In 2022, Omega released the Omega Seamaster James Bond 60th Anniversary watch to celebrate 60 years since the first Bond film Dr. No.

The 42mm Seamaster Diver 300M has a stainless steel case with blue dial with laser engraved waves, inspired by the first-ever Omega watch that James Bond wore in the 1995 movie GoldenEye. 

A commemorative "60" replaces the diving scale’s traditional inverted triangle on the top of the bezel. The watch doesn't have a Date window.

A unique feature of the Omega Seamaster 60 Years of Bond watch is the exclusive animated caseback with Bond in silhouette and a spinning gun barrel design. This dynamic scene plays out beneath the sapphire, decorated with micro-structured metallisation. The patent-pending “moiré” effect animation is linked to the running of the lollipop central seconds hand, so the action never stops.

The watch is still available new and pre-owned at the following stores:

OMEGA $8,300 (New)

JomaShop $7,750 (New - Use code BOND60 to get $60 OFF)

Bob’s Watches $8,595 (Pre-owned)

Bob’s Watches $8,695 (Pre-owned)

eBay $6,999 - $8,999 (Pre-owned and New)

Adding texture to the metallic look is a brushed stainless steel bracelet, in the same elegant mesh style as Bond’s titanium watch in No Time To Die.

The watch is presented in a blue wooden box with three dots inspired by the classic Bond movie opening sequence, including a secret push button on the right.

All Sean Connery films will be available for the first time on 4K Ultra HD in a limited edition exclusive Steelbook Library Case.

007: James Bond - Sean Connery 6-Film Collection - Limited Edition Steelbook Library Case

The steelbooks are housed in a Steelbook Library Case (pictured above).

The collection includes 6 Steelbooks featuring unique art, all six 007: Sean Connery films on 4K Ultra HD and Digital.

The Steelbook Collector's set will be released in June 2025.

Pre-order on Amazon ($139.99)

Standard Edition

The 4K films will also be available in a more simple box without the steelbooks. 

The standard edition has a different cover design.

The Standard Edition will also include digital copies of each film, alongside the 4K versions.

Release date: June 10, 2025

Pre-order on Amazon

The set includes these 6 James Bond EON-produced Sean Connery films (so Never Say Never Again is not included):

DR. NO

His name is Bond, James Bond. And here, in his explosive film debut, Ian Fleming’s immortal action hero blazes through one of his most spectacular adventures. Sean Connery embodies the suave-yet-lethal cool of Agent 007 as he battles the mysterious Dr. No, a scientific genius bent on destroying the U.S. space program.

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Sean Connery returns as James Bond in this thrill-a-minute adventure featuring remarkable villains, beautiful women and exotic locales! This time, Bond squares off against the evil SPECTRE organization, thrusting him into a thrilling boat chase, a brutal helicopter attack and a deadly brawl aboard the Orient Express.

GOLDFINGER

From the opening bomb blast outside a steamy nightclub to a last-minute escape from the president’s personal jet, James Bond’s third screen adventure is an exhilarating, pulse-pounding thrill ride! Sean Connery returns as Agent 007 and faces off with a maniacal villain bent on destroying all the gold in Fort Knox — and obliterating the world economy!

THUNDERBALL

The thrills never let up as James Bond dives into this riveting adventure filled with explosive confrontations and amazing underwater action! Sean Connery brings his characteristic style and magnetism to Agent 007 as he travels to Nassau to track down a villainous criminal who is threatening to plunge the world into a nuclear holocaust.

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

A disaster in space pushes humankind toward World War III, and only James Bond can prevent it in this magnificent, pull-out-all-the-stops movie spectacular. Sean Connery returns as Agent 007, who travels to Japan to stop the evil SPECTRE organization and its diabolical leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Donald Pleasence), from instigating global warfare from his massive headquarters in an inactive volcano.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

A fortune in stolen diamonds thrusts James Bond into action in this thrilling adventure! Sean Connery returns as Agent 007 and teams up with the beautiful Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) to prevent his nemesis Blofeld (Charles Gray) from using the diamonds in a deadly laser satellite.

The Blofeld Files - The Making of the Iconic Alpine Sequence in the James Bond Movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, gives a detailed account of the filming of one of the most acclaimed Bond films, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and features forewords by Bond actor George Lazenby and Steven Saltzman.

This is the second James Bond book by Steffen Appel and Peter Waelty, who also released The Goldfinger Files.

The book includes a guide to key movie locations as they were and are today.

Shot over seven months in Switzerland, the production transformed the Swiss Alps into a sprawling, open-air studio. The Schilthorn summit station in the Bernese Alps was extensively modified and renamed Piz Gloria, Blofeld’s lair. But perhaps the most drastic transformation of the natural landscape occurred when 200,000 cubic meters of ice and snow were blasted from the Tschingelgrat to create the avalanche described in the novel – without official permission.

This book uncovers untold and forgotten stories and documents, presenting over 700 photographs – the vast majority published here for the first time. 

The Blofeld Files is both a photo book and a historical document, situating the film's production within the vibrant sociocultural context of the late 1960s.

Avoiding reliance on official set photography, it offers an intimate, candid, and authentic glimpse into the world of Bond’s creators and the era’s distinctive atmosphere, both on and off the set.

Authors: Peter Waelty, Steffen Appel
Forewords by: George Lazenby and Steven Saltzman
Format: 368 pages, 713 illustrations, five-color print
Language: English
Details: Hardcover, 27 x 33 cm, purple-edged pages
Retail Price: €99 / CHF 105
Publisher: Edition Bleuchamp, 2025
ISBN: 978-3-00-081725-0

The book can be ordered at www.theblofeldfiles.com

Prop Store is offering a unique set of Disco Volante yacht instruments from the Bond film Thunderball.

The lot is part of an Online Entertainment Memorabilia Auction - London Spring 2025, which includes several other Bond memorabilia and ends on April 23rd 2025.

The Prop Store lot comprises two marine radiotelephones - Heath Built Models MWW-14 and MWW-13A - and a Heathkit Depth Sounder Model M1-11A. These items can be seen in the film Thunderball on the Disco Volante yacht.

SPECTRE operative Emilio Largo's luxury hydrofoil yacht was used in the seizure of two nuclear warheads and later served as the setting for the final fight between Bond (Sean Connery) and Largo.

The Heathkit Depth Sounder MI-11A screen-matches through distinctive markings on the front and underside. 

The Heath Built Marine Radiotelephone Model MWW-13A can be spotted on board the yacht when Bond descends from the steps.

The Heath Built Marine Radiotelephone Model MWW-14 can be spotted on board the yacht in the background when Largo steers the ship.

All three pieces have wear from age and use, including scuffs and scratches.

Other items in the online auction include a selection of crew gifts, props and replicas.

Head over to Prop Store and put in your online bid before April 23, 2025.

Amazon MGM Studios presented their plans for the near future at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas on Wednesday, 2 April and Bond 26 was mentioned briefly in a short statement.

Although there wasn't any specific news about actors or a title, Amazon MGM Studios started work on the movie and announced that the new Bond producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are currently in London working on the film. 

“We are committed to honoring the legacy of this iconic character while bringing a fresh, exotic new chapter to audiences around the world alongside Amy [Pascal] and David [Heyman],” the studio’s executives Courtenay Valenti and Sue Kroll said on stage at Caesars Palace. “They’re both in London getting started and couldn’t be here tonight, but we wanted to thank them for what we know to make an incredible partnership.”

James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) wears a pair of Church's Cartmel black leather shoes in the movie Die Another Day (2002).

Bond wears the black calf derby shoes in the London scenes, as well as with his tuxedo outfit during the Ice Palace party.

Note that the current (2025) model of Church's Cartmel differs from the model worn by Bond in 2002.

You can find several original Church's Cartmel shoes on eBay in various sizes.

Thanks to Bond Clothing at AJB for the ID

Ian Fleming Publications has announced a new novel by legendary 007 continuation author Raymond Benson. The Hook and the Eye focuses on Felix Leiter, James Bond’s trusted American friend and ally.

The Hook and the Eye will be released digitally in ten instalments, beginning on May 27th, 2025, recalling the serialisation of classic pulp fiction in the early twentieth century. This will be followed by the paperback publication of the full story on October 2nd, 2025.

Synopsis

Felix Leiter – James Bond’s trusted friend and ally – takes centre stage in this brand new adventure by Bond novelist, Raymond Benson.

The Hook and the Eye is a mystery, a romance, a spy story, a road trip tale and a postcard of a lost Americana.

It is 1952. Felix has lost his job at the CIA and finds himself working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency. What starts as a simple surveillance job turns into a matter of life and death when Felix stumbles upon a murder and a cabal of spies embedded in Manhattan. Hired to transport the impossibly beautiful and impossibly secretive Dora from New York to Texas, Felix is thrust into a non-stop adventure, where danger and deceit lie in wait around every bend in the road.

About the author

Raymond Benson has written over a dozen  James Bond continuation novels and short stories, published between 1997 and 2003.

IFPL’s Publishing Director Simon Ward commented “Raymond may be a Bond author, but he was born to write Felix Leiter. He came to us with a story – one filled with intrigue, mystery and danger – and it was exactly what we were looking for. We are thrilled to be working with Raymond again and we think the fans are going to love the journey he takes our favourite CIA agent on. I think it’s the best ‘Bond universe’ book Raymond has ever written.”

Author Raymond Benson added “Having worked on this project in secrecy since May 2024, I am now pleased and proud to finally present the first ever Felix Leiter novel, appropriately set in Ian Fleming’s timeline of the 1950s between the character’s appearances in Live and Let Die and Diamonds are Forever. As a native Texan myself, I’ve always had an affinity for 007’s close American friend.”

How and when to read the story

Starting on May 27th the eBook serialisation will begin with ‘The Hook and the Eye: Episode 1’ containing the first four chapters of the novel. This will be followed every two weeks with a new episode, concluding on September 30th with the tenth instalment. 

Episodes will be released via updates to the original eBook file, so be aware that in order to read them you’ll need to either enable automatic file updates on your e-reader device, or manually download the updated files.

Following the final ‘Episode’ release, a physical paperback edition of The Hook and the Eye will be published. 

The paperback can be pre-ordered, exclusively via the Ian Fleming Publications website.

Readers in the UK can pre-order the eBook direct from Ian Fleming Publications and can also access a special bundle price for both the digital and physical versions together. 

Readers around the world can pre-order from their preferred eBook retailer.

Pre-order The Hook and the Eye on Amazon (Kindle Edition, $4.51)

Amazon MGM Studios announced that producers Amy Pascal (best known for her work on the Spider-Man franchise) and David Heyman (who produced all eight Harry Potter films) have come aboard to produce the studio’s upcoming James Bond film.

Amazon MGM Studios’ Head of Film, Courtenay Valenti: “We are approaching every creative decision with James Bond, which Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have so masterfully steered, with the greatest sense of responsibility. Part of an elite group of producers who have developed and managed massive film franchises to box office success and critical acclaim, Amy Pascal and David Heyman are two of the most accomplished, experienced, and respected film producers in our industry. We are honoured to be working with them on James Bond’s next chapter and are excited to deliver to global audiences storytelling that upholds the impeccable legacy of this beloved character.”

“James Bond is one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema,” said Amy Pascal and David Heyman. “We are humbled to follow in the footsteps of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson who made so many extraordinary films and honoured and excited to keep the spirit of Bond very much alive as he embarks on his next adventure.”

Amazon MGM Studios creative control of 007

It was announced in February that Amazon MGM Studios, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli formed a new joint venture to house the James Bond intellectual property rights. 

Under the terms of the new venture, Amazon MGM Studios gained creative control of the James Bond franchise.

In 2022, Amazon acquired MGM, including a vast catalog with more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows. Since the MGM acquisition, Amazon has held rights to distribute all of the James Bond films, and as a result of this transaction will have creative control over future productions.

Bond reunites Amy Pascal with Amazon MGM Studios. She is currently in post on the studio’s upcoming Phil Lord and Christopher Miller-directed Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, which the studio is releasing on March 20, 2026. Previously for Amazon MGM, she produced the Luca Guadagnino-directed Challengers, starring Zendaya. Along with Lord and Miller, she is producing the upcoming MGM+ and Prime Video streaming series, Spider-Noir, starring Nicolas Cage. Upcoming, she is producing Narnia alongside Mark Gordon, which Greta Gerwig is directing for Netflix, as well as Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, alongside David Heyman, starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler, also for Netflix.

Pascal is best known for her work on the Spider-Man franchise, serving as a producer on the last three Spider-Man movies, starring Tom Holland, with the fourth movie, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, starting production this summer. She has also produced the Spider-Verse movies, with production currently under way for the third movie, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.

David Heyman produced all eight film adaptations of J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter books, as well as the three Fantastic Beasts films. Among his other credits are Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver and Laura Dern, Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, as well as the Paul King-directed Paddington, Paddington 2, and Wonka, starring Timothée Chalamet.

Heyman is currently in pre-production on the Harry Potter television series and in post-production on Taika Waititi's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguru’s Klara and the Sun, starring Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams; as well as Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, which he is producing alongside Amy Pascal, starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler. 

The exhibit Bond In Motion at the International Spy Museum in Washington DC has been extended.

Since opening on March 1, 2024, the museum has welcomed over 175,000 visitors into the thrilling world of Bond vehicles.

Due to its popularity, Bond In Motion will now be available at SPY until Labor Day Weekend of 2025.

The exhibition features 17 iconic pieces from the 007 archives, including the Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day (2002), Aston Martin DBS from Quantum of Solace (2008), BMW 750iL from Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Jaguar XKR from Die Another Day (2002), AMC Hornet from The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) and a Tuk Tuk from Octopussy (1983),.

Watch a video of Bond Lifestyle's visit to the exhibit:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bond Lifestyle (@jamesbondlifestyle)

For tickets and more information about Bond in Motion at SPY, visit spymuseum.org.

Icons reunited. Pierce Brosnan and the legendary Vanquish from Die Another Day meet again after more than 20 years at Aston Martin’s Gaydon HQ.

The photos were posted by Aston Martin on their Instagram page.

Brosnan still looks great and some have been calling for the iconic Bond actor to return as an older James Bond in a next movie.

Brosnan as James Bond drove an Aston Martin Vanquish in the 2002 movie Die Another Day, which was his last outing as the famous secret agent.

Photos by @astonmartin

Prop Store is hosting its Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction in Los Angeles from March 26 - March 28, 2025. The auction features several unique and interesting James Bond lifestyle props.

The live auction features over 1,300 lots of original and iconic film and television memorabilia. Below you can find some highlights of the James Bond items in the auction. 

(Note that at the time of publishing this article, a pair of Tom Ford sunglasses is offered as well at the Prop Store website but it doesn't seem to be the correct model from the film, so I assume Prop Store will remove the listing).

Lot # 194. Set of 10 Le Cercle Casino Plaques and Four Chips

Estimate: $4,000 - $8,000

A set of 10 plaques and four chips from the Le Cercle casino from Dr. No (1962). MI6 agent 007 (Sean Connery) first uttered his name - "Bond, James Bond" - as he played baccarat chemin-de-fer against Sylvia Trench (Eunice Gayson) at the Le Cercle casino inside London's Les Ambassadeurs club.

The real-world Le Cercle loaned £35,000 of its house plaques under the supervision of two security guards to EON Productions to use in Ken Adam's set based on the historic casino. This lot consists of one £1,000, one £500, one £100, one £50, one £10, and five £5 plaques manufactured of glossy plastic composites and engraved "Le Cercle" with serial numbers hot-stamped by the casino, as well as two £5 and two £1 chips with matching engravings. £10 plaques of the style in this lot were later used in Richard Lester's A Hard Day's Night.

Lot # 196. James Bond's (Daniel Craig) Stunt Walther P99 and Holster

Estimate: $5,000 - $10,000

James Bond's (Daniel Craig) stunt Walther P99 and Vega holster from Casino Royale. Bond carried his Walther P99 as his main sidearm throughout the film, with this stunt P99 and holster utilised in the opening scenes of the film, as he chased bomb-maker Mollaka (Sebastien Foucan) through a construction site and then into an embassy. He wore his holster on his lower right back, tucked into his pants. Casino Royale introduced the world to Daniel Craig as James Bond and the film became the highest-grossing Bond film in the series until the release of Skyfall in 2012.

The weapon is made of hard black rubber and the holster is a leather Vega IB 332 (read more about Vega holsters in Bond films) with a black plastic belt loop. The lot comes displayed on a custom-made display and is accompanied by a printed still. 

Lot # 195. James Bond's (Daniel Craig) Stunt Omega Seamaster Watch

Estimate: $7,500 - $15,000

James Bond's (Daniel Craig) stunt Omega Seamaster watch from Casino Royale (2006). 

Bond wore his Omega Seamaster for much of the film and used it as a weapon during the climactic action scene of the film. As a Venetian building crumbled all around him, Bond strapped the watch around his right fist and used it as a knuckle duster against his enemies. The shot where Bond attaches the watch to his fist was cut from the film, with Bond grappling with a henchman in one shot, bursting through a wall, and then appearing with the watch around his fist.

Lot # 197. Set of Four Casino Royale Plaques

Estimate: $12,000 - $24,000

Four casino plaques from Casino Royale. James Bond (Daniel Craig), Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), and their fellow poker players used betting plaques during the high-stakes game at the Casino Royale in Montenegro.

Lot # 199. James Bond's (Daniel Craig) Black Tom Ford Suit Costume with Stunt Pants

Estimate: $8,000 - $16,000

James Bond's (Daniel Craig) black Tom Ford suit costume with stunt pants from SPECTRE. Bond wore his suit when he drove through the streets of Rome to attend the funeral of Marco Sciarra (Alessandro Cremona), and again when he infiltrated Sciarra's home with his widow Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci) where Bond protected her from assassins out to kill her for knowing Sciarra's secrets.

This costume consists of a black wool Tom Ford suit jacket hand-labeled "Hero Rome Suit 3PC) and affixed with an interior costumer's tag labeled with "Daniel Craig-James Bond," client name "D. Craig," and date "21.10.2014"; a matching black wool Tom Ford suit vest embroidered "Daniel Craig Bond 24" in white thread on the interior lapel; a white cotton Tom Ford front-pleated button-down long-sleeve dress shirt labeled "Daniel Craig-James Bond" and "94JCEG" alongside date "17-10-2014"; a matching silk tie; and a pair of black wool Tom Ford stunt suit pants labeled "Stuntmen-James Bond' and affixed with an interior costumer's tag labeled with client name "Inc. Stunt" and date "24.10.2014." The pants exhibit staining from production wear.

Lot # 201. Spectre Agent's Metal Ring

Estimate: $7,000 - $14,000

A Spectre agent's metal ring from Sam Mendes' Spectre. Every member of Spectre wore matching rings which featured the criminal empire's signature octopus emblem.

This custom-made machined metal ring is engraved with the octopus emblem. It features distressed silver-color paint to resemble tarnished metal. It exhibits flaking paint throughout from production wear. Dimensions: 1" x 1" x 1" (2.5 cm x 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm)

Lot # 821. Planet Hollywood Collection: Gold Bar

Estimate: $1,200 - $2,400

A gold bar from Goldfinger. In the film's climax, James Bond (Sean Connery) fought Oddjob (Harold Sakata) amongst the stacks of gold bars in Fort Knox.

This bar is made of cast plaster with a gold-color painted finish. It exhibits cracking and paint flaking throughout, as well as a circular hole on the top. Dimensions: 10.25" x 3.5" x 1.75" (26.25 cm x 9 cm x 4.25 cm)

Lot # 827. Kincade's (Albert Finney) Flat Cap

Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000

Kincade's (Albert Finney) flat cap from Skyfall (2012). Skyfall Lodge gamekeeper Kincade wore his flat cap during the final shoot-out between James Bond (Daniel Craig) and his allies, and Silva (Javier Bardem) and his henchmen.

The Cordings of Piccadilly wool flat cap has a brown plaid pattern, features an interior size label ("7...62") and is dry-clean only.

Note that we didn't know the brand of this cap until now, so it has been added in the Clothing and Allies section.

For more James Bond and other lots, visit the Prop Store website.

Albert Finney as gamekeeper Kincade wears a Cordings 21oz Windowpane Tweed Garforth Cap in the 2012 James Bond movie SkyFall.

The Cordings of Piccadilly cap can be spotted when Bond shoots his Anderson Wheeler rifle on the grounds of the SkyFall house.

The cap is made in Britain from Scottish Tweed and is fully lined and still available on the Cordings website.

One of the screen-used caps is offered at a Prop Store auction in March 2025. According to the auction text, the hat size of the screen used cap is "7...62"

According to a blog post at Cordings, Kincade wore a pair of Cordings trousers in the film.

Kincade also wears a Barbour Tartan necktie.

About Cordings of Piccadilly
John Charles Cording opened his first shop in 1839 at 231 The Strand, right next to the historic Temple Bar. The business relocated in 1877 to 19 Piccadilly, where it still is today. 

The Cordings company was revitalised when famous musician Eric Claption became a co-owner of the brand in 2003. Read the full history on the Cordings website.

Amazon MGM Studios, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli today announced that they have formed a new joint venture to house the James Bond intellectual property rights, and those parties will remain co-owners of the franchise. 

Under the terms of the new venture, Amazon MGM Studios will gain creative control of the James Bond franchise following closing of the transaction.

“Since his theatrical introduction over 60 years ago, James Bond has been one of the most iconic characters in filmed entertainment,” said Mike Hopkins, Head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. “We are grateful to the late Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to movie theatres around the world, and to Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for their unyielding dedication and their role in continuing the legacy of the franchise that is cherished by legions of fans worldwide. We are honoured to continue this treasured heritage, and look forward to ushering in the next phase of the legendary 007 for audiences around the world.”

“With my 007 career spanning nearly sixty incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects. Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future,” said Wilson.

“My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli. I have had the honour of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of No Time To Die and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects,” commented Broccoli.

In 2022, Amazon acquired MGM, including a vast catalog with more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows. Since the MGM acquisition, Amazon has held rights to distribute all of the James Bond films, and as a result of this transaction will have creative control over future productions.

It's rare that we get a glimpse in Bond's own apartment, but when we do, we look for the items that we can use in our own home. In this article, we focus on the automotive print wall art seen in James Bond's flat in the first 007 film, Dr. No.

Guest author: George Smiley
February 2025

Through the early years of the Bond series, each successive Bond was bigger than the last one, resulting from ever-increasing budgets based on the box office performance of each film. By 1967 and the production of “You Only Live Twice,” just the set for the infamous hollow volcano reportedly cost $1.1 million, or in other words, more than the entire budget of Dr. No, just five years earlier. 

Watching Dr. No, the reality that it’s a smaller film than YOLT, TB, or even FRWL, is clearly apparent. But it never looks like a cheap film. Ken Adams’ unmistakable style is evident throughout, but it is in the unappreciated art of Set Dressing where Adams’ vision is populated with furniture and various objet d'art, giving the sets a personality of their own. Much of the credit for this lies with Set Dresser Freda Pearson, and Dressing Props man Dickie Bamber. Their ability to fill a set interestingly but on the cheap is apparent throughout. M’s iconic office had paintings on the wall that were literally framed pieces of cardboard, and the padded door was a vinyl fabric often referred to as “leatherette.” Miss Taro’s apartment is the same set used for the lobby of Bond’s Kingston Hotel, with some creative rearrangement and new set dressing.

One of the more intriguing sets, because it is so evocative of the novels and yet so bland in its appearance, is Bond’s flat, seen briefly early in the film. 

The cinematic portrayal of Bond’s residence has always been a rarity - and the place has never looked the same twice. Conversely, Fleming frequently placed Bond in his flat, describing it in several novels, including Moonraker, Thunderball, and Diamonds Are Forever. 

Cinematically, Live And Let Die is a glaring shout-out to the styles of the 1970s, while SPECTRE provides a window into Bond’s psyche, with the flat practically screaming, “…all this is temporary…,” tying in almost painfully with the fatalistic outlook of the Daniel Craig interpretation.

But for Connery, his Bond gets an apartment that, while more or less faithful to the generalities of Fleming’s descriptions, appears to have a generic, “one-size-fits-all” appearance. Indeed, the set would not have been out of place on an episode of “The Avengers” or “The Saint.” 

Although he may very well have been involved, one at least hopes that the somewhat pedestrian design of Bond’s gaff had nothing to do with the great Ken Adam. I like to think that it was a pre-existing set at Pinewood, perfect for a day of filming a few quick set-ups to bridge the London sequences with Bond’s arrival in Jamaica and the commencement of the story proper.

Nevertheless, one could argue that despite itself, the set works, and to a large degree, it’s because of the set dressing. For me, evidence of this is the fact that there has always been one bit of set dressing in Dr. No that fascinated me, and it was in Bond’s bedroom. Specifically, a bit of wall art. Bond aficionados (and if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you are one) will likely already have a rather good idea of what wall art I’m referring to. Bond crashes into the bedroom, his new PPK at the ready, to confront the “intruder,” finding instead Sylvia Trench, clad only in heels, one of Bond’s pajama shirts, and a putter. To the left of the door, on the wall above the television, there is a set of five prints depicting antique cars.

They’re in shot for most of the scene and have always caught my eye. They just work for some reason, seeming to be exactly the sort of thing that one might have found in a gentleman's bachelor flat in the early 1960s. After literal decades of idle curiosity as to the specifics of the cars and the origin of the prints, I recently re-watched Dr. No and became determined that, with the power of the internet, I would track down these elusive bits of Bond ephemera.

Actually, it didn’t take exceptionally long.

I was surprised to find a general lack of discussion about them online. The one specific mention I found was an article breaking down the props and furnishings of Bond’s cinematic apartments, in which the prints were named as generic prints of antique cars, and that one could likely find similar ones on eBay or Etsy.

Casting the net a bit wider, I searched for automotive illustrators of the 1950s and immediately struck pay dirt. I found a book titled Early Motor Cars, 1905 – 1915, by an illustrator called George A. Oliver, who specialized in drawing classic automobiles and whose work appeared frequently in magazines of the era.

The George A. Oliver automotive illustrations might have been available as individual prints. There are currently a handful of vintage prints online (find the book and prints on eBay), but there are so few that it’s difficult to be sure if all the car prints were available. Another possibility is that the ‘prints’ in Bond’s apartment were actually pages from taken from the “Early Motor Cars, 1905 – 1915” book.

I found a copy of the book for sale in particularly good condition for a fraction of what other copies were going for and quickly identified the five cars appearing on 007’s wall.

1 - 1913 Morris 'Oxford' 9hp two-seater
2 - 1904 De Dion Bouton 8hp
3 - 1904 Oldsmobile 7 Curved Dash 
4 - 1915 Ford Model “T” four-seat Tourer
5 - 1911 Adler 12

So now I had the book, I knew the cars depicted. But this created in my mind another puzzle- why in the hell were these specific cars chosen? They’re not exactly what one might have expected James Bond to decorate his bedroom with, especially considering some of the other cars in the book that didn’t make it onto the wall, including a Daimler and a Rolls-Royce.

But this is when my wife’s knowledge of interior decorating stepped in - designers commonly use “the rule of three.” This states that grouping items in odd numbers is more visually appealing and creates a more balanced and inviting space compared to even numbers. 

It would seem that Freda Pearson chose five pages to frame and fill the wall space, creating an interesting contrast of three on top and two on the bottom. That arrangement should have felt top-heavy; but by using two larger prints for the bottom, it was balanced out. But Freda and Dickie were still working with a limited amount of wall space, so the two larger prints had to be bigger, but not too much bigger.

Another consideration was the colors of the cars and how those colors would work with the color of the wall itself. Taking the basic guidelines of size and color into consideration, the five Freda selected out of the book were almost the only ones that could have worked.

Other cars in the book were too large (as with the aforementioned Rolls) or were the right size but the wrong color (in fact, one option would have been almost identical in color to Bond’s green walls).

So, why these five cars? Simple - they were the ones that worked best in the space. In a real-world situation, this would be the equivalent of one’s interior decorator placing something in the décor for no other reason than it brought the room together. Whether the client cared for it or not, or would have ever bought it for themselves, was immaterial. Giving a decorator a free hand implies either great trust or an equally great level of indifference, and interestingly, this is just the sort of indifference the literary Bond would have displayed toward the décor of his flat. 

He may be, as he described it, “old maidish” about certain things - the kind of coffee pot to use, or how long to cook a perfect boiled egg, but for wall hangings, one can practically hear him cut through his Scottish housekeeper’s questions on what to tell the decorators the next day and simply admonish her, “For heaven’s sake, May! Just tell them to put some rubbish on the walls to make everything respectable looking! It’s not the bloody Savoy!”

A 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 V8 Bond Edition, one of just 10 produced for the UK, will be auctioned by Historics on March 1st, 2025.

Created by Land Rover SV Bespoke to celebrate the Land Rover Defender’s role in the 25th James Bond movie, No Time to Die, this mighty, menacing 525PS supercharged V8 special edition rumbled out in 2021. The design and specification was inspired by the Defenders that appear in the film, launched on 30th September that year.

With worldwide production limited to just 300 examples, this was always going to be a sought-after and highly collectable Land Rover, but this one is all the more so... 

The pristine example coming to sale with Historics at Ascot Racecourse, UK on Saturday 1st March is one of just ten 110 models that were manufactured in right-hand drive for the UK. 

Adding to its desirability, it’s travelled just 384 miles in the hands of its one and only owner since being first registered.

This super-rare collectors’ item for both Land Rover and Bond 007 fans is striking in its all-black bodywork, matching 22” wheels and special ‘Defender 007’ badging.

Based on the Land Rover Defender V8, the Bond Edition is powered by a 5.0‑litre supercharged petrol engine, which produces a thrilling 525PS, and a mighty 625Nm of torque, driving through an eight‑speed automatic transmission to all four wheels.

Guaranteed to show a clean pair of heels to many a sportscar, the Defender V8 110 accelerates from 0‑60mph in some 5.5 seconds with a top speed of twice the UK motorway speed limit....all with a characteristic V8 supercharged soundtrack and suspension and transmission tuned to create the fastest and most dynamically rewarding Defender in its long history.

The 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 V8 Bond Edition heads a 190-strong auction of hugely varied classic cars at Ascot Racecourse, UK  on Saturday, 1st March with an estimate of £129,000-£155,000

For pre-sale viewing, sale information and registration to bid - in the auction hall, online and by phone - visit www.historics.co.uk.

New photos of the fan-made Bentley 'Locomotive' have surfaced and it makes the car look even better than before!

Last year the Bentley 'Locomotive' was featured in a YouTube video giving us a close look at the incredible details of this unique vehicle.

A Bond fan took it upon himself to recreate as closely as possible the Bentley owned by James Bond as described by Ian Fleming in the stories Thunderball, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and The Living Daylights. 

The story goes that the previous owner wrapped it around a lamp post on the Great West Road in London. James Bond then bought it, got the chassis straightened and had a bespoke body made.

The Mark 2 model, which is what the car is in theory based on, never really existed. The closest thing would have been an S2. except the S2 came with a V8, whereas Bond's car was described as having a straight six.

So the model as Ian Fleming described it was never officially made, but was realized by Bond fan and car designer Tony Hunter.

Now the new photos show the car in all its glory, including the battleship grey exterior and stunning interior details.

All photos © Bentley (via TopGear)

One of 25 Aston Martin DB5 Continuation Goldfinger cars will be offered for sale at SupercarBlondie's SBX Auction platform.

This is a rare chance to acquire this perfect, authentic and official replica of the gadget-laden DB5 seen in Goldfinger.

The Aston Martin Goldfinger DB5 continuation cars were built at Aston Martin Works at Newport Pagnell, the original home of the DB5.

The cars include working gadgets such as revolving number plates and more, which were made famous in Goldfinger.

The gadgets include a working fog machine, a smoke screen delivery system, an oil slick delivery system, revolving number plates and (fake, but light and noise making-) Browning machine guns.

The car's gadgets were co-developed with Oscar-winner Chris Corbould, special effects supervisor from the James Bond films. Officially sanctioned by Aston Martin and EON Productions, all the Goldfinger edition cars were produced to one specification – Silver Birch paint – just like the original.

It has a removable ejection seat roof panel, and even though the seat does not eject, it does come with the famous hidden red button on the gear shift knob.

Even the engine, a 4.0-liter, 290-horsepower inline-six engine with carburetors, and a 5-speed manual transmission is a copy of the original engine.

This DB5 Continuation Goldfinger, comes in EU spec with left hand drive and is located in Zug, Switzerland.

The car only has 48 km (29 miles) on the odometer.

Watch a video of SupercarBlondie using the gadgets in the DB5:

The original price of the car was £2,750,000 GBP.

This rare Aston Martin DB5 Continuation Goldfinger is available from SBX Cars with the auction starting on February 5th.

Visit the SBX Auction website

All photos © SBX Cars

Bond Lifestyle offers you the chance to win a pair of Dents gloves! Answer the trivia question and select which gloves you want to win. Enter before midnight on 31 January 2025!

Winter Sale at Dents

Dents is currently offering the Bond gloves at 20% OFF and has many other leather goods, belts and scarves up to 60% OFF.

Shop the Bond gloves at 20% OFF

Shop the sale at Dents

Sale ends February 5th 2025
 

Enter to win Dents gloves

Now is your chance to win Dents gloves! Answer the trivia question and select which model you want to win. Enter before midnight (CET) on January 31st 2025.

Terms & Conditions
Entry is open to participants from all over the world.
Only 1 winner will win one pair of Dents gloves.
The prizes are as stated, are not transferable to another individual and no cash or other alternatives will be offered.
No purchase necessary to enter or win.
The winners will be drawn at random from all correct entries received by the closing date stated within the promotional material.
Reasonable efforts will be made to contact the winners. If the winners cannot be contacted, or are unable to comply with these terms and conditions, Bond Lifestyle reserves the right to offer the prizes to the next eligible entrant drawn at random.
Failure to respond and/or provide an address for delivery, or failure to meet the eligibility requirements may result in forfeiture of the prize.
Prizes are subject to availability. In the event of a prize being unavailable, Bond Lifestyle and Dents reserve the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value.
The winners agree to the use of their name and disclosure of country of residence relating to any post-winning publicity.
The winners are responsible for expenses and arrangements not specifically included in the prizes, including any import taxes or duties.

GDPR: By entering the contest you consent to having Bond Lifestyle store your submitted information so Bond Lifestyle can contact you in case you're the winner of the contest. If you agree to the option in the form below, your email and name will be shared with Dents (selecting yes or no to the option does not affect your chance of winning). General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is an EU regulation on data protection and privacy (read more)

This contest is now closed.

The trivia question was “Which car does James Bond drive when wearing the Dents Gloves in the movie SkyFall?”

Aston Martin DBS
Mercedes-Benz S 300
Range Rover Sport
Rolls-Royce Phantom

This turned out to be one of the most difficult Trivia questions I have ever asked for a giveaway. Bond actually drives a Mercedes-Benz S300 in the Shanghai scene, wearing the Dents gloves. Only 51% of respondents answered this correctly! 

46% of people selected the Aston Martin DBS, which seemed obvious, but was impossible as James Bond doesn’t drive a DBS at all in SkyFall (he does drive a DB5 though).

The winner is Stijn Van Sande from Belgium! Stijn selected a pair of Dents Daniel gloves.

Congratulations to Stijn and thanks to everyone for entering! Stay tuned for another contest.

A new BBC-commissioned documentary about Roger Moore was announced with a poster and trailer.

From Roger Moore With Love is an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the charismatic actor who redefined the role of James Bond. The film, commissioned by BBC Arts and Fremantle, takes viewers back to a golden age of cinema, tracing Moore’s unlikely rise as a working-class boy from South London to an era-defining global icon. 

His perfection of his image led to the film role of his life - 007. Responding to the spirit of the times, Moore infused the traditionally macho tough guy role of the British spy with wit, style and natural charisma making his Bond debut Live and Let Die a smash hit. Beyond Bond, the documentary reveals his life with his A-list friends including Frank Sinatra, Joan Collins, Christopher Walken and countless other Hollywood legends. 

Made with the collaboration of Moore’s estate and family, the film offers unprecedented access to never-before-seen letters, photographs and star-studded home movie footage. Exclusive interviews with his three children Geoffrey, Deborah and Christian reveal what their life was like as the children of one of Britain’s best-loved celebrities.

From Roger Moore With Love will be screening at Picturehouse cinemas on 15 December 2024 and Everyman cinemas on 15 and 18 December 2024, click here for all the dates and times.

Dawsons is to offer for auction the personal humidor (or cigar box), of the late James Bond actor, Sir Roger Moore (1927-2017).

The humidor was kept in Moore’s office at Pinewood Studios from the 1970s until 2016, where the actor kept an office until his death.

Moore’s association with Pinewood Studios began in 1947 when, as a young lieutenant serving in the Combined Services Entertainment Unit, he screen-tested for the male lead in The Blue Lagoon (1949). In the early 1970s he took an office there, while working on the TV series, The Persuaders and became a permanent resident. In honour of his time at the studios, Pinewood created ‘The Roger Moore Stage’, with HRH The Countess of Wessex unveiling it on October 15, 2017.

Moore was the third actor to play Bond, stepping into the role from 1973-1985. He played the part in seven feature films by Eon Productions: Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983) and A View to a Kill (1985).

Roger Moore was the first James Bond to smoke a cigar in the role, which was in Live and Let Die in 1973 (with other Bonds having, until that point, only smoked cigarettes). A cigar aficionado in his personal life, Moore had a special clause written into his contract, that meant that he received an unlimited supply of Montecristos during filming. Seeing it as a sleek addition to his portrayal of the international spy, Moore also wanted to differentiate his particular Bond character from previous versions, by making him a cigar smoker.

Roger Moore gifted the humidor to Gareth Owen, his PA, Manager, Fixer and Biographer from 2002 until the actor’s death in 2017 and it comes via descent through Owen’s family to be offered at auction. It is beautifully crafted in American walnut with a brass lock, brass hinges and a key with a gold-coloured tassel.

Inside are three (unsmoked) Cuban Habana cigars, a slim line metal Habana cigar case and a loosely inserted metal plaque, which reads ‘Roger Moore 1967.’

It is accompanied by a typed letter signed by Gareth Owen, on a single sheet of Roger Moore’s headed notepaper, with a crest in the top centre.

To further verify it, is a ‘certificate of authenticity’ signed by Gareth Owen, printed on cream card with the same crest in the top centre, which reads: ‘This is to confirm that this cigar box belonged to Roger Moore, back in the days when he smoked! Gareth Owen PA to Sir Roger Moore 1st August 2017.’

Denise Kelly, Head of Dawsons Entertainment & Popular Cultured department, said: “We are delighted to be offering Sir Roger Moore’s personal humidor for sale at Dawsons Auctioneers. It comes with such excellent provenance and has such a direct link to Sir Roger and the time he spent at Pinewood Studios from the 1970s until 2016. It is rather special knowing that Sir Roger kept this in his personal office at Pinewood and used it regularly, before gifting it to his personal assistant.”
 
The humidor will be offered in Dawsons Entertainment & Memorabilia sale on December 12, 2024 and carries an estimate of £8,000 - £10,000.