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The 11 Most Iconic Movie Watches Of All-Time

Take a look at the real stars of the screen

Headshot of Nick PopeBy Nick Pope
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For watch lovers, part of the appeal of classic movies is the opportunity they give to gaze upon some of the most iconic timepieces ever made.

The tickers aren't just there to look pretty, of course. In many ways, they add depth to the story and its characters. After all, Bond simply wouldn't be Bond without a powerful, understated watch on his weapon-grade wrist, would he?

So join us, as we pay tribute to the most important models to ever glisten upon the silver screen...

Back To The Future - Casio CA53W Twincept Databank

Product, Electronic device, Display device, Technology, Gadget, Electronics, Film camera, Wrist, Jacket, Digital camera,

Actor: Michael J. Fox

Character: Marty McFly

Year: 1985

By far the cheapest (and coolest) watch on this list, Marty McFly's classic Casio features a calendar, an alarm, a 1/100 second stopwatch and, of course, an 8 digit calculator.

You can pick one up for about twenty quid on Amazon, if you fancy reliving the eighties and/or flunked your maths GCSE.

Buy here.

Apocalypse Now - Seiko 6105

Soldier, Product, Analog watch, Watch, Military person, Watch accessory, Shotgun, Black, Wrist, Marines,

Actor: Martin Sheen

Character: Captain Willard

Year: 1979

Timeless, smart, and ready for war.

In terms of dive watches, the 6105 has a pretty interesting history: it was a huge favourite amongst American soldiers in Vietnam, due to it being sold in PX stores (retail shops found on United States military camps).

The 6105 was originally only sold with a rubber strap, but lends itself to fabric and steel as well, and is available for up to £500 if you hunt around.

Buy here.

Predator - Seiko H558

Analog watch, Gun, Watch, Firearm, Wrist, Watch accessory, Shooting, Glass, Font, Shotgun,

Actor: Arnold Schwarzenegger

Character: Dutch

Year: 1988

The Seiko 'H558 quartz diver' usually sells for double its original retail price nowadays (around £300), and it's easy to guess why.

Arnie wore it in most of his 80s blockbusters, including Predator, Commando and Running Man - making it the toughest cinematic timepiece in history, surviving countless renegade missions and bullet storms.

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Batman Begins - Reverso Grande Taille

Product, Brown, Vehicle door, Suit, Dress shirt, Watch, Analog watch, Tie, Car seat, Gesture,

Actor: Christian Bale

Character: Bruce Wayne

Year: 2005

Val Kilmer's Bruce Wayne donned a Jaeger-LeCoultre 'Reverso' timepiece in the earlier Batman movies, and the luxury Swiss brand returned for Batman Begins, in the form of a Reverso 'Grande Taille'.

In Dark Knight Rises, the final installment of Christopher Nolan's lauded trilogy, they created the limited edition 'Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931', with a Batman symbol to boot.


Buy here.

Dr. No - Rolex Submariner 6538

Product, Analog watch, Watch, Glass, Photograph, Summer, Wrist, Chest, Font, Muscle,

Actor: Sean Connery

Character: James Bond

Year: 1962

In the earliest days of Bond, the super sleuth would only ever be seen with a Rolex wrapped around his wrist.

Nobody's entirely sure why author Ian Fleming chose Rolex in the first place. It might have been something to do with the brand's policy of sending free watches to British prisoners of war in WW2, or maybe it was their reliable toughness that won him over.

Whatever the reason, Sean Connery's Bond first donned a Rolex 'Submariner 6538' in Dr. No, and wore it in the next four iterations too, changing straps each time.

Buy here.

Glengarry Glen Ross - Rolex Daydate

Product, Collar, Glass, Chin, Forehead, Watch, Eyebrow, Analog watch, Photograph, Outerwear,

Actor: Alec Baldwin

Character: Blake


Year: 1992

"You see this watch? That watch costs more than you car. I made $970,000 last year. How much'd you make? You see pal, that's who I am, and you're nothing. Nice guy? I don't give a shit. Good father? Fuck you! Go home and play with your kids. You wanna work here - close! You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker?"

So says Alec Baldwin's Rolex-stroking sales-monster in Glengarry Glen Ross. As a result, the Rolex 'Daydate' has grown synonymous with the flashy, wealth-obsessed world of eighties excess.

That's not to say that it's not a beautiful piece - and for what it's worth, a gold Rolex 'Daydate' can be picked up for around £10,000 nowadays (a whole bunch of used Vauxhall Corsas, if we're still calculating in car form).

Buy here.

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Men In Black - Hamilton Ventura XXL

Eyewear, Vision care, Collar, Analog watch, Photograph, Sunglasses, Outerwear, Dress shirt, Watch, Formal wear,

Actor(s): Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones

Character(s): Agent J & Agent K

Year: 1997

It looks like a futuristic World's Fair fever dream, but the Hamilton Ventura XXL was originally introduced to the market way back in 1957. It quickly grew in popularity, partly because it was a favourite of young Elvis Presley.

The version worn by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in the Men in Black movies doesn't differ much from the original, carrying only a slightly wider, more triangular face to set it apart.

Buy here.

Apollo 13 - Omega Speedmaster

Product, Analog watch, Watch, Glass, Photograph, White, Watch accessory, Font, Metal, Fashion accessory,

Actor: Tom Hanks

Character: Jim Lovell

Year: 1995

It was the obvious choice, really: the Omega 'Speedmaster' was the only mechanical watch certified for space flight by NASA.

With its elasticated strap, the 'Speedmaster' has made a huge impact on the history of both cinema and space travel. It was the first watch worn by an astronaut walking on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission, and also featured in the first American spacewalk as part of NASA's Gemini 4 mission.


Buy here.

Skyfall - OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M 42mm

Product, Analog watch, Dress shirt, Watch, Glass, Photograph, Collar, Tie, Watch accessory, Font,

Actor: Daniel Craig

Character: James Bond

Year: 2012

In 2012's Skyfall, Bond wears the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M, which should come as no surprise: he's been donning the Seamaster range since GoldenEye in 1995. For the history behind Bond's long-time love affair with Omega, check out this timeline.

Buy here.

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Le Mans - Rolex Explorer II 1655

Product, Watch, Photograph, Electronic device, Technology, Display device, Glass, Font, Analog watch, Watch accessory,

Actor: Steve McQueen

Character: Michael Delaney

Year: 1971

Steve McQueen was a big-time watch connoisseur, and usually opted for the Rolex 'Explorer II 1655', which later became known as the 'McQueen Explorer II' in tribute.

But for his iconic role in Le Mans, the 'King of Cool' chose to wear a blue-faced, black strapped 'Heuer Monaco' (this was before the company introduced TAG to its branding).

The original watch that McQueen wore during the filming sold for $87,600 at an auction, but an updated anniversary edition was released in 2009, and can be nabbed for £4,050.

Buy here.

Pulp Fiction - ?

Pulp Fiction

Actor: Christopher Walken

Character: Captain Koons

Year: 1994

The most controversial watch in movie history. Nobody quite knows what model of watch this is, but plenty of snoops have had a guess.

Some fans are adamant that it's just a prop watch, while others believe it to be a Lancet WW1 trench watch. If that's the case, then there's pretty much no chance of you buying one for yourself, as they're predictably rare.

Well... Christopher Walken might know where you can find one, but we'd avoid asking him if we were you.

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