It was almost exactly one year ago that we took you to the James Bond replica watches exhibit at the National fake watch and Clock Museum in Pennsylvania. The highlight of that exhibit was Ian Fleming's personal Replica Rolex Explorer reference 1016, which continues to remain on display at the Museum.
The serial number for Fleming's Explorer 1016 is 596851, and it was made in the last quarter of 1960. It also happens to be one of the first reference 1016 Explorers ever made. Ever since Dell Deaton made the discovery of Fleming's fake watch as the inspiration for the literary James Bond's Replica Rolex and wrote about it in 2009, collectors have had their eyes out for any Explorers close in serial number to Fleming's. Dell Deaton has an Explorer with a very close serial number to Fleming's that was on display next to Fleming's Explorer at the exhibit because his has the original dial with radium whereas Fleming's Explorer sadly had its dial replaced due to radiation concerns.
But another Explorer 1016 from the last quarter of 1960 has come up for sale this year with a serial number on the case extremely close to Fleming's: 596600, only 251 cases away, which is the closest in numeral proximity that experts have recently identified. With its original glossy gilt dial, minute track, and great patina on the lume, this fake watch is absolutely stunning. It is no wonder that Ian Fleming chose to purchase and wear such a watch. One interesting thing to note is the slight difference in the coronet (Rolex logo) on this 1016 versus Dell Deaton's 1016, which can be seen here.
The late 1950's Explorers (reference 6610) had similar stubby coronets on the dial with wide oval opening and these dials can also be seen on some of the early 1960s gilt Explorers (reference 1016. This style of coronet is almost reminiscent of an amoeba and seems to be found only on the Explorers from this period. It differs from the slightly lighter gilt text and more traditional-looking coronet found on Dell Deaton's Explorer. But what coronet version was on Fleming's Explorer? Sadly, with that dial gone, we might never know. For more information on this Replica Rolex Explorer reference 1016 with a serial number close to Fleming's own Explorer, click here.
And if you do get the chance to visit the National fake watch and Clock Museum, we highly recommend it. Click here to see a recent New York Times article on the museum.
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