I just completed a major update to this story, and in the future, I have much more amazing James Bond Rolex history coming up, so stay tuned...
...The James Bond Rolex Story...
The Complete History Of James Bond Watches
Including ALL Watches Worn In All James Bond Movies
The Definitive Guide
Chapter 5: George Lazenby: On Her Majesty's Secret Service
An American James Bond?
Sean Connery grew tired of playing James Bond and in 1968 decided to move on with his acting career. Albert Broccoli, the producer of James Bond approached Burt Reynolds and offered him the role. Burt Reynolds claimed he rejected the role saying "An American can't play James Bond. It just can't be done!!!"
Burt Reynolds around the time he was offered the James Bond Role
It sure is interesting to wonder what would have happened if Burt Reynolds had accepted the role? Kind of like, wondering what Raiders Of The Lost Ark what have been like if Tom Selleck played Indiana Jones instead of Harrison Ford!?!
It is also interesting to see how remarkably similar Sean Connery and Burt Reynolds look when they got older. By the way, both Sean Connery and Burt Reynolds are wearing toupees in this photo.
The Search for a new James Bond Continued
Sean Connery had played James Bond for five straight movies and decided it was time to move on in his career. EON productions had to find a replacement in 1968 and narrowed down the field to these five British actors. Of course George Lazenby was chosen. George Lazenby is located on the bottom right hand side of the photo below.
Movie #7. On Her Majesty's Secret Service [George Lazenby, 1st] 1969
• Rolex Submariner [Reference 5513]
• Rolex Chronograph [Reference 6238]
"Bond surveyed his weapons. They were only his hands and his feet, his Gillette razor and his wrist-watch, a heavy Rolex Oyster Perpetual on an expanding metal bracelet. Used properly, these could be turned into most effective knuckle busters." –Ian Fleming [On Her Majesty's Secrete Service].
Here is a really cool French version of the movie poster for On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Before becoming James Bond, George Lazenby was a superb skier and overall athlete. In the poster image below, George Lazenby as James Bond is shown wearing his Rolex Pre-Datyona Chronograph.
On a side note, having grown up in San Francisco, I learned to ski at Squaw Valley, which is located near Lake Tahoe in California. I remember back in the early 1980s, when I was 16 years-old noticing, after a day of great skiing, how many dudes (including myself) were wearing Rolex Submariner watches. (I remember when I was 16 thinking there was something so James Bondish about the Rolex Submariner, even though at the time I was not aware that any James Bond had ever worn one.)
There was something just so cool about wearing a Rolex and Skiing. It had to do with how sturdy and waterproof the Rolex watch was. If you ski, you probably know what I am talking about. Thus it is ironically cool that George Lazenby is pictured above wearing his Rolex Pre-Daytona in his ski outfit. Very Cool if you ask me!!!
George Lazenby Rolex Submariner & Pre-Daytona Chronograph
George Lazenby only played James Bond once. Believe it or not, he was offered a 7 movie contract to play James Bond and he turned it down!?!?!
In On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Lazenby wore two different Rolex Watches. He wore a Rolex Submariner as seen in the first four pictures below and in the last next two images that follow he is wearing a Pre-Datyona Rolex Chronograph.
Apparently Lazenby purchased the Rolex Submariner he wears in the movie to wear for his audition for the role of James Bond.
James Bond Rolex Daytona
The Rolex in the photo below is NOT the actual watch George Lazenby wore, but very similar.
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