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Thunderball wristwatch


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#1 quantumofsolace

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Posted 20 May 2013 - 12:44 PM

independent 20 may 2013

James Bond's geiger-counter Thunderball wristwatch turns up at car boot sale

Breitling was picked up for £25 but now has estimated price of up to £60,000

James Bond's geiger-counter wristwatch from hit movie Thunderball has turned up following years of mystery about its whereabouts after it was found at a car boot sale.

The prop - one of the many gadgets used by 007 during his half century on-screen - was key to the plot of the film as it helped the agent locate stolen atomic weapons during underwater scenes in the 1965 film.

The Breitling watch was picked up for £25 but is now to be sold by Christie's in London with an estimated price range of £40,000 to £60,000.

The Top Time model by the luxury Swiss watch firm was the first watch which Bond movie-goers had seen being adapted by Q's team of boffins in the film series.

It is one of a number of items given to Bond by Q - played by Desmond Llewelyn - when he heads over to Nassau to give him extra equipment. One of the hands of the watch shows the strength of radioactivity.

Sean Connery, who played the agent, uses it during the film's famous aquatic scenes on a mission to find two Nato bombs stolen by Spectre.

The basic watch was originally made by Breitling in 1962, then adapted by the James Bond art department, and was the only one produced for the movie.

It is thought that it had been passed on by someone who worked at Pinewood Studios, where much of the movie was made.

The auction house - which will offer the watch at its South Kensington saleroom in a Pop Culture sale on 26 June - had little further detail about the car boot sale.

Christie's said of the find: "This is a great opportunity for collectors to acquire a unique piece of James Bond memorabilia."

http://www.independe...le-8623593.html



#2 quantumofsolace

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Posted 20 May 2013 - 04:59 PM

http://www.christies...n_June_2013.pdf

 



#3 Eric Stromberg

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Posted 20 May 2013 - 08:01 PM

Well that was one lucky "boot sale" find!  Also interesting to me because I was unaware that Breitling had made any kind of appearance in the Bond movies, let alone on Connery's wrist.



#4 quantumofsolace

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Posted 27 June 2013 - 02:21 AM

James Bond watch with geiger counter sells for $160,000 http://uk.reuters.co...E95P11Z20130626

The Breitling Top Time, worn by actor Sean Connery during 007's mission to find stolen atomic bombs the 1965 movie "Thunderball", was estimated to sell for between 40,000 and 60,000 pounds.

Auction house Christie's said this was the first watch to be modified by the Q branch in the Bond movies and was equipped with a "Geiger counter" to help the suave secret agent detect the emission of nuclear radiation in the film.

Made by Breitling in 1962, it was adapted by the James Bond art department and was the only example produced for the movie, a Christie's spokeswoman said.



#5 Simon

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Posted 27 June 2013 - 07:35 AM

My goodness - who are these people that have that type of money to spend on this stuff?

 

Stunning.