Movies set trends in fashion whether we’re talking about clothes or accessories. A good movie is detail-oriented. Accessories such as watches are carefully chosen to match the theme, plot, and even the traits of a specific character. Sometimes watches are easily noticeable in movies, especially when they’re part of tactical gear in action films. On other occasions, they’re more subtle. We’re going to dedicate this post to famous watches in movies and what makes them so amazing.
American Psycho (2000): Rolex Datejust Two-Tone
Not only was American Psycho an amazing movie, but it also torpedoed Christian Bale to an A-list Hollywood star. Although violence and other scenes induce different reactions, one thing all fans of this movie can agree on is that the main character has a great style. Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is stylish and well-groomed, so his choice of watches is impeccable too. Rolex Datejust is a work of art with 41mm, oyster steel, and yellow gold model case, a fluted bezel, and sheer elegance. Interestingly, Rolex agreed to let Christian Bale wear this watch in the movie under one condition – he wasn’t supposed to wear it while committing his despicable acts.
James Bond: Dr. No (1962) – Rolex Submariner 6538
Dr. No is the very first movie in the James Bond franchise. In the movie, James Bond goes to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of a British colleague agent. The plot isn’t the focus here – we’re talking about the Holy Grail of movie watches, i.e., Rolex Submariner 6538. Probably the most prominent feature of Rolex Submariner 6538 is the oversized crown and absence of crown guards. Interestingly, the movie budget was very tight, so the producer of Dr. No allegedly gave Sean Connery (the first James Bond) the watch off of his own wrist. They didn’t even realize Rolex Submariner 6538 was going to become one of the most well-known watches and forever associated with James Bond. The watch was produced between 1954 and 1959, and it appeared in other Bond movies such as From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, and Thunderball. In each film, Connery wears the watch with a different strap combination.
Apollo 13 (1995) – Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch
Starring Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon, Apollo 13 is one of the best space movies ever made. In the movie, the crew wears Omega Speedmaster, the official watch certified by NASA for space flight. The sophisticated watch has been a part of six lunar missions. Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch comes with a black dial covered by a hesalite crystal. The heart of this watch is the brand’s mechanical caliber 1861, a descendant of legendary manual-winding movement worn on the moon.
Apocalypse Now (1979): Seiko 6105
Apocalypse Now is a powerful film that gathered some of the coolest guys in Hollywood, such as Marlon Brando and Martin Sheen. The latter wears Seiko 6105 watch in the movie. Captain Ben Willard’s (Martin Sheen) selection of a watch has a real-world historical background. You see, at that time, many U.S. servicemen wore Seiko 6105 for its style and durability. Today, it’s not that easy to find the original watch, but Seiko built a recreation of this timepiece with a modern movement.
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) – Rolex Day-Date President
Glengarry Glen Ross revolves around two days in the lives of four real estate salesmen who are trying to save their jobs and revenues in the stressful situation when they’re told only two salesmen won’t be fired. Alec Baldwin plays an outside executive from downtown, and as a powerful figure, he wears a watch that matches his status – Rolex Day-Date timepiece. Rolex Day-Date is considered, to this day, the ultimate watch of prestige and power, which is why many wealthy persons wear it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrhSLf0I-HM&t=83s
JAWS (1975) – Alsta Nautoscaph Superautomatic
Richard Dreyfuss immortalized the Alsta Nautoscaph in the 1975 Spielberg blockbuster JAWS. while hunting the man-eating shark terrorizing Amity, oceanographer Matt Hooper sported the now-iconic diver along with a metal ‘porthole’ style bracelet. This watch is easily recognizable and JAWS was credited with helping Alsta reach a much larger audience. We re-released this model in 2019 in our effort to bring the romance back to sports watches. Interested in learning more about the Nautoscaph – or any of the Alsta models? Check them out here.
