply to several different models, if you are to judge from c24/ebay) and from what I can tell, the 510 seen in the picture have gone from €250-€500, to borderline Seamaster 300 Quartz money.
Sure it's a nice watch, but I can't see anything other than the "Bond-Branding" as the reason for the rapid increse in price, and to know it is all based on bad assumption?
Not only this, but the style of watch is nothing unusual, so it could be just about any widely available European make.
I have always advocated the idea that it was a Zenith, and this has nothing to do with the fact that I own one. 😜 This is not mine, but similar.
-Mr Arlington Beech
I might be wrong but he seems to be wearing a similar watch in the famous tailoring shots, not sure if it's the same one or if it's even possible to tell. It's not impossible that it may be a watch from overseas as he had worked on a Disney film in the US by that point, but as mentioned above, it's all just guesswork and better to go with what's more likely.
Not really the best thread for it probably, but I was just reading about Joe Caroff, the man who designed the 007 logo, and apparently for his 100th birthday last year Eon sent him a watch engraved '007', and I would imagine it's the one he's wearing here as it's rather recognisable!
(He designed the West Side Story logo too of course)
I’ve yet to see a side by side photo of a Gruen next to a still or photo of Connery wearing the watch that actually demonstrates they are visibly similar.
I don't know how many use the and have received Kristian's email regarding the NATO copyright issue. Sounds crazy and must be so frustrating.. for these small businesses😤
Not sure how the big boys get round it? Eg OMEGA; https://www.omegawatches.com/en-gb/?search=nato
Dear customer,
First the good news:
Our store is back and open again.
As you may have noticed, Shopify suspended our store this week due to an alleged trademark infringement. So it turns out that some 'clever' chap has managed to trademark the word 'NATO' for watch and watchstrap related products. So a NATO strap in the USA can't be called a NATO Strap unless you have permission to use the name from the trademark owner. I know, right?
The guy who owns the trademark is Ron E Sabo through his company International Watchman Inc and he has successfully defended his trademark for the last 20 years from lots of watchstrap makers and sellers in the USA and he has sued them and won.
Good or bad and whether you agree with it or not, its pretty clear that we cannot trade in the USA unless we pay this guy.
Also because the word NATO is in our domain name even though we are a UK company and the trademark is for the USA only, if we continue to trade under the name NATOSTRAPSTORE he can attempt to sue us and Shopify could close us down.
So today we very sadly have to say goodbye to our U.S customers as we can no longer sell in the USA unless we pay Ron. E Sabo of Brunswick, Ohio money.
Further to that we have had to change the name of the store and the domain to NOTOSTRAPSTORE.
So we can continue to sell NATO straps in the UK and worldwide but not in the USA.
Thanks for bearing with us during this very stressful time
Kristian
NOTOSTRAPSTORE.COM
Jeez why would anyone buy watch straps from this clown. 5 minutes of googling finds he has a criminal record for being a sex offender. The International Watchman website looks like its stuck in 1993 and his Facebook "shop" looks half assed. This guy deserves to go out of business with this ludicrous stunt.