9 Iconic Watches from Famous Movies

Whether you’re a movie buff or not, chances are you’ve seen your favorite actors and actresses wearing a wristwatch on film.Decades ago, many of the timepieces were simply worn either as an accessory or just because it happened to belong to the person wearing it and it was approved to wear during filming. Because of their connection to either a famous film, character or actor, some watches have become “iconic” and somewhat of “cult classics” of horology. James Bond comes to mind when we think about famous movies that feature a watch, but there are several other stars you might have missed that were wearing a signature watch on set. Here are nine iconic watches from famous movies:

(Photo credit: TheJewelleryEditor.com)One of the most iconic watches that has ever been featured in a film or television is the Rolex Submariner worn by the character James Bond in the 1962 Classic “Dr. No”. In the film, the Agent 007 wore a Rolex Reference 6358 on a leather strap throughout the film, while trying to hunt down the movie’s villain, Dr. No. It is widely believed that the Rolex worn was the personal property of Sean Connery, not a film prop.The same model was also featured in a few more follow-up Bond films, including: Goldfinger, Thunderball, and From Russia With Love. It is notable, that in Goldfinger, the 6838 was featured on a striped G-10 style strap, which is where the term “Bond strap” that is used today originates.

(Photo credit: Jomashop )Worn in Batman Begins and in The Dark Knight, this iconic watch was a perfect match with Val Kilmer’s sleek suits. The watch worn in The Dark Knight Rises was a special edition Reverso Grande and even had a Batman symbol on the back of the case.

(Photo credit: Project Watches via Amazon) Casio watch fans, take note. Marty McFly put the spotlight on this ‘80s watch in Back to the Future. You can pick it up for under $20 on Amazon so you’ll want to add it to your collector’s watch collection.

(Photo credit: Horobox)In 1983, Seiko debuted the 7A28 as the world’s first analog quartz chronograph watch. But it became best known as the watch that was worn by Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley in the film Aliens. Featuring a chunky panel sticking out on one side with two big chronograph buttons, it has that quasi-military futuristic look that director James Cameron was looking for when kitting out the cast of his 1986 sci-fi classic. The watch was a collaboration between the renowned design house, Giugiaro, and Japanese watchmaker, Seiko.The original version of the Ripley watch can still be found without too much of a hunt on the second-hand market and they go for about $1,000 but it’s a little harder to find one in really good condition. If you don’t mind having a pretty close re-issue then Seiko has two newer version of the watch – the Seiko X Giugiaro Design Spirit Smart SCED035 and SCED037, which are available in gray or black casing.

(Photo credit: Amazon)If you paid attention to Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black, you would have noticed they’re sporting a Hamilton Ventura XXL on their wrists. The original version of this watch was a favorite of the late Elvis Presley so you can pick up the Elvis Anniversary Collection.

(Photo credit: WatchShopping.com)Usually, saying that a single person is responsible for the widespread popularity of a brand is an overreaching statement. However, in the case of Panerai, it’s fair to say that Sylvester Stallone played a large role in their resurrection. In 1993, while visiting Florence, Italy, the actor happened to walk into Panerai's newly opened shop. He was impressed by bold designs of the watches and how unique they looked. This experience made quite an impression and he took the opportunity to feature one of their Luminor Marina Submersible models in his 1985 film, “Daylight”.This product placement and connection to Stallone proved to be a great boost for the company’s popularity as well as the demand for their watches. This relationship continues to the current day, with Panerai watches being featured in most of Stallone’s films, including films including: Rambo IV, The Expendables and The Expendables 2. The Panerai Luminor Marina retails for just under $5,000.

(Photo credit: AuthenticWatches.com) It’s the only mechanical watch certified for space flight by NASA so it was the natural choice for Tom Hanks who played Jim Lovell in Apollo 13. The Speedmaster also happens to be the first watch worn by an astronaut walking on the moon in the Apollo 11 mission.

(Photo credit: Endless Gadget)If you paid attention to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s wrist in Predator, you would have seen the Seiko H558 in all its glory. The watch has also made an appearance in other ‘80s movies, including Commando and The Running Man. 

(Photo credit: Mercari)It’s hard to forget the ‘Gold Watch’ scene from Pulp Fiction with Christopher Walken’s monologue. During this scene, he shares where he’s been hiding his gold WWI Lancet Trench pocket watch. The crew at Watch Gang did their take on this famous Pulp Fiction scene, you can check it out here!

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