Ian would have enjoyed the idea of displaying his own Oyster Perpetual as part of an exhibition of James Bond watches. He was fascinated by mechanical things and always wanted the best.
As the fans well-know, Ian Fleming drew from his personal life and tastes when creating the details of Agent 007's personal preferences. This Rolex was Ian's first and only, and important enough for him to have kept to the end. So now visitors can see the particular wristwatch that he "gave" Bond to wear in the On Her Majesty's Secret Service book.
I further think that Ian would have been pleased with all the other watches and the creative uses to which they have been put in the movies throughout the years that have followed.
It is wonderful to see the James Bond legacy presented through the watches that this character has worn. It is further most gratifying to see Ian's Explorer 1016 displayed as the origin of this long and continuous chronology. Collectors and the public will learn a lot through this exhibition.
Fionn Morgan made this formal statement for attribution to Dell Deaton on April 8, 2009.
Leading up to that conversation, Ms. Morgan also shared the following personal thoughts with Mr. Deaton, further putting the Ian Fleming / original James Bond wristwatch in context.
I never gave Ian's watch a thought until the day I collected Mama's things from the bank after her death. And then, as you know, occurred the incident of picking it up and finding it going. Everyone asks: Was it telling the right time, and, again, as you know, that would be asking too much....
The watch is important to me because it belonged to Ian, whom I loved. I scarcely knew my father who, alas, was killed in Italy in 1944. Ian I knew, and [he] liked my father. Unlike Esmond Rothermere ... Ian had taken an interest in his future stepdaughter since she was four years old. He did not become my stepfather until I was fifteen. By then we were firm friends and he did his best to be a father in place of his friend, Shane O'Neill.
To her, the fundamental importance of this Rolex model 1016 Explorer watch is the man who owned and wore it — what that man meant to her.
"Bond Watches, James Bond
Watches" will be a special display at the National Watch & Clock Museum
in Columbia, Pennsylvania, scheduled for June 2010 through May 2011.
NAWCC member Dell Deaton is serving as Guest Curator. The exhibit will
also include examples of the watches worn throughout the James Bond
novels and motion pictures.
The National Watch and Clock Museum is operated by the National
Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, Inc. ("NAWCC"), a nonprofit 501(c)(3)
association with close to 21,000 members, representing 52 countries.
[link]
Index to "Bond Watches, James Bond Watches" exhibit information on James Bond Watches
Posted by Dell Deaton,
July 26, 2009 at 2:22 PM
Updated December 14, 2009 at 3:41 PM
Legal
Copyright © 2010 - 2006 Dell Deaton and Proteus
Publishing. Published in USA. All Rights
Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or
by any means without written permission from its owner. In particular
please note that no image may be used for commercial purposes without
prior written consent.
All users of this site agree to its Terms of Use.
Terms of Use: In addition to all other provisions stated, use of this
site is at users' sole risk. This site is provided on an "as is" and "as
available" basis. This site expressly disclaims all warranties of any
kind, whether expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the
implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose,
and non-infringement. All users represent that they are of legal age to
view and use the content of this site, and are not persons barred from
receiving services and information included herein under the laws of the
United States or other applicable jurisdictions.
Disclaimer: This website is an independent effort and is in no way related to the
official production companies, manufacturers, or brands referenced
hereon. Owners of this site acknowledge the intellectual and proprietary
rights of all holders referenced herein.
007 (gun barrel logo) and related James Bond Trademarks © 2008 - 1962 Danjaq and United Artists Corporation. All rights reserved. 007 (gun
barrel logo) and related Trademarks are trademarks of Danjaq, LLC,
licensed by EON Productions Limited. This site is in no way associated
with the Rolex Watch Company, Limited, Geneva, Switzerland, nor with any
of its associated companies nor any serving employee, nor has any
assistance or authorization to produce this work been received from any
of the above.
07/28/2010 08:22 AM