Style -- 4 hours ago
Words: Jonathan Wells
Words: Jonathan Wells
There’s a moment towards the end of Goldfinger that finds James Bond strapped to a table. You know the one. Legs akimbo, brow a-sweating, 007 and Goldfinger do the whole “I expect you to die!” dance. But, mere seconds before, the villain drops another quotable nugget. “Gold, Mr. Bond,” he gushes. “All my life, I have been in love with its colour. Its brilliance. Its divine heaviness”.
He makes a compelling point. It is pretty special stuff. Perhaps that’s why the third film in Eon’s decades-spanning franchise is still so beloved at 60. From the Furka Pass scene to Oddjob’s seminal henchman to Shirley Bassey’s titillating title song, it’s a watershed feature in a film series full of big moments. As such, plenty of brands came out to commemorate Goldfinger in recent weeks and months, launching limited-edition collaborations, from sweaters to supercars. These are our favourites…
The third Bond film saw cinematic 007 really find his pace, and part of that was thanks to the first appearance of the iconic Aston Martin DB5. The British carmaker has provided Bond’s wheels across the world in the decades since, and this limited-edition (60 models) DB12 has been crafted by the marque’s bespoke division, which is aptly named Q.
It comes painted in the same silver-birch shade as the Goldfinger DB5 – although the leather Sports Plus seats sadly lack an ejector function. They are, however, upholstered in Prince of Wales check and sit in a cabin trimmed with carbon fibre laced with gold strands. The best part? Each owner will also receive a section of 35mm film of Goldfinger’s Furka Pass sequence.
Although Bond only started wearing Crockett & Jones shoes in 2012’s Skyfall, the brand has since laced itself inextricably into the fabric of the franchise. So, while it may have solely been Craig – and not Connery – to slip on the British label’s designs, Crockett & Jones has still given one of its 007 styles a Goldfinger makeover.
Inspired by the suede Derby shoes worn by Connery in Goldfinger, the Highbury 2 plain-fronted lace-ups (pictured, £775) feature all-black leather interiors and silver foiled logos. The Goldfinger range is rounded out by a pair of black velvet Albert slippers that are adorned with Bond’s family coat of arms and motto: ‘Orbit Non Sufficit,’ or ‘the world is not enough’.
Bond may have only been slipping on Crockett & Jones shoes since 2012, but he’s been sipping Bollinger long before then. The first time 007 popped a Bollinger cork on the big screen was in 1979’s Moonraker – but Ian Fleming had him enjoying the famed fizz even earlier, in 1956 novel Diamonds are Forever.
So, it tracks that the Champagne house would want to mark six decades of such a seminal Bond film. The producer has done so with a magnum of its 2007 Vintage (get it?). Presented in a bespoke cabin case from Globe-Trotter, and arriving with two branded glasses, it’s a sparkling way (with notes of fruit, brioche and honey) to ring in the diamond anniversary of this golden hit.
This new capsule from N. Peal takes another famous sequence – Bond’s round of golfwith Goldfinger at Stoke Park – as its inspiration. The cornerstone of the collection is a plum-purple V-neck jumper – a luxurious spin on Bond’s Slazenger sweater, and one with a Bond family logo embroidered onto its chest.
Elsewhere, the British brand has recreated the iconic three-piece Anthony Sinclair suit worn by Connery in the film, a knitted cashmere waistcoat he showcases in a brief scene set in M’s office, and even Goldfinger’s own camel-brown golfing cardigan.
But forget cardigans – the only piece of Goldfinger’s gear really worth snaffling is his Phantom. Here, Rolls-Royce has taken inspiration from the Phantom III ‘Sedanca de Ville’ featured in the film to create a highly bespoke, one-of-one car colour-matched exactly to the original limousine.
It’s got 21-inch black disc wheels with floating hubcaps, the 007 logo is projected onto the boot carpet every time it’s opened, and – in another nod to that Stoke Park golf game – an opulent gold-plated putter has been mounted on the underside of the boot lid. Auric would most definitely approve.
Two years ago, in celebration of six decades of cinematic Bond, St. James’s stalwarts Lock & Co. (the oldest hat shop in the world), released several bits of headwear inspired by the series as a whole. Among them: Auric Goldfinger’s russet flat cap and Oddjob’s distinctive square-top bowler.
This year, The Stoke – a hand-blocked black Panama featuring a blue striped ribbon and genuine leather sweatband – demands room on your Goldfinger hatstand. It’s a little late for summer now, but Bond’s been looking good in Goldfinger for six decades, so we can’t see it going out of style anytime soon.
Another car – but not what you might expect. Agora Models, based in Canterbury, is a world-leader in the production of ‘big-scale models’. Each of its mini motors is built following a 3D scan of the full-size car – both inside and out – to ensure every detail, down to the engine, is captured in the piece.
The brand’s Goldfinger limited edition is a little different, however. The 1:8 scale replica may feature a functioning ejector seat, revolving number plate and bulletproof shield, but it also has a 24-carat-gold body plated by the master crafters at St Paul’s Mint. Only seven have been made.
Like Lock & Co. above, Barton Perreira is an accessories brand with Bond in its blood. In the latest 007 film, No Time To Die, the super spy slipped on two pairs of the L.A.-based-brand’s shades: the Joe and Norton frames. Off-screen, the company has created homages to styles worn by Roger Moore in A View To A Kill and Connery in Thunderball.
Next up is the Goldfinger frame, sunglasses based loosely on the Persol 828 design worn by Connery in the film. It’s available in dusk, chestnut and absinthe, and the temple tips are inscribed with a period-correct 007 logo – and, if you fog up those slick sports lenses, that same logo appears on the glass.
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