Words: Jonathan Wells
As brand ambassadors go, James Bond is a pretty good one. He’s suave, sophisticated, skilled — and has a frame most tailors could only dream of working with. Men want to be him. Women want to be with him. Brands want to dress him.
Of course, you have to take the rough with the smooth. For every sweeping shot of the superspy behind the wheel of a supercar, brands have to accept broken axles and smashed taillights at the hands of henchmen. For every watch Bond buckles up, brands have to watch as Q-branch turns their timepieces into power tools or bombs. And, for any dinner jacket buttoned up, brands have to accept that their tuxedos will likely end up stained with sweat, blood or spilled Martinis.
And yet, for 25 films, brands have been lining up to tool up and kit out the man from MI6. Even Ian Fleming did his favourite brands favours by sticking them in the original novels — no doubt for a discount on his aftershave. But, during the Eon film franchise, there have been multiple switches and shifts in the brands used. Who could forget the furore when Roger Moore tossed his Rolex to the wayside and started wearing Seikos? Or the uproar when Pierce Brosnan’s Bond lost the keys to his Aston — and had to spend three films driving around in a BMW?
Daniel Craig, in comparison, has come off fairly lightly. His incarnation of the world-famous secret agent seems to have some brand loyalty. And, while he may jump about when it comes to some products — four different pairs of sunglasses in the upcoming No Time To Die, for example — he’s been seen to drive, wear, drink and use many of the same brands across his five films. Here, we take a look at 007’s ten favourite labels…
Daniel Craig’s films have featured six different Aston Martins
Well, where else would we start? The most enduring brand to partner with Bond, Aston Martin have reliably cropped up throughout the entire franchise — with Roger Moore being the only 007 never to drive one. Daniel Craig’s Bond has driven several of the British brand’s cars, with his first being the Aston Martin DBS in Casino Royale. You know, the one the one fitted with a defibrillator that he ended up rolling a record-breaking seven times…
He drove a similar motor in Quantum of Solace, before reverting to the DB5 in Skyfall (the same iconic Aston had a cameo in Craig’s inaugural Bond film). After being shot to pieces in Skyfall, the DB5 sat out most of Spectre — with Bond helming the bespoke-made, gadget-laden DB10 for the film — but it will be back for No Time To Die. And it won’t be the sole Aston in Craig’s final Bond film. No Time To Die looks set to be an all-out Aston party — with the DB5, V8 Vantage Series III, DBS Superleggera and the all-new mid-engined Valhalla speeding onto the screen.
Craig’s Bond relies on Barbour for his rugged jackets
Bond wearing Barbour — it doesn’t get much more British than that. Especially when the spy is stalking around his Scottish estate toting a shotgun and keeping an eye on that Aston Martin DB5 we mentioned above. So far, the most iconic Barbour jacket of Craig’s tenure is the “X To Ki To” Beacon Heritage Sports Jacket he wore for the climax of Skyfall — but there is more to come.
In No Time To Die, another Barbour jacket will make an appearance. While boating in Jamaica, and when he meets Ana de Armas’ Paloma in Cuba, Bond will wear a Barbour x Engineered Garments Graham Jacket. In navy waxed cotton, it’s as tough and rough as his previous Barbour — but this one is a little more refined, with buttoned collar and wind flap.
Craig's 007 has laced up seven pairs of Crockett & Jones shoes
While we’re rooting around in Bond’s wardrobe, let’s talk about his shoes. Pierce Brosnan’s Bond may have favoured Church’s, and Craig may also have laced up boots from Drake’s and Danner, but his chosen footwear brand is Crockett & Jones. During his tenure, Craig’s take on the spy has amassed a staggering seven pairs of shoes and boots from the heritage brand — with more to come in No Time To Die.
From the Islay boots he wore with the Barbour jacket above to the Highbury derby shoes he tends to wear when suited and booted in London, Bond has been lacing up these classic kicks for years. In Skyfall, he wears the brand’s Tetbury and Alex styles. In Spectre, Norwich and Camberley shoes joined his collection. And, for No Time To Die, a new pair of Molton Dark Brown Rough-Out Suede chukka boots will make their debut during a sequence filmed in Norway.
Every Bond loves to pop Champagne Bollinger
A rare non-British brand on this list. But, then again — when it comes to Champagne — nobody does it better than the French. Being a man of impeccable taste, Bond knows a thing or two about bubbly — and Bollinger was an integral part of the 007 franchise long before Daniel Craig took over the role. In 1973, Live and Let Die marked the first time a bottle of Bolly appeared on screen, and the first time Bond officially took a sip was in Fleming’s 1956 novel Diamonds Are Forever.
Daniel Craig’s Bond first enjoyed Bollinger La Grande Année 1990 in Casino Royale. He sipped La Grande Année 1999 with Agent Strawberry Fields in his hotel room in Quantum of Solace. In Skyfall, he shares a bottle of Bollinger R.D. 1997 with femme fatale Severine and, in Spectre, he has a post-funeral flute of Bollinger R.D. 2002 with Monica Bellucci’s Lucia Sciarra. Will he drink it in No Time To Die? Almost certainly. But, even if he doesn’t, the trailer already shows he’s got a couple of boxes of Bollinger in his garage — next to his Aston Martin V8 Vantage.
Bond has been buckling up Omega watches since Brosnan
Another tentpole brand for Craig’s Bond, Omega first made waves when they washed away Timothy Dalton’s Rolex for Pierce Brosnan’s Omega Seamaster Professional in Goldeneye. Bond has remained an Omega man ever since — with the Seamaster being his weapon of choice. And weapon’s the right word — Craig’s Spectre Seamaster was equipped with certain explosive capabilities that (luckily) don’t come as standard.
Craig’s first Omega was Casino Royale’s Seamaster Planet Ocean. He wore a similar piece in Quantum of Solace, before graduating to an Aqua Terra in Skyfall and that incendiary custom-made Seamaster 300 in Spectre — also Craig’s first Omega with a NATO Strap. In No Time To Die, Craig will slip on a watch he helped design; the Seamaster 007 Edition.
Aside from Aston Martins, Land Rovers are Bond’s cars of choice
Just as Bond doesn’t rely on Barbour for his dinner jackets, he doesn’t rely on Aston Martin for his off-roading. That job belongs to Land Rover. Over the course of Craig’s five films, he has driven multiple models from the British brand — beginning with the memorable Casino Royale sequence where he ‘parks’ a gold Range Rover owned by an obnoxious hotel guest.
In Quantum of Solace, he trades his Range Rover Sport HSE for an airplane in the Bolivian desert, and Skyfall sees he and Moneypenny chase down an assassin in a Land Rover Defender Double Cab. The Spectre Edition Land Rover Defender SVX and Range Rover SVR made appearances during an Austrian chase sequence in the 2015 film — and No Time To Die will see both the cinematic debut of the new Land Rover Defender, and a retired Bond at the wheel of a Land Rover Series III in Jamaica.
Tom Ford has tailored Bond for the last four films
Now here’s a contentious one. Since Quantum of Solace, the James Bond film franchise has partnered with Tom Ford on Bond’s suiting — moving on from Brosnan-era Brioni. And, despite accusations of ill-fitting jackets and too-tight trousers, the American designer has created some of the most memorable formalwear looks in the entire series. Ivory tuxedo aboard the Oriental Desert Express, anybody?
But it’s not just the suits that Tom Ford sorts out. By and far the most popular clothing label in Craig’s Bond films, Ford has also provided overcoats, polo shirts, sunglasses, jeans and even tactical outerwear — such as the knitted sleeve bomber jacket in Spectre above. No Time To Die will see more Tom Ford tailoring, including a black wool Atticus shawl collar cocktail jacket with quilted satin cuffs.
Sony seems to make all the electronics in Bond’s life
Next to Aston Martins and Champagne Bollinger, Sony may seem a little tame. But laugh this one off at your own peril — every coded message or secret communique sent during Craig’s five films was likely sent from or read off a Sony device. The 6th 007 has pocketed phones including the Sony Ericsson C902 cybershot, the K800i, the Xperia T and the Xperia Z5. He even tendered his resignation in Casino Royale on a Vaio TX Series Notebook.
And it’s not just Bond. Madeleine Swann uses a Sony ICD-SX1000 voice recorder in Spectre. Vesper Lynd snaps away on a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T50d digital camera in Casino Royale. Most screens used by MI6 are made by the Japanese corporation. Oh, and Bond has a Sony Bravia TV at his flat in Chelsea. Definitely one of the superspy’s most trusted brands.
N.Peal provides Bond’s knitwear of choice
Since Skyfall, Bond has also been a fan of British knitwear brand N.Peal. He may wear a black John Smedley Bobby v-neck pullover when disguised a chauffeur in Shanghai, but when it comes to the climax of the film — back to that iconic Barbour outfit — it’s a N.Peal cashmere sweater he pulls on. Spectre, too, sees the spy decked out in a couple of N.Peal jumpers, including a grey cable roll neck in Austria and a dark mock turtle neck as he chases Blofeld down the Thames.
But N.Peal’s contribution to No Time To Die is the knitwear creating the most buzz. Pictured above, the tactical navy ribbed sweater has been designed in a British military style; ribbed, with elbow and shoulder patches and a drawstring cord around the neck. Best of all? It’s available to buy here.
The jet-setting spy uses Globe-Trotter luggage
Well, he’s nothing if not a globe-trotter himself. In Craig’s five Bond films alone, the spy has visited 26 different countries. Thankfully, he’s also got some trusty luggage to carry-on along the way. When he’s just popping abroad for a brief mission, Craig’s 007 has used holdalls from Brunello Cucinelli or Bennett Winch (seen in the upcoming No Time To Die).
But, when it comes to suitcases, Globe-Trotter are his go-to. In 2012, the British brand created a ‘Rifle-Case’ suitcase for Skyfall‘s assassin Patrice, with a telescopic rifle sight handle. In Spectre, Bond himself packs a Globe-Trotter original brown suitcase when he’s dropped off in the Moroccan desert (pictured). And finally, in No Time To Die, Bond will once again use Globe-Trotter cases, this time in green and black.
Want more Bond style inspiration? Here’s how to dress like Sean Connery…
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