An aluminium case has a particular authority in a thriller: it suggests something worth carrying and something worth guarding. In The World Is Not Enough, Bond uses a Samsonite case in the Swiss banker’s office in Bilbao, and the case that came to be associated with the film was from Samsonite’s Xylem line, the company’s first aluminium luggage. The Samsonite Xylem suitcase is out of production in its original form, but Samsonite still sells a revived Xylem 2.0.
In the film
Samsonite luggage from its Xylem range appears in The World Is Not Enough, and again in Die Another Day, as a sponsor product. Samsonite’s own history says the matching attaché case played a key supporting role in the first of those films, where it is used to carry bundles of cash. One source adds that Pierce Brosnan’s Bond is seen with a custom Xylem case at the banker’s office in Bilbao. We cannot name the exact model of the case on screen, so we write about the Xylem family.
The details of the Samsonite Xylem
The first aluminium Samsonite. Samsonite’s corporate history dates the first aluminium product, the Xylem, to 1998; other sources put its release in 1999. It was the company’s first metal suitcase and has since become a reference point for aluminium luggage.
Xylem 2.0. Samsonite brought the name back as the Xylem 2.0, described by the company’s Philippine arm as its first anodised aluminium suitcase, revamped. A Samsonite x Filip Pagowski release of the Xylem 2.0 was reported in 2019.
Material. In our view an aluminium case is meant to wear in rather than stay pristine, and the scuffs of a few years of travel suit it.
Wheels. The Xylem 2.0 is sold as a spinner, which means four wheels that let you push or pull it upright.
Wearing it now
An aluminium suitcase is a business-travel choice, and it suits a man who flies often with a tailored jacket in his carry-on and would rather arrive looking composed than looking sporty. It reads best in a single colour, with nothing hanging from the handle.
Original or 2.0. If you want the Xylem of the film, you are searching second-hand: our button takes you to an eBay search for the Samsonite Xylem, where original cases and attachés turn up. If you want a case to use every month, the Xylem 2.0 carry-on spinner is the sensible buy; a price comparison site lists it at US$700 on Samsonite’s store, so check Samsonite for the current price.
Care. Wipe the shell with a damp cloth, and treat scratches as part of the finish.
In the same spirit
For travel bags of a different kind, these are alternatives, not pieces from the film: the Bennett Winch S.C. Holdall with Suit Carrier and the J.Crew Abingdon Weekender Bag.
Specifications
| Original | Samsonite Xylem aluminium suitcase and attaché (about 1998 to 1999), out of production |
|---|---|
| Current successor | Samsonite Xylem 2.0 Carry-On Spinner, aluminium, four wheels |
| Film use | Samsonite Xylem cases seen in The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day |
| Price | Xylem 2.0 carry-on spinner listed at US$700 via a price comparison site; original cases vary second-hand |
Questions
Is the Xylem case in The World Is Not Enough still made?
Not in its original form. Samsonite has revived the name as the Xylem 2.0, and original cases and attachés are found second-hand.
What is the Xylem made of?
Aluminium. It was Samsonite’s first aluminium product, and the Xylem 2.0 is described as its first anodised aluminium suitcase.
Which Bond films show a Samsonite Xylem?
Our sources place Samsonite Xylem cases in The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day.
More on the film is on the The World Is Not Enough page, and other travel pieces are in bags and luggage.
