Style. Gadgets. Luxury. Murder. Those are the four words I associate with super spy, James Bond. Think about it. He is always in the most stunning clothes, carries (and drives) the coolest gadgets that are not easily available to the ordinary person. He stays in the most luxurious locations, drinking and eating from Michelin star restaurants, only to end the evening killing a couple of people. For Queen and Country, of course. Agent 007 is always On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
After three postponements, thanks to Covid-19, Daniel Craig will finally bid us farewell as James Bond. No Time To Die, the latest Bond film, will be his fifth and final of the franchise. And he is leaving us in style.
Opening on Friday, No Time To Die is the most expensive and most luxurious Bond film yet, costing between $250–301 million.
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, it stars Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffery Wright, Christoph Waltz and Ralph Fiennes. The story this time sees Bond enjoying a peaceful life in Jamaica, drinking rum (I know!) and no longer an active member of M16. Well, not for long anyway. When his old friend Felix Leiter (Wright from 2002s Die Another Day) from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
Here we breakdown all the luxury items we would love to own that Bond and the cast members get to play around with.
STYLE
There is no doubt that Bond is the best dressed spy. Heck, the costume and wardrobe department on the film makes sure that they design and procure garments that fans of the franchise and fashion lovers will talk about for the longest time. Many still get hot under the collar when they think of those tiny baby blue La Perla swim shorts Bond wore in Casino Royale in 2006. Not to mention how when many think of what constitutes being a well-dressed man, James Bond comes into mind. Even British GQ thinks this is true: "It’s not an overstatement to say that every time a new 007 film is released, the subtle shifts in Craig’s wardrobe inspire a whole generation of men to dress a little bit better."
The wardrobe team has upped the ante this year with garments and accessories that only the well heeled can afford or know about. Bond will be wearing suits from Tom Ford and Massimo Alba, eye wear from Barton Perreira and Vuarnet, footwear from Crockett & Jones, sweatshirts from N.Peal and outerwear from Barbour and Rogue Territory.
Suttirat Anne Larlarb, the costume designer, worked closely with the brands to create garments that are a cross between Bond's timeless sex appeal, while decidedly fresh and modern. Take the suit for example: the trousers are slim fit, helping accentuate his legs, while the jacket has structure in the shoulder to allow him to still do the elaborate fight scenes. Lashana Lynch, who plays Nomi, a 00 agent, was also dressed by Tom Ford, with select tailor-made jackets, tops and accessories.
THE GADGETS
Don't we all wish we had a Q to give us all the gadgets we need to handle our challenges? Life would be so much easier. While Bond is the brawn, Q is the brain and he uses it to invent some of the most ridiculously OTT, but also necessary gadgets for Bond to be able to do his job.
Bond will be wearing an Omega Seamaster Diver 300M timepiece with a special electromagnetic pulse (EMP) device. The timepiece comes in both a titanium mesh bracelet and a striped NATO strap in dark brown, grey and beige. It also features a lightweight 42 mm titanium case and vintage patina SuperLumiNova on the hands and dial. And it’s a stunning piece of technology. It is able to twist the helium escape valve counter-clockwise and pressing it down activates an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that disables electronic devices. The Omega is mechanical and has a movement rated to withstand magnetism of 15 000 Gauss.
LUXURY
Bond travels in style. Has always. I remember in Die Another Day where Pierce Brosnan’s Bond swam to Hong Kong and walked into a hotel and the concierge (and Chinese spy) immediately recognised him, and booked Bond into the hotel’s penthouse suite. This time Bond is going to need luggage as he is not travelling light. In No Time To Die, Bond will carry bags designed by luxury brand Globe-Trotter. The brand first appeared in 2015's Spectre. The luggage this time includes hard-case designs made from vulcanised fibreboard in ocean green.
His Port Antonio, Jamaican residence is a luxurious lake house that has space for a yacht. It’s the perfect holiday or retirement home for a spy (or wealthy person who needs to hide away from the world). It’s furnished with wicker armchairs, and an abundance of cushions and has limited edition coffee table books.
THE VEHICLES
Is it even a Bond film without an Aston Martin vehicle? No Time To Die will see Bond driving four Aston Martins: the legendary DB5, V8 Vantage, DBS Superleggera and the Valhalla. There will also be Land Rovers featured in the film, including the Land Rover Defender V8 Bond Edition. The Defender will be involved in an elaborate and ambitious chase sequence in Norway. Other vehicles include a Jaguar XF, a Range Rover Sport, a Toyota Land Cruiser and a Triumph Bonneville Scrambler 1200 motorcycle.
This article first appeared in Saturday Insider, Sep 25, 2021