Aston Martin and Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre have teamed up on a new timepiece that doubles as a key to the $260,000 DBS - James Bond's car of choice. The AMVOX2 DBS Transponder, as it's called, locks and unlocks the car much the same way as a remote key fob, though far more stylishly (you'll still need a key to actually drive away). Available as an add-on only for DBS owners, the chronograph costs $37,900 and can be ordered now for October delivery. The AMVOX2 DBS Transponder will make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show on Oct. 4. The watch features "a suspended metallic grey DBS symbol, a discrete Aston Martin emblem on the movement operating indicator and ruthenium grey bridges, satin finish and a black dial that all evoke the DBS's instrument panel," the company notes.

[Aston Martin via Automotoportal]

Omega may have sealed the deal for James Bond's watches but what about the villains. Enter Dr. Swatch, otherwise known as Nicolas G. Hayek. Swatch has created a new collection dedicated just to Bond's antagonists. The new collection will be out next month and will be a tribute to those Bond has sparred with in twenty-two James Bond films, from Dr. No to the forthcoming Quantum Of Solace. Featured villains will include Christopher Walken's Max Zorin, Gerd Froebe's Goldfinger, Lotte Lenya's Rosa Klebb and more. Sounds like fun, I'm just hoping my favorite, Richard Kiel (aka Jaws) has one.

You've read about the Aston Martin mishaps and the Tom Ford tailoring; now Sony has released the trailer for Quantum of Solace, the new James Bond flick premiering this fall. Daniel Craig stylishly reprises his role as 007 in what looks to be an action-packed installment of the classic series, with Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton doing the Bond Girl honors.

In the flick based on a 1959 Ian Fleming short story, Bond sets out to seek revenge for the death of Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) from Casino Royale. Craig has said filming Quantum was much more physically demanding that Casino, and he has suffered some injuries along the way. See the trailer here and check out the gallery for production pix.

A beautiful 1961 Bentley S2 saloon that belonged to actor Sean Connery is going up for sale this Saturday in England. The car is being offered at Bonhams' Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Select Pre-War Motor Cars and Automobilia Sale during the Rolls-Royce Enthusiast's Club's Annual Rally at historic Kelmarsh Hall near Northampton. The stately S2 model saloon, above, finished in two-tone Shell Grey/Tudor Grey with a contrasting red leather interior, is estimated at only $24,000 - $30,000.

Also included in the auction: A rare 1919/20 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Alpine Eagle, est. $280,000 - $320,000, the highest-priced lot; the ex-Earls Court Motor Show 1962 Rolls-Royce Phantom V Touring Limousine, one of only 13 built, est. $116,000 - $130,000; a 1963 Bentley S3 Continental Flying Spur Saloon with coachwork by H J Mulliner, est. $130,000 - $140,000; and the steal of the sale, a 1976 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Saloon, formerly the property of Lord Leverhulme, Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, which has been ridden in by several members of the Britsh Royal Family including the Queen Mother, Prince Charles and the late Princess Di, est. only $26,000 - $30,000.

[via Kempt]

Photo by Andrew Dunn

Classic English shoe brand Church's was founded in 1873, but its roots date back to the late 1600s when a Northampton cobbler named Church first set up shop. The traditional shoemaker is known for its elegant footwear, which has been the choice of well-dressed British gentlemen for over 130 years. In 1999 Church's was acquired by the Prada group, and while some traditionalists bemoaned the end of an era, little of the company's core values have changed. Its high-end models, which have names like the Consul, the Diplomat, the Chetwynd and the Gunthorpe, are still handmade in Northampton and cost in the neighborhood of £300 pounds, or about $600.

Prada has certainly set about modernizing the brand however, which is known for durable style. The company recently redesigned Church's historic shop in London's Burlington Arcade, Britain's first shopping arcade, which was built by Lord George Cavendish in 1819 and houses some of the world's finest boutiques. The revamped shop incorporates some modern design elements while retaining the important historical fixtures. In addition to shoes, the store also stocks neckties, gentlemen's accessories and leathergoods. Part of Prada's plan to boost the brand's presence internationally, new Church's shops were also recently opened in Venice and Bologna.

Tomorrow London auction house Bonhams will host its 9th annual Aston Martin auction in Newport Pagnell, England, at the Aston Martin Works Service. Since 2000 Bonhams have sold over $27 million worth of Aston Martins (James Bond's vehicle of choice) and related automobilia, breaking several records in the process and establishing themselves as the leading Aston auctioneer. The star of the auction dollar-wise is a 2006 DBR9 GT1 Sports-Racing Coupé which triumphed at that year's FIA GT Championship in Dubai. The car is estimated at $700,000 - $780,000.

Other highlights of the sale include the 1969 DB6 Volante pictured here, est. $230,000 - $290,000; a 1965 DB5 Saloon, est. $270,000 - $310,000; a 1986 V8 Vantage Zagato Coupé that belonged to actor Rowan Atkinson, est. $135,000 - $175,000; a 1961 DB4 Series IV Saloon, est. $215,000 - $250,000; and a 1989 V8 Vantage Volante, est. $175,000 - $215,000. On the heels of the Ferrari auction in Italy we told you about the other day, this is definitely a good month to go classic car shopping. See the gallery for more.

London auction house Bonhams is staging a Grandes Marques classic car auction in the principality of Monaco today featuring some of the world's most collectible automobiles. The star attraction - i.e. highest-priced lot - is an historic 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Super Sport that raced at Le Mans in 1934, which is estimated at about $4 - $5 million. However there are several very beautiful and more modern motorcars being sold for a fraction of that price.

For example, the gorgeous 1961 Aston Martin DB4 Competition Saloon pictured here, est. about $320,000 - $360,000, similar to the DB5 driven by James Bond (Sean Connery) in Goldfinger. Among our other favorites, as featured in the gallery below: A 1962 Bentley S3 Continental 'Flying Spur' Saloon, est. about $280,000 - $320,000; a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL 'Gullwing' Coupé, est. about $690,000 - $760,000; a 1966 Maserati Mistral 4000 Spyder, est. about $420,000 - $500,000; a 1994 Bugatti EB110GT Coupé, one of only 154 built, est. about $340,000 - $420,000; and a 1971 Ferrari 365GTB/4 'Daytona' Berlinetta, est. about $400,000 - $480,000.

James Bond is famous for a few things, elegant cocktails, beautiful women, danger, and always being a sharp-dressed man. The honor of being the tailor that puts James Bond in his suits has gone to the Italian house of Brioni since Pierce Brosnan suited up for Goldeneye in 1995. But the London TImes reports that Brioni will no longer be dressing Mr. Bond. Instead he will be dressed by the one and only Tom Ford. Ford hasn't commented on this yet and no details have leaked out. I wonder what the more traditional James Bond fans will think when they get curious about Tom Ford and visit his website. Tom makes some pretty elegant suits but his flashy sexually suggestive persona seems a bit too metro for James Bond.

[Thanks, Lana]

Luckily for those without a shred of common sense, Forbes outlines the hottest cars a guy could drive in order to attract the hottest girls. The big draws appear to be less than shocking -- exotic (read: Italian) styling and price tag are major factors, but also know that sze matters (cough): the bigger the engine, the better.

Topping out the list is the Aston Martin DB9, which has the added appeal that the Aston Martin brand has become synonymous with James Bond, the ultimate chick magnet. Next Forbes highlights the Bentley Continental GT, which is relatively affordable compared to its Maybach and Rolls Royce rivals and sports a 562 hp engine, all in a pretty package. Other babe magnets include the Lamborghini Gallardo, Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, Cadillac Escalade, Porsche 911 Turbo, and even the Toyota Prius for those men trying to attract an environmentally-conscious woman.

[Source: Forbes]

Classic Aston Martin vehicles and various finds in the parts bin went for astronomical amounts of money last Saturday at Bonhams' eighth annual Aston Martin sale in Buckinghamshire. Held at the Works Service facility in Newport Pagnell, the event brought in £2.3 million.

The top-grossing car on the block was a 1970 Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Volante Convertible, which brought in £430,500, but one major point of interest was the shift knob fitted with an eject button for the James Bond movies 'Goldfinger' and 'Thunderball.' The piece went for over £40,000 -- quite a bit ahead of its estimated worth of £1,500 - £1,800.

Other impressive figures surrounded vehicles like the 2000 Aston Martin SWB Vantage Volante Special Edition, which went for £238,000 and was delivered to its new owner with less than 13,000 miles on it, as well as a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible, sold for £221,500.

[Source: CommanderBond.net]

Some things in the new Bond movie are the same, he still drives an Aston Martin and has a penchant for dangerous gadgets, but some things are definitely different. The new blond Bond even has a new drink. Bond has been linked with Bollinger but now has a new wine favorite. Decanter reports that Daniel Craig's Bond drinks Chateau Angelus, the 1982 Angelus. The wine is featured during Bond's dinner with Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green. The 1982 isn't easy to find but can be bought for around $220 a bottle. Bollinger is still in the movie briefly, Bond orders a bottle of the Bollinger Grande Année (no year given but usually priced around $80 for the more recent vintages). Maybe this will bring a little much needed attention to French wine which has been suffering from an image problem of late.

For more on the history of Angelus and info on this classic Bordeaux check out Wine Journal's entry on their trip to Chateau Angelus.

British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson is about to step into a new role: acting.

Expanding the Branson empire from his Virgin brands (Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Records), Sir Richard will make a cameo appearance in the upcoming Bond movie, Casino Royale. Casino Royale will star the new Bond, Daniel Craig. Of course, Sir Richard will not be the only cameo actor in the film. According to reports, Branson will be accompanied by his 19-year-old son, Sam.  Just in case you are worried about his acting abilities, keep in mind that this is not Branson's first appearance on the big screen. Sir Richard and Sam have both appeared in the film Superman Returns.

According to Branson, the film's producer Barbara Broccoli contacted him to see if he would be interested in appearing during a scene at the Miami Airport. Of course, the Branson boys won't be cameo-ing next to just any airline -- they'll only appear with Branson's own Virgin Atlantic. Talk about product placement!

In the James Bond books by Ian Fleming, Bond wore a Rolex but for the past few movies, Bond's been an Omega man. Pierce Brosnan wore an Omega Seamaster Professional Diver in his James Bond movies (Brosnan was also an Omega spokesperson). Omega has released two James Bond watches before and the one shown above, the new Omega Seamaster James Bond Limited Edition is one of the first James Bond watches to be equipped with the co-axial escapement. The 41mm stainless steel watch uses the automatic Omega caliber 2500. The dial features the James Bond logo and the second hand has the 007 gun logo on one side. The watch is a "limited edition" of 10,007 pieces. I wonder if this means that Daniel Craig will be sporting an Omega in the new James Bond movie.

We told you back in November that the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 used in Goldfinger was coming up for auction.  Well, today it went to an anonymous Swiss buyer for a reported $1,900,000.  Will the buyer be trying to acquire the new Bond car when it is available? The car is to be shipped back to Switzerland to join its new family of other Astons and Porsches. Also sold in the Arizona auction were Capone's 1928 Caddy and Hank Williams Jr's Bonneville cabrio. The DB5 really is a beautiful machine, but for a movie car, I'd rather have Arthur's 1956 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith.

Gizmag reports that for the next James Bond, the new Bond, Daniel Craig will be driving an Aston Martin. In the classic movies such as "Thunderball" and "Goldfinger" Bond used to drive an Aston Martin DB5 which was tricked out with all sorts of goodies like a tire slasher and pop-up guns. Since then, Bond has driven all sorts of cars including the Lotus Esprit and the BMW Z3. The last Bond film "Die Another Day" used an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish but for the next film, "Casino Royale" a new top secret car known as the Aston Martin DBS is being developed. It might just be the one reason to go see the new Bond movie.