By Wristwatches in movies – a simple timepiece, jewellery to accessorise an outfit, or, in the case of James Bond, a life-saving device that enables you to survive an out-of-control centrifuge chamber.
As 007 has shown on many occasions, a wristwatch can often take centre stage in film, becoming an intricate part of the plot and helping to develop characters and their back-stories.
When wristwatches take centre stage
One of the most memorable examples of a wristwatch taking centre stage is in the Roger Moore James Bond movie, Moonraker. Eager to show off for the gorgeous Dr. Holly Goodhead, Bond is more than happy to example his alpha male credentials by strapping himself into the centrifuge chamber.
Problem is, one of Hugo Drax’s evil henchman is watching on. When Goodhead is called away to another engagement, Drax’s employee increases the machine’s power to fatal levels.
Surely Bond won’t survive this one? But thanks to Q’s gadget-for-the-right-occasion, 007 manages to escape seconds before he loses consciousness by firing a dart from the wristband of his Seiko M354 Memory Bank Calendar watch into the cockpit’s electronics causing a fire and automatic shutdown.
Phew! But that’s not one of our top 10. Read on to find out what makes the list…
10. Blue Thunder
Timing is everything
Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider) is meticulous. Maybe a perfectionist. It’s what makes him a great helicopter pilot. In a scene which highlights his attention to detail as well as the film’s ever-present nod to contemporary technology, in this case a digital watch, Frank times how fast he can drive his car out of a parking lot by weaving in and out of traffic cones.
The wristwatch featured in the movie is the Casio AA-85.
9. Back To The Future
Beep, Beep
Not only does Marty McFly’s “life preserver” give away his future self’s presence in the past but his Casio calculator watch alerts café owner Lou Caruthers to “Future Boy’s” strange attire.
The watch Marty wears on his wrist in both the poster for the movie and in the film is the Casio CA53W Twincept Databank. This classic men’s digital watch, as unmistakably 80s as Back to the Future itself, includes an 8-digit calculator, a multifunction stopwatch, a daily alarm, and a calendar.
8. Apollo 13
Going into space
Omega’s Speedmaster Professional takes the limelight in Ron Howard’s epic space adventure about the troubled Apollo 13 mission. It is used by John Leonard “Jack“ Swigert, Jr. (Kevin Bacon) to time a critical 14-second manoeuvre that proved crucial in returning the crew safely back to earth.
7. Speed
The bomb
While Keanu Reeves’ Casio G-Shock is on show for most of the movie, Speed’s truly memorable wristwatch is not the one strapped to the star’s arm. Rather it’s the tacky gold watch the cop finds attached to the bomb underneath the speeding bus. His friend and fellow cop Harry asks on the phone, “What kind of watch?” Reeves’ Traven replies: “Gold … gold band, fairly cheesy.”
6. Aliens
Tracking device
In Aliens, a subtle love story takes place between Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and Hicks (Michael Biehn) – a subplot that was essentially vanquished from the original theatrical version but referenced in the extended cut.
A wristwatch plays its part in this unexpected romance when the soldier gives Ripley a tracking device which will tell him, via a watch on his wrist, where she is at any given time. This watch is later used by Ripley to find and rescue the stricken child, Newt, after she is captured by the Queen to be host for another alien.
5. The Spy Who Loved Me
Telegram for James Bond
When it comes to wristwatches in James Bond movies, it’s difficult to pick a favourite. There are so many. Stand outs include the lifesaving wristband in Moonraker when an explosive dart saves 007’s life when he’s trapped in a centrifuge chamber, the magnetised Hamilton Pulsar P2 2900 as worn by Roger Moore’s Bond in Live and Let Die, and the Breitling Top Time that Sean Connery’s Bond uses as a Geiger counter in Thunderball.
There’s also the TV-enabled Seiko in Octopussy, a watch that made its way to market. However, it never gained popularity because what you don’t see in the Bond film is the Walkman-sized television receiver and wire attachment you needed to actually watch programmes on its almost pointless – but record-breaking – tiny 1.2inch screen.
But as the most fun wristwatch in a James Bond movie, the mini printer incorporated into the secret agent’s Seiko 0674 LC takes the prize for best timepiece worn by 007. It also happens to be the best Bond movie too!
Ranking the Roger Moore James Bond movies
4. Planes, Trains And Automobiles
Bargaining tool
Out of cash and having seen his credit cards burned following a fire in the car, Neal Paige (Steve Martin) is desperate for a room to stay warm and sleep for the night. He uses his expensive watch to barter with the motel clerk.
Annoyed with his travel companion Del Griffith (John Candy) for causing the car fire, he asks for a room only for himself. Unfortunately, Del’s cheap Casio does find the same favour, and he ends up buttoning-up his coat and preparing for a night sleeping out in the cold.
Top 10 Films of John Candy | Steve Martin
3. Glengarry Glen Ross
Always be closing
Alec Baldwin’s Blake in Glengarry Glen Ross exhibits his top salesman status by revealing his gold Rolex. A watch that screams “I am wealthy, look at me”. The watch, an iconic timepiece on the arm of a real estate big gun, is earned only by those who are capable of his mantra: “Always Be Closing“. The pretentious, greasy-haired “suit” flaunts his yellow gold Rolex Day-Date in Ed Harris’ face, boasting that it’s worth more than his car.
2. Pulp Fiction
A grand war story
The wristwatch in Pulp Fiction is infamous for how it was secreted during the First World War. The brilliant Christopher Walken, with that inimitable voice, recounts how this very special watch had to be protected.
Its scene sees the watch, a Lancet that dates back to 1918, handed over to a young Butch (played by Bruce Willis as an adult) by his father having been handed down to him by his dad.
Therefore it’s very special. So when he realises, after ripping off crime lord Marsellus Wallace, his girlfriend forgot to pack it, he has to return home, risking death, to recover it.
1. Die Hard
Hanging out with Gruber
Here’s the wristwatch that determined the fate of Die Hard’s chief antagonist. With the Nakatomi Plaza’s aggressor now hanging out of a window, he clings to detective John McClane’s wife Holly’s wrist to prevent himself falling to his death.
But McClane’s one step ahead again. He recognises Hans Gruber’s ploy, perhaps willing to die if he can take another innocent life with him, and unclips the watch from Holly’s wrist. As it loosens, so does Gruber’s grip. The terrorist falls. The good guys win.
But wait. There’s another reason why this watch is significant. You may not have noticed it before. It’s the Rolex gifted to Holly by her slimy colleague Ellis as an “appreciation for all her hard work.”
Given the contempt he shows McClane in front of his wife – a failed but hilarious example of one-upmanship – it’s fitting to see the tough cop vanquishing the bad guy while severing the last tie Holly had to Ellis.
10 Great Moments That Make You Love “Die Hard” Again & Again
If you enjoyed reading our look at the most memorable appearances of a wristwatch in movies, check out this top 10:
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Or simply: the “Top 10 Times Quentin Tarantino Has His Characters Sit Around A Table Talking About Stuff” as this piece of domestic apparatus on four legs has become a staple motif across the writer-director’s work. Don’t believe me? Check these out…
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