Best Choice Omega James Bond Limited Edition Replica ...

Item Name:	Omega Planet Ocean 600m Co-Axial 2500 45.5mm on Rubber Ref. 29005091
Price:	2100
# of Spots:	100
Price Justification:	$2600 on bracelet - November 25th 2019
Price Justification:	$2450 – March 9th 2020
Price Justification:	$2695 on bracelet - March 5th 2020
Price Justification:	$2200 - Dec 19th 2019
Price Justification:	$2800 on bracelet -March 4th 2020
Call spots?	Yessir
Spot limit per person?	nope
Location/Country:	USA
Will ship international?	USA/CA
Timestamp/pics:	FULL ALBUM HERE
Escrow:	Yessir, u/syzygynius for u/rebes88
Description:	Up for raffle today is a beautiful Omega Planet Ocean reference 29005091. This 1st generation Planet Ocean is best known for being featured in the James Bond Casino Royale movie. It shows beautifully with the 45.5mm case paired up with the black Omega rubber strap. The heart of this is the ever reliable co-axial 2500 movement. This piece is in overall nice condition given the age with just some typical wear on the case sides. The watch is holding excellent time and is within COSC spec.

PayPal Info: [REDACTED]
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There are a few things 007 does in the movies which some people are confused about, so hopefully this will explain why he does what he does. I will mainly be sticking with the Daniel Craig movies in terms of Bonds behaviour.

1. Why does bond always order a vodka martini shaken not stirred? A martini expert will tell you never to put vodka in a martini or shake it over ice. These things make the drink very bland and tasteless but that’s exactly why Bond does it. It allows him to detect poison in his drink earlier before it enters his system so he has a chance to vomit or administer an antidote.
   
2. Why does Bond drink so much? Strangely, it helps with his fighting skills. Yes, alcohol greatly reduces your reflexes but Bonds greatest strengths are pain tolerance and lack of fear. Alcohol will help both of these. Drinking also helps him forget the harsh life of killing people for a living.
   
3. Why does bond always use such a small gun? Daniel Craig regularly uses a Walther PPK throughout his bond films which is a very small gun. This is because it won’t ruin the lining of his suit when it is in his holster.
   
4. Why does bond wear Omega watches instead of Rolex? Bond was in the SBS (special boat service) before joining MI6. (I know vesper says SAS in casino royal but according to the James Bond wiki, he was SBS). SBS are one of, if not the best, amphibious special forces groups in the world. This means he naturally prefers watches which are robust and waterproof, so he tends to wear the Omega sea master or ocean master watches.
   
5. Why does Bond tell everyone his name? Not very smart for a super spy. Unless he is using his reputation to scare which ever terrorist he is after. He is trying to intimidate them which could make them make a mistake. And presumably his name is legend in the criminal underworld. This is the only explanation I can come up with.
   

Overall, Bond tries to be very practical with is approach to killing people and uses everything to his advantage.

Pierce Brosnan is one of my favorite actors of all time. In my mind, 90s Pierce Brosnan is straight up the definition of cool. I was hopelessly in love with every single character he played from the late 80s to maybe 2005. After all, who else do you call when there’s a North Korean with a sky laser? Who else steals paintings out of the Met just for fun? Who else can make Christmas come more than once a year? There's no linguist more cunning than him, and if he stole my girlfriend, I’d high-five her for pulling guys that hot.
​
In fact, if I were to look at all the James Bonds and pick out the one that looks the best from a modern point of view, I’d definitely pick Pierce Brosnan. Sean Connery is dressed very conservatively, in a classic British civil servant style, and if you emulated him today, you would be seen as a bit stuffy, and a bit out of touch. Roger Moore dressed in a very dandy, playboyish 78s style, the way he dresses looks immediately dated, and perhaps even a bit sleazy (a la Leisure Suit Larry). I don’t actually like Craig much, but that is intentional, as he “wears his clothes with disdain” (quote from Vesper in Casino Royale), he’s shall we say, a bit too Sprezzatura to be the sexiest spy in the world.
​
So of course, if you cannot be like your hero, here on /malefashionadvice we talk about how we can look like your hero. And of course, we gotta talk about how you can look like your hero when you don’t have the MI6 picking up your bill. So today, I’m going to talk about the classic 90s Pierce Brosnan look and look at the half priced and quarter priced alternative.
​
Peak Pierce Brosnan style wise in my opinion starts from Remington Steele in the late 80s to After the Sunset in 2005. Personally my favorite is either Bond in The World is Not Enough, or Die Another Day and that look is the one I will be discussion today. Brosnan’s Bond worn a lot of different things over the years, but I think we can distill down his style as a suave, charming, ladies man into a few key characteristics: Dark Italian cut suit, solid color tie, and a dive watch. If you cannot picture it, consult this picture or this one.
​
So let’s start by looking at exactly what peak 90s James Bond wore:
​
90s James Bond wanted to ditch the dandy look of the 80s, and the conservative look of the 70s. His suiter of choice was Brioni, and he wore a suit that gave him a very sleek, modernized, international look. His suits were mostly single breasted, 2 button, four cuff buttons, double vented, notch lapels, patch pockets, and usually in a very dark navy. Impeccably hand stitched with a full canvas and perfect lapel roll, you can find his suit of choice from Brioni, $ 5,395.00.
​
His shirts and ties came from Turnbull & Asser. Mostly barrel cuff (they wanted to ditch the stuffy French cuff look for something sleeker) with three buttons and the classic T&A collar in a variety of whites and blues. The ties he wore were mostly silk in a plain or simple pattern like a houndstooth. Shirt: $395, and tie: $195.
​
Watch wise Pierce Brosnan was the first Bond to ditch the Rolex Submariner for the Omega Seamaster. As a watch fanatic, I really much prefer the Seamaster, as it just feels more modern, more avant-garde, and just a more unique look. Of course, over the years Omega changed the model a little bit, today’s Seamaster Professional is $4,400 for the steel on steel automatic version.
​
So overall, if you want the whole 90s Bond look with modern versions of the original pieces, it would cost you $10,385 + tax before any sales or discounts. Of course, that is without considering the shoes or accessories such as belts, tie bars and pocket squares. Sounds a bit steep isn’t it? Well, let’s look at the half-priced Bond, getting the look for under $5,000 shall we?
​
So first, we have to find a top quality Italian suit that isn’t too slim and that isn’t too fashion forward. We want that classic and timeless look that Brosnan effortlessly carries. My choice? Canali, with their contemporary fit really hits the notes. Mild waist suppression, medium width lapels, and, at only $1795, less than half the price of the Brioni. You still get the full canvas construction and quality wool, but of course, you’re losing out on the hand stitching.
​
There’s an issue with finding an alternative to the Turnbull & Asser shirt. Their signature is the 3 button barrel cuff, a style Bond is known to wear in the 90s. There are almost no other shirtmakers who would make it. But that grade of materials, worksmanship and collar spread? Find it at Eton for $245. Tie? Eton has a good medium width dark blue silk tie for $145.
​
As for the watch, you’re looking for a dive watch, steel on steel, colored (ceramic now, but back in the day aluminum) unidirectional scalloped edge bezel, with a simple date complication. Most dive watches have coin edge bezels a-la Submariner, the Omega style octagonal bezel is much more rare. I looked around, and well, after consulting A Blog to Watch, I think the next best avant-garde dive watch is well, made by the guys who claim to be “Swiss avant-garde”, the Tag Heuer Aquaracer ($2550).
​
So the “half priced Bond” look would set you back $4735 + tax before discounts. Of course, we can do even cheaper right? I mean, Tags aren’t exactly a value for money brand, and nobody is going to notice the difference between an expensive and a cheap tie really. Let’s look at an even cheaper way to get the Bond look, the 8th price fit.
​
So Brioni is a well-known Roman suiter. Suit Supply has well, a cut known as the Lazio cut. At a rough glance, yeah, Suit Supply’s Lazio cut is shall we say, heavily inspired by Brioni. I mean, sure, you’re not getting the luxurious top grade wool or full canvas construction, and the Suit Supply suit is a mass produced garment with minimal handiwork, but hey, at a glance, Suit Supply’s Lazio is essentially a poor man’s Brioni, and, only $569.
​
Shirt and Tie? Well, Charles Tyrwhitt makes a decent twill shirt and a silk tie at $49.75 for the shirt and $39 for the tie. Of course, in order to get this price, you have to buy more than one of each.
​
Finally, the watch. Finding a quality diver without a coin edge is quite frankly, not easy, especially if we want it to be a real, ISO certified dive watch. So how about the Certina DS action diver? Another member of the Swatch group like Omega, Certina is a quality swiss watchmaker, and their action diver is $895 MSRP. (I personally am an automatic guy, but if you’re just going for the look, the quartz Precidrive Action Diver has an MSRP of $675)
​
So the frugal version of the Brosnan look is $1554 (and I must remind you, you can save hundreds off that watch if you decide to go gray market instead of pay MSRP). Of course, again, all prices here are MSRP with no discounts what so ever. If you wait for a sale and go gray market, I actually think you can almost get this fit for under $1000.
​
So there you have it, the original Bond look with modern versions all the original pieces at $10,385 MSRP, the half-priced Bond fit at $4735, and the 8th (?) priced Bond at $1554. Of course, if you wanna ooze cool like him, you also have to sit there and practice your puns and remember to always keep your tip up.
​
PS: have a GF, wife, or other woman in your life? The lengendary orange bikini that ushered in puberty for millions of kids around the world is made by Eres, although I think they discontinued the exact model recently.

Hey guys,
I have two items for sale today.

1. Salvatore Ferragamo Belt from Nina - Near mint condition, worn a couple of times. No problems with the belt, all parts function properly. I have the box with all the documentation and the metal thing to poke holes (also got the fake receipt haha). I don't know any flaws with the belt; the serial code checks out (the letter portion not the last 4 numbers which I think differ for each belt). If you need any more pictures of the belt PM me. It's size 32-36.

Price: 65 shipped without box, 75 shipped with box (Need to buy a priority box from PO); open to offers
Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/1ZGcL2M

1. Omega Planet Ocean Seamaster Coaxial - It's a good rep; still in DS condition with the plastic wrapping still around it. I can't find any flaws with it besides it having the wrong movement (not a clone movement of the original). It feels heavy (unlike many lower quality reps) and is definitely stainless steel. Fun fact: it's a replica of the same watch used in Casino Royale (James Bond film) so extra clout.

Price: 35 shipped without box. I have a box for my Grand Seiko but I don't really use it because I have a display case. If you want the box as well, I'm going to sell it all for 65 shipped (It's a wooden Seiko box; the letters Seiko are embossed on the box with some kind of gold foil and has a cushion inside for the watch). I am again open to offers.
Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/4zrGzJI
I am a vouched user so I only take Paypal Gift. PM me for any questions. Have a good one!

Original post : http://www.timepiecechronicle.com/features/2015/3/9/savingtheworldonewatchatatime
We might think of product placement as a recent development in the history of cinema, with producers and executives finding ways to stretch the budget, not matter the cost to artistic integrity. However the art of product placement has been going on for over a hundred years. It is rumoured that in his classic book Around the World in 80 Days, Jules Verne sold the privilege of shipping companies named to the highest bidder back in 1873, and the first Academy Award Best Picture Winner "Wings" had Hershey's featured in the film in 1927. Now it is a simple fact of life that product placement will appear in a film and one of the most frequent products placed is the wristwatch.
A watch is perhaps one of the best pieces of product that can be advertised on screen as it is constantly on the character throughout. Just a simple glance at a the wrist of character will tell us what type of person they are, where they've been, what they may do for a living, their economic status, etc. A character wearing a Cartier isn't going to be in the same position as one wearing a Casio. Either worn passively and used to simply check the time or worn as a functional tool laden with gadgets, the watch can easily be just as iconic as the character who wears it; this is what makes the recent partnership between Bremont and the Matthew Vaughn film Kingsman: The Secret Service so interesting, especially in comparison with another partnership between James Bond and Omega.
Kingsman is essentially the R rated Bond film that Roger Moore never made, complete with witty one liners spoken by dapper gentleman spies wearing expensive timepieces combating a cartoonish megalomaniacal villain in a hidden lair and a Number 2 with an augmented deadly body part. Just like the eponymous 007, the Kingsman agents are all outfitted with watches that aid them in their mission, this time provided to them by the British watch brand Bremont. All the watches in the film are variants on the Bremont World Time ALT1-WT, with the trainee agents given a military-styled black DLC watch, while the Quartermaster has a functional yet sophisticated stainless steel model and the full agents wear the elegant solid rose gold piece. As you expect the watches all feature prominently in the film with a variety of gadgets being crammed into the 43mm case, which is both constantly noticeable on the wrist yet elegantly styled so not garish.
Kingsman differs from the Bond franchise by creating the "Kingsman brand" in its entirety. Practically anything seen in the film worn by the actors, from shoes, cufflinks, jackets, umbrellas and of course watches, can be purchased from either Mr Porter or Bremont Boutiques. One of the more memorable posters for the film didn't include any of the actors instead just showing the wardrobe used in the film. It's always been possible to purchase the Omega Seamaster worn by James Bond since 1995's Goldeneye and Omega have produced a limited edition associated with the current film since 2002's Die Another Day, but never have those limited editions been on the characters wrist. Their newest limited edition associated with SPECTRE is perhaps the only one that could be worn by the character with it's subtle tribute to James Bond's family coat of arms.
The internet is rife with many articles about the watches of Agent 007, so I'll keep this brief. In the books Fleming said that James Bond wore a Rolex but it was never specified which reference (perhaps he wore an Explorer 1016 like Fleming) so most fans go with what was seen in Goldfinger, the Rolex Submariner 6538. However in the books James Bond also preferred to wear a short sleeve shirt and believed that gay men couldn't whistle, so perhaps some changes aren't all bad. Many watches have graced the wrist of Bond over the years, from Rolex, Seiko, and TAG Heuer, leading to Pierce Brosnan wearing the Omega Seamaster Professional 300M 2541.80.00 in his first outing in 1995's hit Goldeneye. With the film being the first James Bond since 1983's Octopussy to feature a gadget laden watch, these films made the Omega Seamaster iconic as the Bond watch. Brosnan changed his watch in Tomorrow Never Dies to the visually identical 2531.80.00 reference which replaced the quartz movement with the automatic Calibre 1120 movement and would wear it till he departed.
Now with eight films behind them, Omega and James Bond have formed a formidable partnership together, with Omega providing the timepieces for the film and the film providing Omega with some of the best product placement in the world. Whilst James Bond is no stranger to product placement, it all seems rather disassociated with the films themselves and "overly associated" with the character. It's not the Skyfall perfume it's "the James Bond perfume", it's not the Skyfall watch (Unless it is the limited edition Skyfall watch), it's "the James Bond watch". This is in stark contrast to Kingsman, where despite seeing it recently, I struggle to remember the names of the characters but thanks to the marketing and design of the film, I can picture the suits, accessories and watches perfectly. I don't think anyone is going into a Bremont boutique asking for "The Eggsy watch".
Despite recent attempts to make the franchise more grounded in realism (something that the series routinely does: camp spy space nonsense in Moonraker to the more serious For Your Eyes Only and CGI laden tsunami surfing, invisible car driving Die Another Day to the gritty and gadgetless Casino Royale), James Bond is such an iconic character Omega can afford to play the long game. A young fan will watch and rewatch the films and grow older with fond memories James Bond and eventually will have enough capital to buy himself a Seamaster and to be the proud owner of "a Bond watch". Just as there are Connery/Fleming purists who hate that Bond wears an Omega, maybe in another 50 years there will be Craig purists saying that this new guy shouldn't be wearing a Bremont/Oris/Timex!
I do wonder about the connection between Bremont and Kingsman and whether it will be a success. On the surface it seems like a perfect fit with the Kingsman characters and Bremont's style trying very hard to conjure up the mythical aspect of the dignified and dapper gentleman of British yesteryear, umbrella in one hand and a cup of tea in the other with "God Save the Queen" resting upon his lips. Yet with the film being a pastiche of campy spy nonsense not taking itself too seriously, whilst the associated Bremont is attempting to become a prestige brand, there is a slight disconnect. Whilst visually the choice of using Bremont as the Kingsman timepiece works well, it does make you think that as a new property marketed primarily towards the 18-25 age range with excessive violence and crude humour, how much will a luxury watch brand like Bremont gain from this. These special editions are retailing at $6,495 for steel, $6,650 for the black DLC and $20,285 for the rose gold which are hardly in the average movie-goers budget for a timepiece, especially for a relatively unheard of brand like Bremont. With last year's "in-house movement" fiasco losing Bremont a lot of respect within the industry, I doubt that a connection with Kingsman will help bolster their image in the eyes of aficionados. Not that these aficionados care for the association between Omega and James Bond either.

Hello you Bond lover! I just posted this article over at watches and being fans of 007 I thought you enjoy it to so here I am.
Original post: http://www.timepiecechronicle.com/features/2015/3/9/savingtheworldonewatchatatime
We might think of product placement as a recent development in the history of cinema, with producers and executives finding ways to stretch the budget, not matter the cost to artistic integrity. However the art of product placement has been going on for over a hundred years. It is rumoured that in his classic book Around the World in 80 Days, Jules Verne sold the privilege of shipping companies named to the highest bidder back in 1873, and the first Academy Award Best Picture Winner "Wings" had Hershey's featured in the film in 1927. Now it is a simple fact of life that product placement will appear in a film and one of the most frequent products placed is the wristwatch.
A watch is perhaps one of the best pieces of product that can be advertised on screen as it is constantly on the character throughout. Just a simple glance at a the wrist of character will tell us what type of person they are, where they've been, what they may do for a living, their economic status, etc. A character wearing a Cartier isn't going to be in the same position as one wearing a Casio. Either worn passively and used to simply check the time or worn as a functional tool laden with gadgets, the watch can easily be just as iconic as the character who wears it; this is what makes the recent partnership between Bremont and the Matthew Vaughn film Kingsman: The Secret Service so interesting, especially in comparison with another partnership between James Bond and Omega.
Kingsman is essentially the R rated Bond film that Roger Moore never made, complete with witty one liners spoken by dapper gentleman spies wearing expensive timepieces combating a cartoonish megalomaniacal villain in a hidden lair and a Number 2 with an augmented deadly body part. Just like the eponymous 007, the Kingsman agents are all outfitted with watches that aid them in their mission, this time provided to them by the British watch brand Bremont. All the watches in the film are variants on the Bremont World Time ALT1-WT, with the trainee agents given a military-styled black DLC watch, while the Quartermaster has a functional yet sophisticated stainless steel model and the full agents wear the elegant solid rose gold piece. As you expect the watches all feature prominently in the film with a variety of gadgets being crammed into the 43mm case, which is both constantly noticeable on the wrist yet elegantly styled so not garish.
Kingsman differs from the Bond franchise by creating the "Kingsman brand" in its entirety. Practically anything seen in the film worn by the actors, from shoes, cufflinks, jackets, umbrellas and of course watches, can be purchased from either Mr Porter or Bremont Boutiques. One of the more memorable posters for the film didn't include any of the actors instead just showing the wardrobe used in the film. It's always been possible to purchase the Omega Seamaster worn by James Bond since 1995's Goldeneye and Omega have produced a limited edition associated with the current film since 2002's Die Another Day, but never have those limited editions been on the characters wrist. Their newest limited edition associated with SPECTRE is perhaps the only one that could be worn by the character with it's subtle tribute to James Bond's family coat of arms.
The internet is rife with many articles about the watches of Agent 007, so I'll keep this brief. In the books Fleming said that James Bond wore a Rolex but it was never specified which reference (perhaps he wore an Explorer 1016 like Fleming) so most fans go with what was seen in Goldfinger, the Rolex Submariner 6538. However in the books James Bond also preferred to wear a short sleeve shirt and believed that gay men couldn't whistle, so perhaps some changes aren't all bad. Many watches have graced the wrist of Bond over the years, from Rolex, Seiko, and TAG Heuer, leading to Pierce Brosnan wearing the Omega Seamaster Professional 300M 2541.80.00 in his first outing in 1995's hit Goldeneye. With the film being the first James Bond since 1983's Octopussy to feature a gadget laden watch, these films made the Omega Seamaster iconic as the Bond watch. Brosnan changed his watch in Tomorrow Never Dies to the visually identical 2531.80.00 reference which replaced the quartz movement with the automatic Calibre 1120 movement and would wear it till he departed.
Now with eight films behind them, Omega and James Bond have formed a formidable partnership together, with Omega providing the timepieces for the film and the film providing Omega with some of the best product placement in the world. Whilst James Bond is no stranger to product placement, it all seems rather disassociated with the films themselves and "overly associated" with the character. It's not the Skyfall perfume it's "the James Bond perfume", it's not the Skyfall watch (Unless it is the limited edition Skyfall watch), it's "the James Bond watch". This is in stark contrast to Kingsman, where despite seeing it recently, I struggle to remember the names of the characters but thanks to the marketing and design of the film, I can picture the suits, accessories and watches perfectly. I don't think anyone is going into a Bremont boutique asking for "The Eggsy watch".
Despite recent attempts to make the franchise more grounded in realism (something that the series routinely does: camp spy space nonsense in Moonraker to the more serious For Your Eyes Only and CGI laden tsunami surfing, invisible car driving Die Another Day to the gritty and gadgetless Casino Royale), James Bond is such an iconic character Omega can afford to play the long game. A young fan will watch and rewatch the films and grow older with fond memories James Bond and eventually will have enough capital to buy himself a Seamaster and to be the proud owner of "a Bond watch". Just as there are Connery/Fleming purists who hate that Bond wears an Omega, maybe in another 50 years there will be Craig purists saying that this new guy shouldn't be wearing a Bremont/Oris/Timex!
I do wonder about the connection between Bremont and Kingsman and whether it will be a success. On the surface it seems like a perfect fit with the Kingsman characters and Bremont's style trying very hard to conjure up the mythical aspect of the dignified and dapper gentleman of British yesteryear, umbrella in one hand and a cup of tea in the other with "God Save the Queen" resting upon his lips. Yet with the film being a pastiche of campy spy nonsense not taking itself too seriously, whilst the associated Bremont is attempting to become a prestige brand, there is a slight disconnect. Whilst visually the choice of using Bremont as the Kingsman timepiece works well, it does make you think that as a new property marketed primarily towards the 18-25 age range with excessive violence and crude humour, how much will a luxury watch brand like Bremont gain from this. These special editions are retailing at $6,495 for steel, $6,650 for the black DLC and $20,285 for the rose gold which are hardly in the average movie-goers budget for a timepiece, especially for a relatively unheard of brand like Bremont. With last year's "in-house movement" fiasco losing Bremont a lot of respect within the industry, I doubt that a connection with Kingsman will help bolster their image in the eyes of aficionados. Not that these aficionados care for the association between Omega and James Bond either.

Welcome to my second chapter of Bond fan fiction. This installment serves as a third and final entry into the Spectre story, continuing where I left off in “Give Up the Ghost. As a teaser for what’s to come: Felix is maimed, Madeleine is missing, and Blofeld is once again at large. Spectre’s has gotten its hands on a next-generation virus, made deadlier by gene editing biotechnology. With the world held to ransom, Bond must think fast if he expects to save the globe and rescue the woman he loves before the virus can spread and wreak unimaginable havoc.
Pre-title sequence: Berlin. A team of commandos prepare themselves in a van as it stops in an alley outside a building. They have heavy weapons, armor, and are covering their masks to protect their identities. The squad leader tells the team that this extraction is important, their operative’s cover may be blown, and action now may be the only way to save him. “Based on our information, he should be in this part of the fifth floor, with guards at these positions. If he’s been captured, he’ll either be here on the ninth floor, or worse, at this point five stories into the ground, in which case we’ll move to Contingency B. Remember we’re looking to keep a low profile here, so no gunfire until we absolutely have to. Get ready, two minutes.” The leader signals to go, and the commandos move into the building. The commandos make their way through the building, which is fairly well-guarded. The team quietly take out several guards as some of them enter a laboratory, while the rest head toward the lower levels. As the team in the lab enter the decontamination chamber, several guards seal the doors at both ends. The commandos try to shoot their way out, but the glass is too thick. One guard looks on deviously as he pushes a button and gas gushes into the chamber. “Neptune Leader, this is Neptune 4, we’re blown! cough We’re trapped in the lab and they’re cough cough pumping in some kind of poison gas! Get out of here!” The entire team drops to the ground, and after struggling to breathe for a few moments, are completely still. The other team hurries to the underground levels, blasting past guards. They arrive at a quarantine area, which seems to have been converted into a detention facility. The team spreads out and covers the leader, who locates a scientist locked in one of the cells. “I’m sorry, they discovered me before I had a chance to warn you.” “It’s alright Dr. Glauber, we’re going to get you out.” Glauber takes off his glasses and hands them to the leader “There’s no time, take this, there is a microchip in the left lens. Now get your men out. I have a small ricin bomb in my hearing aid. I’ll give you 30 seconds before I fill this whole level. Now go!” As the commandos fall back, Glauber steps into the hallway with his hand outstretched. Gas billows from his hand while he and the guards near him seize violently on the floor. We see Glauber close-up in his last moments, staring vacantly at the ceiling (and the camera pans from his face to his hand, stopping at the ring on his finger), saying: “Though I die, may my spirit endure, my ghost, my specter.” And on that ring is an ever-familiar octopus.
Cue a sexy title sequence.
Leaning into Moneypenny’s office, Bond throws his hat, which flies across the room and hits a filing cabinet before landing on the floor. “I didn’t realize you got rid of the hat rack.” “I didn’t realize men still wore hats. Anyway, you shouldn’t be surprised, James, everything else you’ve attempted in this room falls flat.” M calls Bond into his office, where the Minister of Defense awaits. The Minister debriefs M and Bond about Berlin. It seems a Dr. Helmut Glauber was a mole for Spectre, who leaked vital research on biological warfare to them. It seems the Federal Intelligence Service was on to him, and Spectre tried to get him out along with his research. Bond asks what Glauber was working on. The Minister asks if Bond is familiar with CRISPR (the gene editor), at which point Bond demonstrates his knowledge of the biotechnology. Glauber was using CRISPR to study the resilience of viruses, presumably to help develop new vaccines. M asks why “presumably”. The Minister states that the parameters of Glauber’s research were to identify genes from treatable diseases and manipulate them to make our immune systems more efficient at fighting illnesses that haven’t yet been cured. Bond asks if the FIS knows whether Glauber transferred any more of his research to Spectre. Strangely enough, Glauber’s research is still back at his lab, except for one folder titled: Virus Omega. I’m afraid we have no idea what it was. M sends Bond back to Germany, to find out if any of Glauber’s colleagues know what Virus Omega is.
Blofeld sits at the head of the table for a meeting of Spectre. Moreau fills Blofeld in on the details he’s missed. Blofeld thanks him for his help but can’t help but notice several sloppy errors in operations and on the balance sheet. Moreau states that in Blofeld’s absence, some members took liberties with their orders, and he then gestures to a nearby member. Blofeld eyes him coldly. “What have you to say for yourself, Valerian?” Valerian looks panicked, “Sir, I did everything as you asked, but some of the circumstances changed, I needed to adapt to guarantee the operation’s success.” Blofeld looks unimpressed. “I hardly think the loss of 7 top agents, our defector from the German Ministry of Science, and $50 million qualifies as a success.” Valerian cries: “I accounted for everything I could think of! If I hadn’t sent those other men with the new equipment, the loss would have been greater. We might not have retrieved Dr. Glauber’s files!” Moreau scoffs, “Don’t forget who is number 1 here, you fool. By deviating, you created the failure!” Blofeld cuts him off, “Do you know why our symbol is an octopus?” Valerian shakes his head nervously. “Because the tentacles demonstrate our reach into all areas of criminal enterprise.” Unbeknownst to the two subordinates, Largo creeps behind them with a syringe. “…but also because despite our ability to reach in every direction, without the head to guide every movement, there is no octopus, just dead, twitching muscle.” There is a slash of movement and Valerian shrieks, but it is Moreau whose eyes go wide and he appears to stiffen, though he remands standing. Moreau is partially paralyzed and he clearly cannot breathe. “As the head, even a temporary one, it is your burden to make sure the body does as it is wanted. When you delegate, when you fail to oversee, when you fail to ensure the success of those beneath you, you make Spectre brain dead: a mass of twitching, useless muscle, starved for oxygen.” Pink foam begins to emanate from Moreau’s mouth. “Fortunately I have returned and we can get our little octopus back in shape. Unfortunately…” Moreau topples over. “…we must excise the dead tissue.”
Bond travels to Berlin, visiting a hastily re-purposed laboratory to talk to Glauber’s colleagues. When he arrives, Bond is greeted by his German contact, Maj. Jorgen who briefly recounts what happened at the Ministry of Science. Jorgen shows Bond around the new labs, discussing the work Glauber was originally performing and the intended goal of developing more effective vaccines. Jorgen introduces Bond to Glauber’s research partner, Dr. Müller. Müller explains that he and Glauber were experimenting with CRISPR to identify vulnerable genes in deadly viruses. They hoped that manipulating these genes could lead to vaccines that would help our immune systems fight the virus. But Müller realized that if viruses could be manipulated to serve immune systems, they could be “reprogrammed” to trigger any immune response we want, such as creating antibodies to fight other viruses. Imagine, a vaccine with a weakened virus designed to give your body the information to fight dozens of diseases! Glauber realized the other side of that coin: a virus that could be weaponized to be as violent and contagious as desired, ranging from one person getting an unspreadable case of the sniffles to an unstoppable Black Plague that kills in mere hours. Müller tells Bond that he can not continue his work alone, knowing his virus may soon wreak havoc. He kept a sample of the virus, and would like, with Jorgen’s permission, to copy it for Bond to give to their labs in the hope of understanding it better and creating some kind of counter-virus. As Müller steps into the storage lab in the next room, Bond asks whether any of Müller and Glauber’s research remains. Jorgen says that a careful sweep of their servers reveals that some of their files are still there, and that Glauber removed their combined foundational research and his experiments with weaponization. The most recent file is from about three months ago, titled “Omega Protection.” Jorgen says that is probably when Müller and Glauber split and coordinated less. The file details how Virus Omega was designed to be an evolutionary step forward for viruses. The protein protecting the virus’ DNA has an immune system of sorts, which protects it and fights back from any manipulation unless a specific protein is also present. Unfortunately the notes do not state which protein is the key. Müller notes the date on his sample is more recent that he remembers with that particular vial, and starts the machine that will rapidly copy the virus. Jorgen processes what Müller just said and screams for Müller to turn off the replicator immediately. Suddenly the contamination alarm sounds and the section of the lab where Müller is seals shut. Bond and Jorgen look through the glass and to their horror see gray fluid pouring from Müller’s eyes and similarly colored sores appear all over his skin. Müller desperately crawls to the glass wall where Bond and Jorgen stand. Jorgen runs to a phone and calls for emergency quarantine personnel. While he barks more orders, Bond continues to look at Müller who tries in vain to mouth a word to Bond. Müller then dabs his fingers on his sores and begins to write on the glass: T-O-P-O-I-S, but then collapses and dies. Jorgen steps next to Bond. “Topoisomerase. That is the key to accessing the virus.” “To Pandora’s Box would be more fitting.” “Truly. Commander Bond, it will take some time before we can get in that lab again, but once we do, we can retrieve the virus and copy it for your government to research.”
Bond reports his findings to M. Moneypenny enters with several security personnel. Spectre sent sample of the virus to MI6, mingled in a vial of blood. Included in the package is a recording of Blofeld, demanding €50 billion. The recording outlines how the money is to be paid. Noting there is no time to waste, M informs Bond that the next best lead is a pharmaceutical company with a chemical plant in Puerto Rico that manufactures 80% of the world’s supply of manufactured Topoisomerase.
Bond visits the plant and is greeted by Executive VP Hector Theodoros. Theodoros gives Bond a brief tour of the plant and explains how Topoisomerase is used in research to uncoil DNA. Bond asks for whatever records the company has of its sales of Topoisomerase in the past few months. Theodoros walks over to a computer terminal and punches a few commands. Bond is suddenly aware that Theodoros is stalling. Several armed guards approach Bond. Theodoros tells Bond that he can’t very well divulge personal information about their best customer. Mr. Blofeld’s patronage has transformed this minuscule company into a world player in pharmaceuticals. They can help create whatever strains of Virus Omega creates, and profit further by developing the vaccines the treat each outbreak. And no nameless assassin will interfere with that. As the guards move in, Bond jumps back and engages them, knocking them all out. Turning back toward Theodoros, Theodoros is panic-stricken. He makes a pathetic attempt to punch Bond, who casually blocks the blow and knocks Theodoros to the ground. Theodoros agrees to help Bond and will tell him where he sends the proteins. Before he can say another word, Theodoros is killed by a throwing knife in the heart. Bond spins around and faces Largo. Largo assures Bond her orders are not to kill him. Blofeld wants Bond to come to him, he’s adamant that their old rivalry come full circle. Bond admits he has no such orders to spare her, so she may as well ignore Blofeld’s obsession with Bond as Bond has shrugged off every one of Blofeld’s efforts to compete with him. Bond and Largo fight throughout the plant, with several guards interfering and technicians trying to flee. At first Bond has the upper hand, but sacrifices his advantage to protect another bystander trying to get away. Largo seizes the moment and pins Bond, knocking the wind out of him. Largo assures Bond they will meet again, to which Bond responds he doesn’t think he can handle another encounter, she took his breath away. A moment later Largo kicks Bond hard in the head, knocking him out.
Bond wakes up in the hospital. After taking time to recuperate, Bond confers with M over the casualties. Since his absence, Spectre has overrun MI6, the CIA, and many other agencies. Q briefs Bond about their analysis of the sample Spectre sent them. This strain of the virus hijacks the body to excrete toxic pheromones that would cause nervous system failure to anyone nearby hours after exposure. An analysis of the blood sample revealed something more startling: the blood belongs to Madeleine. Q assures Bond that there were other chemicals in the sample indicating that the blood was drawn prior to mixing with the virus, and Madeleine is not being used as a live sample. Moneypenny makes an offhand comment about Madeleine, wondering what will happen to her. M laments that it’s unfair because she’s a civilian whereas for them it’s the circle of life. Then something clicks for Bond, in a flashback (to the previous chapter) he remembers Blofeld specifically said “complete the circle”. So what M asks, it’s a common phrase. No, Largo also said Blofeld wanted their rivalry to come full circle. Bond says it is Blofeld’s clue, if only he could remember its significance. Bond goes home to think. He pours over old photo albums and diaries, but can’t find what he is looking for. He raises his eyes, which find a picture of him and Madeleine. Bond turns several more pages of an old diary without looking at the pages. Coming back to himself, he looks down at the diary and sees a passage about a ski trip with “Uncle Hannes” and “Cousin Franz”. Bond reads more carefully, and turning the page finds the name of the ski lodge: Le Cercle du Ciel. Bond realizes aloud: “The Circle of Heaven.”
Bond sets out for the Alps, where reconnaissance reveals the old ski lodge has been modernized, converted into a laboratory, and is fortified. Bond works his way through the henchmen, with the help of the cavalry (reminiscent of the assault on Piz Gloria). Bond eventually encounters Largo and they fight in brutal hand-to-hand combat until Bond manages to get his hands around her throat and strangles her, telling her it is to avenge Quarrel. He releases her as she passes out. Bond uses the ski lift to get to the upper lodge despite people shooting at him, with Largo several chairs behind. Bond finally kills her by dropping a grenade into the snow where he jumps off the chair, and as Largo makes her way to that same point, the bomb explodes before she can get off that killing shot. Bond turns around to look over the smoking crater: “The slopes can be treacherous this time of year.”
Bond finds Blofeld and Madeleine at the top standing near the edge of a cliff. Bond is exhausted but ready. Blofeld and Bond fight. Blofeld isn’t as strong, but he knows his surroundings and isn’t wounded. Madeleine does her best to help, sometimes she hits Blofeld, sometimes Bond, and sometimes she gets hit. It’s reminiscent of the fight against Obanno in Casino Royale, but more desperate, more visceral. Bond finally gets the upper hand and knocks Blofeld over the cliff, but not before grabbing Madeleine who is hanging onto the edge for dear life. Bond and Madeleine struggle to shake Blofeld loose. Bond tries to cut off the shoe Blofeld is holding (like Necros in The Living Daylights) and as the last stitches give way, Bond tells Blofeld that he’s come full circle, and will die in the same place he “died” the first time, and so ends Blofeld. Bond can’t quite pull Madeleine up yet, he sets her down on a rock ledge just below. But the footing is bad and Madeleine soon slips. Bond grabs her by the hand, but can’t hold on. They share an intimate glance, and Madeleine tells Bond she loves him. Bond looks back with so much fear, wanting to deny what’s happening. “I love y-” and she falls. Bond screams and he watches Madeleine fall forever. We see a devastated Bond look over the edge, down at the life and love he almost had, but which yet again slipped through his fingers. There is no rage, just the exasperated sorrow and uncertainty of what happens next. He’s been here before. Truly Blofeld brought Bond full circle, and while Bond is preoccupied with his grief, we know that Bond is doomed to repeat these chapters. Maybe we didn’t see it during the struggle and in their last moments, but as Bond lays on the ground, half over the edge into the abyss, the sun reflects off something and Bond looks at it vacantly: a gold ring on Bond’s left ring finger. And now we realize that thing in the previous chapter that Felix and Strangways helped Bond with on Jamaica that we never saw: they served as witnesses to Bond and Madeleine’s wedding.
As Bond recuperates in the hospital again, he looks destroyed. M and Moneypenny visit, but he is in a daze. He pours pills into his hand, preparing to kill himself, when Felix walks in. He’s in decent spirits all things considered. Felix sees the pills and knows, but gets Bond out of his trance by telling his own story of how he lost his wife to the job. No it wasn’t as gruesome, but it was still heart-wrenching. How does he go on? Everyone he protects is the woman he lost. Their work is never-ending, and no matter who else falls around him, he justifies his existence to protect those he loves who haven’t fallen. Our lovers, our friends…Bond reaches out to Felix in a knowing handshake…our brothers.
James Bond will return in Smert Shpionam. Tune in for my next chapter and the first installment of my SMERSH trilogy in which the Soviet counterespionage agency is revived by the Russian president in an effort to reassert Russian power around the world.