Most Popular Bond Posts Of 2023

Plus 2 new expanded soundtracks

Welcome to the last EYES ONLY newsletter of 2023.

It’s time for an overview of the most popular pages on the Bond Lifestyle website in the past year and the most popular Bond Lifestyle Instagram Reels.

And in the Q&A I speak to @TheBondEnthusiast.

Enjoy!

Remmert van Braam
founder BOND LIFESTYLE

Q&A

For this newsletter, we’re bringing Joe Silock ala @thebondenthusiast into the MI6 interrogation room. Joe is a lifelong Bond fan whom I met during several Bond location tours. Joe’s Bond posts can be found on Instagram and Facebook.

Q. Which three Bond clothes or accessories do you wear the most?
A. The hands down number one accessory for me is my Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean large size from Casino Royale. A watch is one of the best investments you can make because it’s something you can wear every day of the year. This one looks great at the beach, with casual clothes, or even a suit although for a dressy occasion, some might prefer it with a metal bracelet versus the rubber strap. Next would be the Sunspel Riviera t-shirt. Another year-round item. I wear them in the summer months as a regular T-shirt and as a base layer in the colder months. Rounding out my top three are the Church’s Ryder III chukka boots. They started a bit of a chukka boot obsession for me. I have six or seven different brands and styles of brown chukka boots and they are a go-to for me in the footwear category. Another versatile item that you can wear with a pair of jeans or a suit.

Q. If you could keep only 1 item of your Bond collection, what would it be?
A. The Golden Gun prop replica from Factory Entertainment. I have the dual signature edition which is signed by Roger Moore and Christopher Lee and was released in 2011. For the longest time this was one of those grail items for me. Back in the 1990’s, I had planned on buying an SD Studios version but it was one of those things I kept putting off. Unfortunately, I waited too long and SD Studios went out of business making only a small fraction of the 7,500 units they planned on making in the overall production run. My home office doubles as my “Bond room” and the Golden Gun is the only Bond-related item that I have displayed outside of my Bond room.

Q. What is your most popular post/video?
A. A watch roll Instagram Reel where I show the watch and then slowly pan up to reveal that I am in London standing across the River Thames from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament on a beautiful sunny day. I was wearing the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean large size from Casino Royale.

Q. Which Bond location do you still want to visit?
A. I have been very fortunate to have traveled to quite a few Bond locations around the world. The one place that remains on my bucket list is Scaramanga’s lair from The Man With The Golden Gun or as it is known in the real world: James Bond Island in Thailand. I have it on reasonably good authority that I will be crossing it off of my bucket list in 2024.

Q. If you could meet any Bond actor (even if they’re no longer with us), who would that be and why?
A. It would be Roger Moore. I got the chance to briefly meet him at an event at Pinewood Studios back in 2012. I think he would be the one actor to have a fun conversation with because he would tell the funny and slightly embarrassing stories. In every story I have read about him he comes across as a genuinely nice person who really appreciated the fans. Also, he is the one Bond actor so far who really embraced and promoted Bond after he retired from the role.

Q. Which Bond-related song do you want to add to the Bond Lifestyle Playlist on Spotify / YouTube?
A. From the Casino Royale soundtrack “African Rundown” by David Arnold. I really love his music because he excels at capturing the sound of a location and matching the energy of the music to the scene. “African Rundown” hits both of those marks perfectly. For this queue the music plays over one of the great action sequences not only from the Daniel Craig era but from the Bond franchise. It also makes for a great queue to have in your workout playlist when you are looking for that extra boost of motivation to finish strong.

Q. Rolex or Omega?
A. While I have a soft spot for the Rolex Submariner Dalton wears in The Living Daylights I have to go with Omega.

Latest intel

  • Conan O’Brien wears an Omega Seamaster No Time To Die Edition in podcast with President Biden (who wears HIS Seamaster as well)

  • Vote for the Bond Community Awards 2023

  • 007.com Do the 2023 Christmas Quiz

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