Sean Connery’s Rolex Submariner Could Follow The Same Path As The Paul Newman Daytona UK

A few weeks ago, famed Scottish actor Sean Connery passed away at the age of 90. Connery was best-known for his role as the original James Bond, a role that would go on to define not just his career but an entire film franchise. However, Connery can also be credited with the popularity of one of the world’s most iconic watches, the perfect fake Rolex Submariner.

Waterproof Fake Rolex Watch

Now, if you’re a Bond fan, you’re probably well aware that Connery wore the Submariner. But what you might not know is that it was never supposed to be that way. As a matter of fact, in the Ian Fleming novels, Bond wears a quality fake Rolex Oyster, not a Submariner. This makes sense, if you think about it. Bond is a spy, and the Oyster is a formal, but understated watch. The Submariner is eye-catching. Not only that, but in the early 1960s, tool watches had not yet caught on as a fashion trend. The Submariner was a rare watch, used only by actual divers.

Black Dial Fake Rolex Submariner Watch

But on the first day of filming, someone in the props department had failed to get a watch for Connery. Director Terence Young was willing to settle for a Rolex, any Rolex, and someone on the beach was wearing a Submariner. A legend was born, and while Bond has worn Seikos in the 80s, Agent 007 has returned to the Submariner again and again.

The original Bond Submariner sold for $567,000 in 2018. That’s pretty impressive, but its value is likely to increase in the future. What might we expect? If we’re going to make any comparisons, let’s look at the most expensive watch ever sold: the 1:1 best replica Paul Newman Rolex Daytona.

Carroll Smith’s Swiss Made UK Replica Rolex Daytona Ref.6265 on Auction Block

Just like with classic cars, provenance is key to determining the value of a vintage Rolex replica watch. Understandably there’s a flutter of excitement in the collecting community after news surfaced that a vintage fake Rolex Daytona ref.6265 UK that belonged to Carroll Smith, the legendary automotive engineer and author, is up for grabs at an online auction hosted by Christie’s Watches this month.

The Steel Daytona Ref. 6265 circa 1973 was, according to the Christie’s online catalogue, gifted to Smith by Cuddy Racing team at the 1973 SCCA L&M F5000 Championship Series. His name and the team’s name are engraved on the steel caseback. The silver dial Rolex Daytona fake watch is a chronograph with a tachymeter scale bezel that was launched by the Swiss watchmaker in 1963 and was named so because Rolex was the official timekeeper of the Daytona International Speedway. The most famous example, undoubtedly, belonged to Hollywood star Paul Newman. A racing enthusiast himself, a Daytona gifted to Newman by his wife Joanne Woodward, famously sold for $17 million a few years ago.

Smith was a race car driver, engineer and author. He worked with the legendary Carroll Shelby and the Ford Motor Company on the GT40 Le Mans program. Smith reportedly oversaw the preparation on the cars that won the 1966 and 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans, the compelling race inspired the 2019 film Ford vs. Ferrari. After his stint with the Ford, Smith would also work in Formula One, he briefly consulted with the Ferrari team. He also wrote a few books that were received well within the automotive community. Smith succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2003 in his home in California.
According to Mike Fossner, Christie’s Watch Specialist, the real attraction of this Rolex copy watch with steel bracelet lies in the fact that ‘it was used for the purpose it was designed for’ at the highest level of motor sport. The watch is being offered for sale as part of ‘Watches Online: Discovering Time’ and will be sold along with two of his books Prepare to Win (1975) and Drive to Win (1996). The pre-sale estimate of the watch is $150,000-200,000 and bidding ends in 9 days.