Roger Moore was my James Bond – he was Bond when I was old enough to start watching the movies and, The Spy Who Loved Me through to A View to a Kill, the debonair (and often safari-suit-wearing) Roger Moore cut a fine figure as the archetypal British spy.
While the watches worn by all the James Bonds have been studied and enthusiastically collected by Bond fans since the beginning, there is a smaller number of James Bond-themed watches that are equally sought-after.
And this is one of them! The 1981 Zeon For Your Eyes Only melody watch.
I don’t know if this was ever sold in shops, or if it was mail-order only :
for the not-insignificant price of £16.95. According to the 1981 Argos catalogue, you could by a Casio C-80 calculator watch for £15.95 or a CA-90 for £19.95, so 17 quid for a kid’s watch was still a decent wadge of cash.
And what did you get for your money?
Time (12-hour AM/PM only), day/date/month, chronograph, light, and a daily alarm – but what an alarm!
Pressing the two top buttons, or when the alarm sounded, you (and everyone around you for a considerable distance) were treated to no less than a minute and 45 seconds of the famous James Bond theme (not the wonderful Sheena Easton ‘For Your Eyes Only’ theme tune, but the famous and well-recognised original Bond theme).
That’s a long alarm. Most watches with a daily alarm would play for, maybe 30 seconds, and occasionally a melody alarm watch could stretch to a minute, but this was something else.
I imagine this going off in a school assembly would not have gone down well with cane-happy teachers of the 1980s! These are very uncommon today, so I rather suspect that most of them ended up confiscated or damaged beyond repair by their intended audience of early teens.
This one was in pretty rugged condition when I got it – here’s the photo from the auction:
Naturally it didn’t work at all, the insides were as rough as the outsides, and the plastic case holding all the electronics had cracked and become super-brittle.
It needed some circuitboard work, but eventually it sparked into life – yay!
I was in two minds about restoring the case (still am) – some watches I like to bring back to near-new condition if possible, but others that have been well-loved, are better to retain their original patina so I haven’t done much to this one. If I find a nice case once day I might move the module to it, but I kind of like the knocks and scrapes this watch has had. Most 40-year-olds have a few signs of wear, and this watch is no exception.
So for now at least I’ll enjoy its imperfect perfection. It’s fully-working now, and has its original caseback and bracelet.
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I got this watch at the tender age of 12….I saw it advertised in my mum’s Freeman’s Catalogue I think. It was probably the most exciting thing I’d ever owned until this point, and all my friends at school were massively jealous.
I ended up cracking the face, after which I was so heart-broken that my parents bought me a replacement for Christmas. I looked after the second one a lot more, although I did get my metal-work teacher to inscribe my name on the rear of the case.
Sad to say but at the age of 52 I have no idea where either of the watches are now. I won’t have thrown them away, so I imagine they are in some obscure cupboard in my mum’s house, waiting to finally be discovered when she passes away.
For sale?
I got this watch in 1981, still got it in its box and it still works
Hi I have got one put a new battery in doesnt work. How much would you charge to fix it. Am based in Sheffield, England.
It would cost more to send to me in NZ from the UK than it would to fix it 🙂 I’d recommend sending to Andy Windle at the Vintage Japanese Watch Company (he is based in the UK) – should be able to sort it for you!
Good evening. My grandfather bought me this watch in 1981. He’s sadly passed now. I’d love to buy one to relive the memories if you ever sell this watch please contact me
Kind regards
John King.
Yes, Roger Moore was my Bond. The Spy Who Loved Me, was my first big screen Bond. 1977 The Gaumont Cinema, Sheffield, followed by a sit down meal in a Wimpey, using Knife & Fork to eat a Burger meal, followed by a Knickerbocker Glory.
We all synchronised watches, using the speaking clock.
Next day in Ecclesfield Junior School, Mrs Wilkinsons Class, we were all 10 or 11 years old.
10am. As one the Hourly chimes rang out. But, mine was supreme with the Bond Beep, Beep, from the opening titles.
She tried to steal it off me. We had to hand over all valuables for games. She put them in her locked desk draw.
When it came to getting them back. Mine was missing.
“Did you give it me Steven ?” She knew damn well I had.
Opening other draws, no sign. But then I saw it glinting under one of those Black diaries. She nearly slammed the Draw sut on my hand.
Goy it back, never trusted her after that.
I have this watch and remember the alarm going off in Maths (deliberately!)- but it now has no battery. Does anyone know what it takes?
This watch takes a 392 (AG-3) battery.
Thankyou 🔋