• Style
    • Menswear
    • Accessories
    • Grooming
    • Style Inspiration
    • British Made
    • Collaborations
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Cars
    • Watches
    • Food & Drink
    • Arts
    • Events
  • People
  • UK-Made Menswear
  • About
  • Press

Grey Fox

A mature search for style. Fashion and menswear for all men.

Vintage watches 3 - Rolex Explorer - the original Bond watch?

Saturday, 4 February 2012

The Rolex Explorer has a distinguished history and is generally reckoned to be the original James Bond Rolex, as described in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. See this link for more information.

In reality, the watch has been used widely by travellers and explorers, as its simple but robust mechanical movement made it ideal for the rough and tumble of adventure. The claim that one was worn by Edmund Hillary to the summit of Everest is probably untrue, although Rolex may have supported the expedition. It's thought that he actually wore a British-made Smiths for the climb, and that company subsequently made several Smiths Everest models to commemorate this (see picture below).

Its classic simplicity and design make the vintage Rolex Explorer a must for a man of style. The company still makes a later version, but it lacks the beauty of the original 1016 and other earlier models.

Grey Fox photo - Rolex Explorer 1016


This picture of Ian Fleming from the National Portrait Gallery in London, shows him wearing his own Rolex Explorer 1016 -


Ian Fleming's Explorer, found and much exhibited recently -



Smiths Everest - Grey Fox photo


Share:
Labels: Ian Fleming, James Bond, Rolex Explorer, vintage watches
Newer Post
Home
Older Post
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Follow

Search This Blog

Popular Posts

  • The Royal Wedding: Morning Dress and How to Wear it
    So you're going to the Royal Wedding this weekend or to a more lowly one over the spring/summer, or maybe to an event like The Investe...
  • Tudor Ranger: A Classic Tool Watch
    Watches come in broadly two types; the tool watch, robust and practical, with looks a secondary consideration to practicality, and dress wat...
  • Laurence Fellows, Illustrator: Inspiring a Return to Sophistication and Style
    It's refreshing to look back at the illustrations of Laurence Fellows (1885-1964). His evocative and stylish drawings of men's style...

Categories

  • lifestyle
  • People
  • style

SARTORIALAB

SARTORIALAB
Personal Styling Service

Grey Fox on Pinterest

Visit Grey Fox's profile on Pinterest.
Powered by Blogger.
© Grey Fox · Theme by xomisse