I don't know if I have experience with 5... I'm still kind of new to this...
1. Walther. My P99 is my favorite gun. The PPK is good, but the trigger on the P99...can't be beat.
2. 7 for all mankind. I picked up a pair off eBay awhile back. They are nice. My butt looks pretty good in them too.
3. Omega. I do not own an Omega. I did, however, recently visit an Omega store. The salesman, who said he's actually a watchmaker but was helping out in the store for a bit, was very knowledgeable about his Bond trivia and even taught me a thing or two. It was a great experience and I look forward to purchasing an Omega watch. I'm thinking about swinging by the Aston Martin dealership in the richy rich area next.
4. Heineken. Seems kind of silly. I tried it because of the Bond connection and it became my favorite. It doesn't make me feel all bloated like the other brands.
5. Tom Ford. I have the Skyfall sunglasses. No experience with any other items yet.
I don't know if I can do least favorite...Not enough exposure.
I notice that some have knocked Seiko. If we're talking about the Seiko watches that Bond has actually worn, I agree that they weren't right for the character. But if we're talking about the brand, I have to disagree. To me, Omega is no more "right" for Bond than Seiko. In fact, I like Seiko's watches much better on the whole. A modern Bond looking for a reliable tool watch might just strap on a Seiko diver before an Omega if it wasn't a question of endorsement money.
Not sure I agree here, would a man with bonds tastes wear a Seiko? I agree a watch issued by q branch would not be a high end brand but then they wouldn't issue him an Aston Martin either unless it suited a cover he was assuming like in casino royale. last year my po 2500 took a tumble from a 4th floor balcony courtesy of my little boy, it landed on a hard gritty surface at the bottom of a palm tree and suffered no more than a small scratch to the crystal and a chip to one bezel knurle, so they are definitely tough enough for bond.
I've forgotten to include orlebar brown in my favourite brands, great stuff from them, I've 4 or 5 pairs of swim shorts, shirts and they do some really comfortable t shirts.
Orlebar Brown
My go-to brand for all my polos. They look great, feel great and stay great even after a lot of washing. Their swimwear is great too.
Persol
Great, classic eyewear that has a history. Good quality and pretty affordable.
Omega
I agree with people that say that Omega churns out too many different models. Yes, their prices keep rising and their prices for accessories like replacement straps are ludicrous. That being said, I love my SMP 300.
Church’s
My first love when it comes to fine shoes, fit my feet better than C&J and I like their more classic shapes. They do make a lot of hideous shoes as well but as long as you stay in their classic line you can’t go wrong.
Picardie/Samsonite/American Express/Sony/Carta Mundi/Seiko
Accessible brands and items that I use very often
Bottom 3
Billy Read
Yes it is a nice coat but changing it from 100% to 80% really feels like a cost-cutting measure to make as much money as they can from one of their most popular items.
Tom Ford
Maybe a choice that will be frowned upon by many seeing as Tom Ford is very very popular on this forum but to me Tom Ford epitomises what I dislike about Bond’s clothing choices over the last few films. Everything looks so brand new! The suits, coats and jackets (not just Tom Ford) look like the labels are still attached, the shoes (C&J, Sanders, Church's) don’t have any wear on the soles of creases on the uppers that show that they have been worn for more than a minute; they look “box fresh”. Having quite a few pairs of decent shoes I wonder how Craig does it. I can only wear new shoes for about an hour the first few days before they break in. Three different sunglasses in one movie, come on!? Keeping a pair of sunglasses in your dinner jacket so you can show them off the next day? To me Craig became an advertising stand. The Bond in my mind wears quality clothing, but wears it more than once and gets good use out of those items. I don’t fault the quality and Tobacco Vanilla and Japanese Plum are two of my favourite perfumes.
Sunspel
When comparing my Riviera polos to my Orlebar Brown polos OB wins hands down. They have a better fit (on me), feel nicer and keep their shape and colour better after rigorous wear and washing.
To be honest I always thought Brozzer was the one who always had perfect clothes which were immaculate, especially after fight scenes etc
I love the way they did the bloodied CR Tux, totally knackered QoS TF harrington, ripped QoS TF polo etc. Think the Skyfall lodge outfit was aged also, especially the CJ Islays
On the other hand I also love the charm and coolness of Connery unzipping his wet suit in Goldfinger to display a flawless tux / dinner jacket. Very Bondish
Great topic! There are some fascinating and conflicting opinions and it's always interesting to read the reasoning behind them.
My favourites:
Tom Ford - amazing quality suits and ties, particularly the QoS and Skyfall ties. I love all the TF suits I own; sure, they are expensive but the cut, quality and varying levels of 'flashiness' depending on what you own all combine to make you feel (and look) like the best dressed man in the room
Crockett and Jones - shoes are built to last and ooze elegant and understated class
T&A - quintessential Bond with high quality shirts and ties
Aston Martin - don't own one, but would love to. Enough said.
Macallan whisky - love it. Tasting the 50 yo is on the bucket list
Honourable mentions (I know I'm cheating here): BR, Adidas (ok, not a Bond brand, but love the Y3), OB, ST Dupont
Least favourite:
Matchless - the jacket itself is nice, but overpriced. The rest about their marketing campaign, communication, treatment of customers and misappropriation of others' ideas has been discussed extensively here; I agree with all that's been said on this front
Tom Ford eyewear - flimsy and overpriced, though the TF108s (read: OP Airman) look pretty cool
Armani, Zara, Prada - for the reasons previously mentioned by others. Though at least Zara products are more financially accessible
Great topic! There are some fascinating and conflicting opinions and it's always interesting to read the reasoning behind them.
My favourites:
Tom Ford - amazing quality suits and ties, particularly the QoS and Skyfall ties. I love all the TF suits I own; sure, they are expensive but the cut, quality and varying levels of 'flashiness' depending on what you own all combine to make you feel (and look) like the best dressed man in the room
Crockett and Jones - shoes are built to last and ooze elegant and understated class
T&A - quintessential Bond with high quality shirts and ties
Aston Martin - don't own one, but would love to. Enough said.
Macallan whisky - love it. Tasting the 50 yo is on the bucket list
Honourable mentions (I know I'm cheating here): BR, Adidas (ok, not a Bond brand, but love the Y3), OB, ST Dupont
Least favourite:
Matchless - the jacket itself is nice, but overpriced. The rest about their marketing campaign, communication, treatment of customers and misappropriation of others' ideas has been discussed extensively here; I agree with all that's been said on this front
Tom Ford eyewear - flimsy and overpriced, though the TF108s (read: OP Airman) look pretty cool
Armani, Zara, Prada - for the reasons previously mentioned by others. Though at least Zara products are more financially accessible
Bond wears Adidas gazelles in sf so is a verified bond brand -{
I notice that some have knocked Seiko. If we're talking about the Seiko watches that Bond has actually worn, I agree that they weren't right for the character. But if we're talking about the brand, I have to disagree. To me, Omega is no more "right" for Bond than Seiko. In fact, I like Seiko's watches much better on the whole. A modern Bond looking for a reliable tool watch might just strap on a Seiko diver before an Omega if it wasn't a question of endorsement money.
Not sure I agree here, would a man with bonds tastes wear a Seiko? I agree a watch issued by q branch would not be a high end brand but then they wouldn't issue him an Aston Martin either unless it suited a cover he was assuming like in casino royale. last year my po 2500 took a tumble from a 4th floor balcony courtesy of my little boy, it landed on a hard gritty surface at the bottom of a palm tree and suffered no more than a small scratch to the crystal and a chip to one bezel knurle, so they are definitely tough enough for bond.
There are many beautiful examples of the Grand Seiko that could stand up to an Aqua Terra any day. They do not quite reach Omega's prices, but they are certainly not inexpensive watches. I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that Seiko's watches are not inferior to Omega's. Omega has very wisely associated itself with Bond over the last 20+ years, and has raised its prices into Rolex-territory. I think this has created the illusion that it's higher-end brand than it really is.
Anyhow, my apologies to the OP. I realize this discussion is slightly off-topic. -{
I notice that some have knocked Seiko. If we're talking about the Seiko watches that Bond has actually worn, I agree that they weren't right for the character. But if we're talking about the brand, I have to disagree. To me, Omega is no more "right" for Bond than Seiko. In fact, I like Seiko's watches much better on the whole. A modern Bond looking for a reliable tool watch might just strap on a Seiko diver before an Omega if it wasn't a question of endorsement money.
Not sure I agree here, would a man with bonds tastes wear a Seiko? I agree a watch issued by q branch would not be a high end brand but then they wouldn't issue him an Aston Martin either unless it suited a cover he was assuming like in casino royale. last year my po 2500 took a tumble from a 4th floor balcony courtesy of my little boy, it landed on a hard gritty surface at the bottom of a palm tree and suffered no more than a small scratch to the crystal and a chip to one bezel knurle, so they are definitely tough enough for bond.
There are many beautiful examples of the Grand Seiko that could stand up to an Aqua Terra any day. They do not quite reach Omega's prices, but they are certainly not inexpensive watches. I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that Seiko's watches are not inferior to Omega's. Omega has very wisely associated itself with Bond over the last 20+ years, and has raised its prices into Rolex-territory. I think this has created the illusion that it's higher-end brand than it really is.
Anyhow, my apologies to the OP. I realize this discussion is slightly off-topic. -{
I wouldn't dispute seiko make some fine watches, and omegas status could be placed on any high end brand, but still could you honestly see a man who wears a £700 polo shirt, £4000 suits, and a £5000 pound jacket wearing a Seiko? Are Seiko's made from the best grade stainless steel with hand assembled movements with a cosc certificatation? True you pay a premium for the name and the fact they are Swiss made but you do with Rolex, patek philippe etc. If you imagine bond going shopping on his day off you may see him calling at orlebar browns for some shorts, n peal for a jumper, Barbour for a jacket, Tom Ford to drop 20k on some suits and a few casual bits, crocket and Jones for a couple of pairs of shoes, then do you see him calling at h Samuel for a watch? I know it seems like I'm running down grand seiko but I'm not they are fine watches and very accurate and reliable, but I don't see bond with one. Some grand Seiko's are priced above some omegas.
It was either that.....or the priesthood
Asp9mmOver the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,541MI6 Agent
Sorry, but Seiko quality is nowhere near the same as Omega's. The quality has improved by vast amounts over the last ten years with Omega, and that's why the prices have increased along with that. Their ten year plan was to be on the same level as Rolex, and they've done a damned good job. They left Seiko in the dust decades ago. There really is no comparison.
This is a great idea and has turned out to be very informative. I can only post about the brands I own, so here goes:
The good
1. Orlebar Brown: living in Florida and loving to update the old summer Bond outfits, there is not a better Bond brand for me. Their linen quality is unparalleled. I love the side tab adjuster pants. Their polos are not my style as much, but they are more robust than the Sunspel polos.
2. Sunspel: Yes, one must treat their polos like precious knitwear (I hand wash mine) because they cannot handle the beating of a washing machine. But, the design is very classic, light weight, breathable, and just plain beautiful.
3. Persol: these glasses could survive a nuclear war. The acetate is as smooth as butter and the styling is classic. Best quality:price ratio for any sunglasses company I've ever come across.
4. Oliver Proples: the highest quality sunglasses imaginable. You pay the price for them, but they are everything the TF sunglasses should be.
5. Barbour: classic British brand that makes damn fine cold weather wear. Very Bond. As many have mentioned before, it's surprising that he didn't start wearing them sooner.
Honorable mention: NPeal. They make amazing cashmere at affordable prices and it just seems like a store I can picture Bond shopping in.
The bad
1. Matchless: I love the Spectre jacket. It is amazing. One of my favorite pieces. While copied from the JV, it has a uniqueness to it that just excites me every time I put it on. I actually love the logo on the arm and I love their other offerings and will probably be buying another jacket from them in the future. But, I'm something of a brand whore, so that might have something to do with it. Also, my real life style icon Cara Delevingne wears them often, so I'm sold. But, we all know what happened, and that was not cool. I will wait until they get their act together before I purchase from them again. The jacket was also overpriced at about twice what it's worth. I'm not a fan of paying excessively for a brand or movie marketing.
2. TF: I have not yet had the pleasure to try his clothes. I'm sure they are amazing, but I know they are over priced at $900 for a polo. Again, don't mind paying a little more for a brand, but not that much. $400 would have been acceptable. His sunglasses are complete trash, for the price. If they were $150, I would say it's a fair deal. Also, wasn't impressed with the price hike fiasco.
3. Levi's: I love my Menlo. When they do higher quality stuff, it's done right. And, I want to love Levi's. They are classics! But, they have some serious quality issues they need to work through. I have to buy 3 sizes up just to get a pair of jeans to fit me for one product and can buy by regular size for another? That just shouldn't be happening. The quality of their jean has been traded to turn a buck as of late as well. I know they have to make money and sell to the masses, but I would like to see a higher end option from them. If something like that exists, please let me know as I love Levi's otherwise.
I am admittedly no expert on the materials that Seiko puts into its watches. I happily defer to others here with more knowledge in that regard. But I do disagree that a man of discerning tastes would necessarily choose Omega over Seiko. Aside from the Tom Ford items, Craig's Bond tends to favor brands that are "within reach," including many of the brands you have listed above. Billy Reid? N Peal? All Saints? Barbour? This is not full-on luxury stuff.
(Full disclosure: I do own both Seiko and Omega watches, albeit not Grand Seiko).
1) Walther... Grew up on Bond films so started my affinity for that brand early on.. Once on the P.D. the PPKs was my preferred back up gun from the start.
2) Omega.. Granted I do not own one... sigh.. but one day..
3) Macallan.. Although come to think of it.. I may had consumed enough Macallan over the past few years to have bought an Omega..
4) Barbour.. The lodge jacket just has a rugged but classy style.. My go to piece in cooler weather
5) Aston Martin.. No explanation needed here..
Least favorites :
1) Matchless.. The brand just oozes douche bag with their oversized logos and hey look at what label I am wearing mentality.. It kind of falls on par with those graphic tees all the MMA wannabes wear.. (forget the brand name.. but just tacky)
2) Tom Ford.. Granted I do not own his clothing.. Just 3 pair of sunglasses. The Markos were junk, but the bigger turn off is reading about his character. He's just a really odd bird.. Plus I just can't get past the concept of dropping $900 for a polo..
3) Matchless.. Because it deserves to be mentioned twice )
Although Tom Ford is high price, I have to admit the SPECTRE polo was absurdly priced even for them. I have bought other TF polos in the past and they were nowhere near that price level! To put into perspective I think I bought a TF Suit for the price of possibly 2 and a bit SPECTRE polos
Barbour is a strange one for me personally, a very strong "British" brand and I love the Tokito but in recent times has tried to modernise itself E.g. Bright Pink quilted jackets for the ladies with big Barbour badges..... and did I see right - Barbour branded watches? Kind of like Omega making sunglasses
I think maybe we overthink the brands chosen a little also. E.g. many have commented that Dior is not a Bond brand etc however maybe in these cases Jany had set in her mind the colour and style, then hunted around the various stores, designers not thinking too much about where and who made it.
E.g. The Dior of course is an interesting case because if we remember rightly our very own Mantis was sneaked some preliminary info from Tom Ford about them possibly providing a jacket for the film. This information of course must of had a high level of accuracy as the Tom Ford jacket in question is not at all unlike the Dior so I guess we can safely presume Jany was hunting around and picked several variations of the jacket in mind and the Dior was chosen over the TF
Tom Ford jacket pictured below which early info hinted would possibly be the Mr white Jacket:
Also interesting is that in the official Tom Ford SPECTRE cookbook they had a Kaki coloured suit, presumably for the Morocco scenes. It looks like DC had some influence or Jany changed her mind and they went with DC's fave brand Brunello Cucinelli instead. The Khaki suit was dropped from the TF SPECTRE marketing campaign (presumably because they realised it was not in the movie)
Tom Ford SPECTRE buy book with Kaki suit (see bottom):
It would be cool to hear more about the choices made and why for us geeks
welshboy78, I agree with you on the Dior jacket. The jacket as shown in the film, however, is not a fair representation of what Dior Homme truly is. The brand overall is not a very Bondian brand, but the jacket itself has a classic and unassuming look that works perfectly for Bond.
I find it interesting that people are throwing TF on the least favorite list for the polo and sunglasses.
For one, TF sunglasses are extremely well balanced. Meaning they don't fall forward on your face because they are too heavy in the front. Furthermore their lenses do not magnify to make things appear farther away at all. Nearly every pair of sunglasses I have tried from other brands have the above faults and that is a huge problem to me.
I personally do not wear anything Bond wore in regards to sunglasses. I do however only wear the Flynn. They are fantastic.
Also on the polo, sure it is crazy priced but people still bought them and caused them to sell out within a couple weeks. I personally wouldn't pay that price. I own one and it is very nice (I paid $195 for my black one).
-
Anyone could say that Rolex or Omega are overpriced and not worth it because the same watch can be had from China for $200 and it is a 1:1 in appearance, etc. Sure you could but the feel is 100% different.
Yes I see what you mean Matt. Looking at other Dior Jackets they have a bit of a "contemporary"?? design
Not sure if thats the best way to describe them!
Im still on the fence though whether they made the right choice removing the beaver fur from the jacket for the film. Maybe it might have been a bit too much. I still think they wasted some great opportunities regarding that beautiful location, all to quick getting into the house and could of made it more of an adventure trekking there!
Anyone could say that Rolex or Omega are overpriced and not worth it because the same watch can be had from China for $200 and it is a 1:1 in appearance, etc. Sure you could but the feel is 100% different.
Anyone who believes the fakes are 1:1 in appearance has bad eyes.
Anyone could say that Rolex or Omega are overpriced and not worth it because the same watch can be had from China for $200 and it is a 1:1 in appearance, etc. Sure you could but the feel is 100% different.
Anyone who believes the fakes are 1:1 in appearance has bad eyes.
I don't know if that was intended as a jab, so I won't take it as such.
Some fakes that are available today are unreal. I won't call him a friend, but an acquaintance of mine does marketing for the top fake watch site in the world and they are doing video comparisons of a real one next to a fake and its unbelievable. However when you hold onto it, doesn't feel the same.
Not sure I agree here, would a man with bonds tastes wear a Seiko? I agree a watch issued by q branch would not be a high end brand but then they wouldn't issue him an Aston Martin either unless it suited a cover he was assuming like in casino royale. last year my po 2500 took a tumble from a 4th floor balcony courtesy of my little boy, it landed on a hard gritty surface at the bottom of a palm tree and suffered no more than a small scratch to the crystal and a chip to one bezel knurle, so they are definitely tough enough for bond.
There are many beautiful examples of the Grand Seiko that could stand up to an Aqua Terra any day. They do not quite reach Omega's prices, but they are certainly not inexpensive watches. I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that Seiko's watches are not inferior to Omega's. Omega has very wisely associated itself with Bond over the last 20+ years, and has raised its prices into Rolex-territory. I think this has created the illusion that it's higher-end brand than it really is.
Anyhow, my apologies to the OP. I realize this discussion is slightly off-topic. -{
I wouldn't dispute seiko make some fine watches, and omegas status could be placed on any high end brand, but still could you honestly see a man who wears a £700 polo shirt, £4000 suits, and a £5000 pound jacket wearing a Seiko? Are Seiko's made from the best grade stainless steel with hand assembled movements with a cosc certificatation? True you pay a premium for the name and the fact they are Swiss made but you do with Rolex, patek philippe etc. If you imagine bond going shopping on his day off you may see him calling at orlebar browns for some shorts, n peal for a jumper, Barbour for a jacket, Tom Ford to drop 20k on some suits and a few casual bits, crocket and Jones for a couple of pairs of shoes, then do you see him calling at h Samuel for a watch? I know it seems like I'm running down grand seiko but I'm not they are fine watches and very accurate and reliable, but I don't see bond with one. Some grand Seiko's are priced above some omegas.
What people forget is, how the watch world has been in the 70s and early 80s!
The mechanical watch was dead!!! Dead!!
Omega was mostly boring Quartz watches in department stores and the only mechanical watch was still Rolex which where still there and desirable.
Omega was the boring grandpa's watch and Seiko the cool and hip watch that appealed to those who moved with the technology and wanted a cool and well-known brand watch.
If you check out how bold and brave Seiko's design was in the 80s - you better understand the spirit of that time. Seiko was pretty expensive back then and was among nr. 1 before the renaissance of the mechanical watch - and may I add that Omega where among the very lasts that jumped back to mechanical watches.
Instead of driving an outdated technology and conservatively designed Aston Martin, Bond moved to an efficient ultramodern-designed Lotus and the move from Rolex to Seiko was similar.
President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Anyone could say that Rolex or Omega are overpriced and not worth it because the same watch can be had from China for $200 and it is a 1:1 in appearance, etc. Sure you could but the feel is 100% different.
Anyone who believes the fakes are 1:1 in appearance has bad eyes.
I don't know if that was intended as a jab, so I won't take it as such.
Some fakes that are available today are unreal. I won't call him a friend, but an acquaintance of mine does marketing for the top fake watch site in the world and they are doing video comparisons of a real one next to a fake and its unbelievable. However when you hold onto it, doesn't feel the same.
I'm sorry, no offence was intended. It has been quite a few years since I've taken a close look at the fakes in Chinatown, but they never looked quite right. The scale was always slightly off. The cases always looked a millimeter or two too big, or the bezel wouldn't be the proper proportion. They never had the perfect proportions.
Some fakes that are available today are unreal. I won't call him a friend, but an acquaintance of mine does marketing for the top fake watch site in the world and they are doing video comparisons of a real one next to a fake and its unbelievable. However when you hold onto it, doesn't feel the same.
Sorry, but that's just marketing blah blah from your "friend". Well, it's part of his job and that he does the job for a fake watch site should tell enough about his credibility.
So far I have to see these "unreal" good fake watches. It's all bullshit when you have a closer look at them.-
President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Asp9mmOver the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,541MI6 Agent
There's never been a perfect fake watch however much you spend on the higher end versions. Plus when they break, which they do after short periods of time, they're doomed. They're disposable items that don't last. I don't understand the mindset in buying these things.
There's never been a perfect fake watch however much you spend on the higher end versions. Plus when they break, which they do after short periods of time, they're doomed. They're disposable items that don't last. I don't understand the mindset in buying these things.
That is true and whole point of my above post. That while they might be close or whatever range you believe it to be, the fact that it is built better, is made of better materials, is made in a place that cost more, etc. The overall price of the item will be higher.
I for one also don't get why people buy fake watches. Just get a cheaper watch. I wasn't always able to afford my current time pieces, but now I can.
It seems that my comment on my post got into a whole fake watch cycle which it was not intended to be.
So please end this line of posts and return to the original topic at hand -{
Comments
1. Walther. My P99 is my favorite gun. The PPK is good, but the trigger on the P99...can't be beat.
2. 7 for all mankind. I picked up a pair off eBay awhile back. They are nice. My butt looks pretty good in them too.
3. Omega. I do not own an Omega. I did, however, recently visit an Omega store. The salesman, who said he's actually a watchmaker but was helping out in the store for a bit, was very knowledgeable about his Bond trivia and even taught me a thing or two. It was a great experience and I look forward to purchasing an Omega watch. I'm thinking about swinging by the Aston Martin dealership in the richy rich area next.
4. Heineken. Seems kind of silly. I tried it because of the Bond connection and it became my favorite. It doesn't make me feel all bloated like the other brands.
5. Tom Ford. I have the Skyfall sunglasses. No experience with any other items yet.
I don't know if I can do least favorite...Not enough exposure.
Orlebar Brown
My go-to brand for all my polos. They look great, feel great and stay great even after a lot of washing. Their swimwear is great too.
Persol
Great, classic eyewear that has a history. Good quality and pretty affordable.
Omega
I agree with people that say that Omega churns out too many different models. Yes, their prices keep rising and their prices for accessories like replacement straps are ludicrous. That being said, I love my SMP 300.
Church’s
My first love when it comes to fine shoes, fit my feet better than C&J and I like their more classic shapes. They do make a lot of hideous shoes as well but as long as you stay in their classic line you can’t go wrong.
Picardie/Samsonite/American Express/Sony/Carta Mundi/Seiko
Accessible brands and items that I use very often
Bottom 3
Billy Read
Yes it is a nice coat but changing it from 100% to 80% really feels like a cost-cutting measure to make as much money as they can from one of their most popular items.
Tom Ford
Maybe a choice that will be frowned upon by many seeing as Tom Ford is very very popular on this forum but to me Tom Ford epitomises what I dislike about Bond’s clothing choices over the last few films. Everything looks so brand new! The suits, coats and jackets (not just Tom Ford) look like the labels are still attached, the shoes (C&J, Sanders, Church's) don’t have any wear on the soles of creases on the uppers that show that they have been worn for more than a minute; they look “box fresh”. Having quite a few pairs of decent shoes I wonder how Craig does it. I can only wear new shoes for about an hour the first few days before they break in. Three different sunglasses in one movie, come on!? Keeping a pair of sunglasses in your dinner jacket so you can show them off the next day? To me Craig became an advertising stand. The Bond in my mind wears quality clothing, but wears it more than once and gets good use out of those items. I don’t fault the quality and Tobacco Vanilla and Japanese Plum are two of my favourite perfumes.
Sunspel
When comparing my Riviera polos to my Orlebar Brown polos OB wins hands down. They have a better fit (on me), feel nicer and keep their shape and colour better after rigorous wear and washing.
I know, was referring to the overall feel of Bond's clothing nowadays.
I love the way they did the bloodied CR Tux, totally knackered QoS TF harrington, ripped QoS TF polo etc. Think the Skyfall lodge outfit was aged also, especially the CJ Islays
On the other hand I also love the charm and coolness of Connery unzipping his wet suit in Goldfinger to display a flawless tux / dinner jacket. Very Bondish
My favourites:
Tom Ford - amazing quality suits and ties, particularly the QoS and Skyfall ties. I love all the TF suits I own; sure, they are expensive but the cut, quality and varying levels of 'flashiness' depending on what you own all combine to make you feel (and look) like the best dressed man in the room
Crockett and Jones - shoes are built to last and ooze elegant and understated class
T&A - quintessential Bond with high quality shirts and ties
Aston Martin - don't own one, but would love to. Enough said.
Macallan whisky - love it. Tasting the 50 yo is on the bucket list
Honourable mentions (I know I'm cheating here): BR, Adidas (ok, not a Bond brand, but love the Y3), OB, ST Dupont
Least favourite:
Matchless - the jacket itself is nice, but overpriced. The rest about their marketing campaign, communication, treatment of customers and misappropriation of others' ideas has been discussed extensively here; I agree with all that's been said on this front
Tom Ford eyewear - flimsy and overpriced, though the TF108s (read: OP Airman) look pretty cool
Armani, Zara, Prada - for the reasons previously mentioned by others. Though at least Zara products are more financially accessible
There are many beautiful examples of the Grand Seiko that could stand up to an Aqua Terra any day. They do not quite reach Omega's prices, but they are certainly not inexpensive watches. I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that Seiko's watches are not inferior to Omega's. Omega has very wisely associated itself with Bond over the last 20+ years, and has raised its prices into Rolex-territory. I think this has created the illusion that it's higher-end brand than it really is.
Anyhow, my apologies to the OP. I realize this discussion is slightly off-topic. -{
I know which I'd rather have.
The good
1. Orlebar Brown: living in Florida and loving to update the old summer Bond outfits, there is not a better Bond brand for me. Their linen quality is unparalleled. I love the side tab adjuster pants. Their polos are not my style as much, but they are more robust than the Sunspel polos.
2. Sunspel: Yes, one must treat their polos like precious knitwear (I hand wash mine) because they cannot handle the beating of a washing machine. But, the design is very classic, light weight, breathable, and just plain beautiful.
3. Persol: these glasses could survive a nuclear war. The acetate is as smooth as butter and the styling is classic. Best quality:price ratio for any sunglasses company I've ever come across.
4. Oliver Proples: the highest quality sunglasses imaginable. You pay the price for them, but they are everything the TF sunglasses should be.
5. Barbour: classic British brand that makes damn fine cold weather wear. Very Bond. As many have mentioned before, it's surprising that he didn't start wearing them sooner.
Honorable mention: NPeal. They make amazing cashmere at affordable prices and it just seems like a store I can picture Bond shopping in.
The bad
1. Matchless: I love the Spectre jacket. It is amazing. One of my favorite pieces. While copied from the JV, it has a uniqueness to it that just excites me every time I put it on. I actually love the logo on the arm and I love their other offerings and will probably be buying another jacket from them in the future. But, I'm something of a brand whore, so that might have something to do with it. Also, my real life style icon Cara Delevingne wears them often, so I'm sold. But, we all know what happened, and that was not cool. I will wait until they get their act together before I purchase from them again. The jacket was also overpriced at about twice what it's worth. I'm not a fan of paying excessively for a brand or movie marketing.
2. TF: I have not yet had the pleasure to try his clothes. I'm sure they are amazing, but I know they are over priced at $900 for a polo. Again, don't mind paying a little more for a brand, but not that much. $400 would have been acceptable. His sunglasses are complete trash, for the price. If they were $150, I would say it's a fair deal. Also, wasn't impressed with the price hike fiasco.
3. Levi's: I love my Menlo. When they do higher quality stuff, it's done right. And, I want to love Levi's. They are classics! But, they have some serious quality issues they need to work through. I have to buy 3 sizes up just to get a pair of jeans to fit me for one product and can buy by regular size for another? That just shouldn't be happening. The quality of their jean has been traded to turn a buck as of late as well. I know they have to make money and sell to the masses, but I would like to see a higher end option from them. If something like that exists, please let me know as I love Levi's otherwise.
CR/QoS, TLD, DN, GE, TSWLM, LTK, TND, TWiNE, TMWTGG, TB
http://www.iconicalternatives.com/author/james-brosnan/
https://www.instagram.com/shawn.michael.bongiorno/
(Full disclosure: I do own both Seiko and Omega watches, albeit not Grand Seiko).
1) Walther... Grew up on Bond films so started my affinity for that brand early on.. Once on the P.D. the PPKs was my preferred back up gun from the start.
2) Omega.. Granted I do not own one... sigh.. but one day..
3) Macallan.. Although come to think of it.. I may had consumed enough Macallan over the past few years to have bought an Omega..
4) Barbour.. The lodge jacket just has a rugged but classy style.. My go to piece in cooler weather
5) Aston Martin.. No explanation needed here..
Least favorites :
1) Matchless.. The brand just oozes douche bag with their oversized logos and hey look at what label I am wearing mentality.. It kind of falls on par with those graphic tees all the MMA wannabes wear.. (forget the brand name.. but just tacky)
2) Tom Ford.. Granted I do not own his clothing.. Just 3 pair of sunglasses. The Markos were junk, but the bigger turn off is reading about his character. He's just a really odd bird.. Plus I just can't get past the concept of dropping $900 for a polo..
3) Matchless.. Because it deserves to be mentioned twice
Barbour is a strange one for me personally, a very strong "British" brand and I love the Tokito but in recent times has tried to modernise itself E.g. Bright Pink quilted jackets for the ladies with big Barbour badges..... and did I see right - Barbour branded watches? Kind of like Omega making sunglasses
I think maybe we overthink the brands chosen a little also. E.g. many have commented that Dior is not a Bond brand etc however maybe in these cases Jany had set in her mind the colour and style, then hunted around the various stores, designers not thinking too much about where and who made it.
E.g. The Dior of course is an interesting case because if we remember rightly our very own Mantis was sneaked some preliminary info from Tom Ford about them possibly providing a jacket for the film. This information of course must of had a high level of accuracy as the Tom Ford jacket in question is not at all unlike the Dior so I guess we can safely presume Jany was hunting around and picked several variations of the jacket in mind and the Dior was chosen over the TF
Tom Ford jacket pictured below which early info hinted would possibly be the Mr white Jacket:
Also interesting is that in the official Tom Ford SPECTRE cookbook they had a Kaki coloured suit, presumably for the Morocco scenes. It looks like DC had some influence or Jany changed her mind and they went with DC's fave brand Brunello Cucinelli instead. The Khaki suit was dropped from the TF SPECTRE marketing campaign (presumably because they realised it was not in the movie)
Tom Ford SPECTRE buy book with Kaki suit (see bottom):
It would be cool to hear more about the choices made and why for us geeks
For one, TF sunglasses are extremely well balanced. Meaning they don't fall forward on your face because they are too heavy in the front. Furthermore their lenses do not magnify to make things appear farther away at all. Nearly every pair of sunglasses I have tried from other brands have the above faults and that is a huge problem to me.
I personally do not wear anything Bond wore in regards to sunglasses. I do however only wear the Flynn. They are fantastic.
http://www.pretavoir.co.uk/media/catalog/rotating_images/tom-ford/Tom-Ford-Flynn-TF291-01B/Tom-Ford-Flynn-TF291-01B-ld-1.jpg
Also on the polo, sure it is crazy priced but people still bought them and caused them to sell out within a couple weeks. I personally wouldn't pay that price. I own one and it is very nice (I paid $195 for my black one).
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Anyone could say that Rolex or Omega are overpriced and not worth it because the same watch can be had from China for $200 and it is a 1:1 in appearance, etc. Sure you could but the feel is 100% different.
Not sure if thats the best way to describe them!
Im still on the fence though whether they made the right choice removing the beaver fur from the jacket for the film. Maybe it might have been a bit too much. I still think they wasted some great opportunities regarding that beautiful location, all to quick getting into the house and could of made it more of an adventure trekking there!
Anyone who believes the fakes are 1:1 in appearance has bad eyes.
I don't know if that was intended as a jab, so I won't take it as such.
Some fakes that are available today are unreal. I won't call him a friend, but an acquaintance of mine does marketing for the top fake watch site in the world and they are doing video comparisons of a real one next to a fake and its unbelievable. However when you hold onto it, doesn't feel the same.
What people forget is, how the watch world has been in the 70s and early 80s!
The mechanical watch was dead!!! Dead!!
Omega was mostly boring Quartz watches in department stores and the only mechanical watch was still Rolex which where still there and desirable.
Omega was the boring grandpa's watch and Seiko the cool and hip watch that appealed to those who moved with the technology and wanted a cool and well-known brand watch.
If you check out how bold and brave Seiko's design was in the 80s - you better understand the spirit of that time. Seiko was pretty expensive back then and was among nr. 1 before the renaissance of the mechanical watch - and may I add that Omega where among the very lasts that jumped back to mechanical watches.
Instead of driving an outdated technology and conservatively designed Aston Martin, Bond moved to an efficient ultramodern-designed Lotus and the move from Rolex to Seiko was similar.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
I'm sorry, no offence was intended. It has been quite a few years since I've taken a close look at the fakes in Chinatown, but they never looked quite right. The scale was always slightly off. The cases always looked a millimeter or two too big, or the bezel wouldn't be the proper proportion. They never had the perfect proportions.
Sorry, but that's just marketing blah blah from your "friend". Well, it's part of his job and that he does the job for a fake watch site should tell enough about his credibility.
So far I have to see these "unreal" good fake watches. It's all bullshit when you have a closer look at them.-
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
That is true and whole point of my above post. That while they might be close or whatever range you believe it to be, the fact that it is built better, is made of better materials, is made in a place that cost more, etc. The overall price of the item will be higher.
I for one also don't get why people buy fake watches. Just get a cheaper watch. I wasn't always able to afford my current time pieces, but now I can.
It seems that my comment on my post got into a whole fake watch cycle which it was not intended to be.
So please end this line of posts and return to the original topic at hand -{
Agreed.