jamesbond

P. Diddy Pays $750,000 for Bond Audition

Earlier this month, nouveau James Bond Daniel Craig floated the idea that his successor in the famous role need not be white. "I think the role could easily be played by a black actor, because the character created by Ian Fleming in the '50s has undergone a great deal of evolution and continues to be updated," Craig said at a Quantum of Solace press conference. "After Barack Obama's victory I think we might have reached the moment for a colored 007."

Rap mogul, designer and aspiring actor Sean "Diddy" Combs (above) apparently not only agrees, but has determined the Bond role should go to him. Combs just spent $750,000 of his own money shooting a sort of audition / calling card which he sent to Bond producers in an effort to convince them. The video, full of Bond-like action sequences, was shot in the South of France. "This is my audition tape for the next James Bond," Combs tells the London Daily Mirror. "There is a black President and it's time for there to be a black Bond."

Tags: 007, daniel craig, DanielCraig, Diddy, james bond, JamesBond, quantum of solace, QuantumOfSolace, sean combs, SeanCombs

Bond's 1976 Lotus Esprit Auctioned at �111,500

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

Last month we mentioned the upcoming auction for the 1976 Lotus Esprit from one of the best 007 movies over the years. Recently, a private collector in the U.S. purchased the iconic car from the 1977 James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me, starring Sir Roger Moore and Barbara Bach. Bond's car was expected to fetch up to £120,000. The bid for the 1976 Lotus Esprit was made over the phone during the Bonhams sale by a self-proclaimed Lotus and Bond aficionado in Atlanta, Georgia. If you never saw 1977 film it was the third of seven Bond films Moore starred in and his action-packed scene from land to sea in his amphibious Lotus Esprit is pretty impressive. Too bad Mr. Atlanta won't be able to use his new purchase underwater like Bond did.

[via Luxury Launches]

Gallery: Lotus Esprit

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Tags: 007, barbara bach, BarbaraBach, james bond, JamesBond, Lotus, lotus esprit, LotusEsprit, sir roger moore, SirRogerMoore, the spy who loved me, TheSpyWhoLovedMe

Daniel Craig Prefers Rolex

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Men's Style

Omega may now be the official watch of the James Bond films, but offscreen, nouveau 007 Daniel Craig is a diehard Rolex fan. In the original books, Bond creator Ian Fleming wrote that "[Bond] could not just wear a watch. It had to be a Rolex." In the early Bond films, Sean Connery sported a Rolex Submariner, and Craig has said in interviews that he favors the identical model. Over at the Rolex Blog, Jake Ehrlich has done some impressive sleuthing into the James Bond / Craig / Rolex connection, examining quotes, photos and other clues.

In a 7-part series of posts, he determined that Craig usually wears a Rolex Submariner on a NATO spec, striped nylon strap (sold as the "James Bond" model). It is in fact not exactly the same as the one Connery sported in Goldfinger, as his was on slightly different regimental stripe strap. Most recently, Craig has been spotted wearing an understated stainless steel Oyster Perpetual (above), so he obviously has more than one Rolex in his arsenal.

Tags: 007, Daniel Craig, DanielCraig, James Bond, JamesBond, Omega, Rolex, Sean Connery, SeanConnery

Brioni to Sell a 25% Stake

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

Classic luxury Italian fashion brand Brioni, best known for outfitting Pierce Brosnan during his tenure as James Bond (right), is looking to sell a 25% stake in the business. "This is a family company. We need to think about the future and ways to develop the brand," Brioni CEO Antonella De Simone tells WWD.

The company, founded in Rome in 1945 and named after a resort on the Adriatic Sea, makes ready-to-wear and bespoke men's suits costing from $6,000 - $36,000, and has a women's line as well. Some of its luster may have been lost when James Bond switched to Tom Ford, but the brand is undeniably valuable.

Tags: 007, Brioni, Italian fashion, ItalianFashion, James Bond, JamesBond, Pierce Brosnan, PierceBrosnan, Suits

The Gold Aston Martin Up for Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

The one-of-a-kind gold and platinum plated, diamond studded Aston Martin DB7 (above) that my colleague Laura Malesich wrote about earlier this month has been put up for sale in London with a pricetag of £95,000, or about $140,000, the UK Auto Trader reports. The car was originally created for Prince Francesco Ruspoli of Italy by London-based company Alchemist, and took six craftsmen one month to complete. In addition to its precious plating, the Aston, conceived in homage to James Bond, has a black and grey leather interior and golden burr walnut dashboard.

Gallery: The Alchemist's Aston Martin DB7

Tags: Aston Martin, Aston Martin DB7, AstonMartin, AstonMartinDb7, James Bond, JamesBond, Prince Ruspoli, PrinceRuspoli

James Bond's Lotus Esprit Up for Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

On December 1, Bonhams in London will auction off the famous white 1976 Lotus Esprit driven by Roger Moore as James Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me (one of two made). Next to the classic Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger, the Lotus, which was amphibious in the movie, stands out as the iconic Bond vehicle. Estimated at about $160,000 to $190,000, it does not unfortunately come equipped with the gadgetry deployed by Moore in the film during his eventful ride with the beautiful Barbara Bach, including a cement sprayer, sea-to-air missiles, front-mounted torpedoes, ink-cloud dispenser and mine launcher. However it does afford the purchaser a chance to join the Ian Fleming Foundation, which my colleague Deidre Woollard wrote about the other day.

[via Men.Style]

Tags: 007, Barbara Bach, BarbaraBach, Bonhams, James Bond, JamesBond, Lotus, Lotus Esprit, LotusEsprit, Roger Moore, RogerMoore, the spy who loved me, TheSpyWhoLovedMe

The Ian Fleming Foundation: Bond For Good Causes

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Charity

Another James Bond movie is headed to the theaters and James Bond fans all around the world are lining up to see Daniel Craig in action as 007. Part of the lure is the long history of the movies and the books written by Ian Fleming which create a whole world of superspy adventures with beautiful women, fast cars, yachts and gadgets. I've seen Bond-related vehicles come up for auction before but I didn't know, until I saw a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, that there is actually an Ian Fleming Foundation, a group of owners of some of these vehicles. The foundation is a charity of seven board members who use their Bond vehicles to help non-profits raise money. The charity will loan out vehicles for a fee or a percentage of the money brought in and that money goes toward the foundation's operating budget. Their end goal is to have a museum of Bond vehicles that raises money that can be donated to a scholarship for a writer or filmmaker.

Some of the vehicles including the Lotus submarine car used in the 1977 film 'The Spy Who Loved Me,' the Aston Martin Volante used in the 1987 James Bond film 'The Living Daylights,' and the Ford Mondeo used in the 2006 film 'Casino Royale' are on display at the Beaulieu National Motor Museum in New Forest between Bournemouth and Southampton in England. The James Bond Experience also includes props and apparel from the movies. The exhibition was created with the Ian Fleming Foundation.

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Tags: 007, bond, ian fleming, IanFleming, james bond, JamesBond

Who's the Best Bond Girl of Them All?

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

The long-awaited release of Quantum of Solace later this month will add two more members - Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton - to that illustrious club of only-in-your-dreams femininity: the Bond Girls. Since 007 first walked onto the silver screen in 1962, he's rescued, bedded and battled with scores of young lovelies, without whom the secret agent would never have made it to his 22nd movie. After careful consideration of all their charms, Men.Style has presented the top picks of this pulchritudinous pantheon, including Maude Adams and Britt Ekland (above, left to right, in 1974's The Man With the Golden Gun). You can vote for your favorite; at the moment the original Bond Girl, Ursula Andress, is in the lead, but that could change.

Hotlist: Bond Girls [Men.Style]

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Tags: 007, Bond Girl, Bond Girls, BondGirl, BondGirls, Britt Ekland, BrittEkland, Daniel Craig, DanielCraig, Gemma Arterton, GemmaArterton, James Bond, JamesBond, olga kurylenko, OlgaKurylenko, Quantum of Solace, QuantumOfSolace, Ursula Andress, UrsulaAndress

Sunseeker Yachts Star in Quantum of Solace

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

The Aston Martin DBS isn't the only high-performance means of transport to have a starring role in the new 007 film, Quantum of Solace. UK-made Sunseeker yachts also appear in the movie, which features one of the biggest ever boat chases in a Bond film, shot in Panama last March. Among the Sunseekers featured in the film is the Superhawk 43, from the company's high-performance range, as well as the 121-ft. M4 superyacht (above), the largest semi-custom production motoryacht ever to be built in the UK. Bond also rides in a classic vintage Sunseeker Sovereign 17 motorboat from 1970 at one point during the film. Sunseeker yachts have appeared in the last three Bond movies.

Tags: Aston Martin, AstonMartin, James Bond, JamesBond, Quantum of Solace, QuantumOfSolace, Sunseeker, Yacht

Sean Connery Stars in New Vuitton Ad

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Sean Connery has become the latest iconic personality to star in Louis Vuitton's "core values" ad campaign. The original James Bond posed for Annie Liebovitz near his house in the Bahamas with a waterproof version of Vuitton's famous Keepall bag, WWD reports. The ad (above), which is slated to appear later this month is the latest in a series featuring the likes of Keith Richards, Francis Ford and Sofia Coppola (Vuitton's next guest designer) and Mikhail Gorbachev. Vuitton parent LVMH says the classics-oriented campaign has been getting good results.

Tags: Ad campaigns, AdCampaigns, Annie Leibovitz, AnnieLeibovitz, Bahamas, James Bond, JamesBond, Louis Vuitton, LouisVuitton, LVMH, Sean Connery, SeanConnery

Bond Fan Pays $350,000 for 007's Wrecked Aston Martin

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Remember that Aston Martin DBS we told you about that got accidentally trashed during the filming of the new James Bond flick Quantum of Solace? Well now a fan has splashed out $350,000 for the wreck - about $120,000 more than a new DBS would cost. The supercar, one of six used on the Quantum set, was written off when technician Fraser Dunn crashed it through iron railings and into Lake Garda in Italy. The Aston had been slated for a scene in which Bond roars away from an explosion.

Now 007 star Daniel Craig has revealed the remains ended up in a collector's hands. "I think somebody paid about £200,000 for this written off Aston Martin," Craig tells the Glasgow Daily Record. "It was a Bond aficionado." Recalling the accident, Craig said, "It was early morning. It was a winding road, it was wet and I think he just lost control. But who cares? Because [Dunn]'s fine and it's only a car. I saw him the other night and shook his hand."

Tags: Aston Martin, AstonMartin, Daniel Craig, DanielCraig, James Bond, JamesBond, Quantum of Solace, QuantumOfSolace

Champagne Bollinger James Bond Edition

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Wine

As my colleague Deidre Woollard reported earlier, the product tie-ins to the upcoming James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, are beginning to hit the market.

The latest is from famed French champagne house Bollinger, founded in 1829. Bollinger has been featured in Bond films as 007's favorite celebratory tipple since Moonraker back in 1979.

Conceived by French designer Eric Berthès, the lockable steel bullet-shaped case engraved "Bollinger 007" holds a magnum of Bollinger's Grande Année 1999 champagne.

Packaged in a wooden box, the whole weighs over 50 pounds and costs about $5,800; only 207 numbered Bullets will be produced.

[via Born Rich]

Tags: 007, Bollinger, Champagne, James Bond, JamesBond, Quantum of Solace, QuantumOfSolace

Aston Martin Named UK's Coolest Brand

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Boosted by its partnership with the James Bond franchise, Aston Martin has been named the coolest brand in the UK in CoolBrands' annual ranking. Aston, which has captured the top spot for three years running, soundly thrashed Ferrari (13th place) and Lamborghini (20th place), the other luxury car marques on the list. iPhone, Apple and Bang & Olufsen won the 2nd, 3rd and 4th spots, while the top fashion brand on the list is sexy lingerie purveyor Agent Provocateur at No. 8, beating out Rolex, No. 9.

"With excitement surrounding the release of the new film reaching fever pitch it is clear this is really contributing to Aston Martin's cool status," states CoolBrands council chairman Stephen Cheliotis. "The brand is indelibly linked with James Bond because of the past success of the films and not only how they're still hugely popular - but how the film and James Bond sums up a lot of what it means to be smooth, stylish and cool."

Tags: Agent Provocateur, AgentProvocateur, Aston Martin, AstonMartin, CoolBrands, James Bond, JamesBond, UK

$37,000 Watch Unlocks Your Aston Martin

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos

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]

Tags: aston martin, Aston Martin DBS, AstonMartin, AstonMartinDbs, jaeger-lecoultre, James Bond, JamesBond, Paris Motor Show, ParisMotorShow

Swatch Makes A Watch Collection For James Bond's Villains

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

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.

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Tags: james bond, JamesBond, quantum of solace, swatch, swatch watch, SwatchWatch, watches

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