The legendary Oscar-winning actor Sir Sean Connery has passed away. He left behind dozens of films and a unique cultural legacy.
Sean Connery (25 August 1930 - 31 October 2020) died at the age of 90. The famous actor, who gave life to the James Bond character for the first time on the big screen, was also known for cult productions such as Red October, The Name of the Rose, The Untouchables, and The Rock.
Connery, who was given the title of Sir by the Queen of England, has achieved numerous successes and roles in his career of more than 50 years. Among these roles, the best known is undoubtedly the James Bond character. I am sure that James Bond means more than a movie to many of us. Bond, who has always managed to be the most handsome, charismatic, most athletic, adventurous, flirtatious, and luckiest, admires his lifestyle as well as his achievements. Every detail, from the car he drives to the suit he wears, and even the watch he uses, while he accomplishes these missions, is carefully selected.
Speaking of watches, in the first James Bond movie, Dr. No, released in 1962, a Rolex Submariner Ref. 6358 was accompanying the 007. The model’s 38mm stainless steel case was equipped with a plexiglass crystal and was water-resistant to 300 meters. The Ref. 6538, which can be easily distinguished from similar references thanks to its large crown, is still referred to as the original Bond watch today.
James Bond ran from duty to duty with watches of different brands and models in the following years. After Sean Connery, the actors who gave life to the Bond character moved far away from the Rolex tradition. Starting with Pierce Brosnan and continuing with Daniel Craig, the choice of the new generation Bond was Omega. One of the funniest articles I read on social media was about the absurd supply-demand imbalance in today's world of watches. Rumor has it that the producers of the Bond movie decided to sign with Rolex again in 2015, but they are still on the waiting list of authorized dealers!
Going back to Sean Connery, I came across a photo of himself taken with the Panerai Radiomir 8 Days PAM00190 model recently. The model with a 45mm diameter stainless steel case, which was produced in the years when Panerai was not manufacturing in-house movements, featured a hand-wind movement with a power reserve of 8 days, supplied by JLC. The model, which was limited to a span of 1000 units only, came with a very thin case thanks to the superior mechanical engineering of the JLC, t. We will not be exaggerating if we say that PAM00190 is one of the most stylish Panerai models ever. Well, such a fashionable and characterful watch would suit an ikon like Sean Connery.
The world of cinema has lost a great actor, and the generation that can be called middle-age lost one of its idols. We will remember you by the way you look at your Rolex Submariner that was attached to a NATO strap much narrower than the lug-width for some reason while you stepped off your gray Aston Martin. Goodbye Sean Connery, goodbye to the real James Bond.
