Bond’s lighter in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) is a very ordinary-looking object doing a very unordinary job. In the pre-title sequence, Pierce Brosnan’s Bond uses a gold Dunhill lighter that Q has adapted to act as a grenade. The Dunhill Unique Sports gold lighter underneath the gadget is a real design with a long history.
In the film
Our catalogue records that Bond uses an “explosive” gold lighter in the film, and it appears to look and work like a normal Dunhill Unique Sports lighter, except that Q has modified it. A Bond enthusiast site cites two model numbers, the QL 1402 for the shot of Bond lighting a cigarette and the QL 2000 Unique Sports Turbo for the lighter lying in the snow, but says it could not find a second source, so we treat the model numbers as unconfirmed. The lighter is also mentioned on the first page of Ian Fleming’s From Russia With Love, as a well-used Dunhill gold lighter belonging to a dead man.
The details of the Dunhill Unique Sports lighter
A one-handed design. Dunhill launched the Unique in 1926 as the first lighter designed to be used one-handed. It followed the lift-arm, horizontal-wheel mechanism that Dunhill’s engineers invented in 1919.
A remake of an older shape. An auction house describes a c1997 Dunhill gold-plated Unique Sports as a remake of the 1920s version, as used in the film. The Sports model has a windscreen around the flame, which Dunhill added to give a better light outdoors.
The modern Turbo. Dunhill has since revived the Unique Sports shape as the Unique Turbo, a butane lighter with a jet flame that Cigar Aficionado described as virtually identical to the originals at first glance. Solid brass construction, made in Switzerland, with a windscreen and a snuff arm.
Owning it now
There are two honest routes. The first is buying new: Dunhill’s current lighters include Turbo models, and the Lines Pattern Turbo Lighter was US$1,750 on Dunhill’s US site at the time of writing, October 2026. It is a close relative of the film lighter in style, though not the gold Unique Sports from the film.
The second is second-hand: vintage Dunhill Unique Sports lighters are sold by dealers and on eBay, and we saw examples between about £460 and US$650. Look for a clean case and a working wheel and snuff arm, and ask whether it is plated or solid. Gold plating wears with use, so a worn example is a natural thing, not a flaw.
Whichever you choose, treat it as a handsome object first. A lighter like this belongs in a jacket pocket or on a desk beside a tray of keys.
Specifications
| Maker | Dunhill |
|---|---|
| Model | Unique Sports, gold, with wind guard; model numbers QL 1402 / QL 2000 reported but unconfirmed |
| Mechanism | One-handed lift arm, horizontal flint wheel |
| Current relative | Dunhill Unique Turbo (butane jet flame, solid brass, made in Switzerland) |
| Film | Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) |
| Price | Vintage examples roughly £460 to US$650; Dunhill Turbo lighters from US$1,750 (at the time of writing, October 2026) |
Dunhill’s current range is on its own lighters page.
Questions
What lighter does Bond use in Tomorrow Never Dies?
A gold Dunhill Unique Sports lighter, modified by Q to act as a grenade, in the pre-title sequence.
Is the lighter still made?
Dunhill still makes lighters, including the Unique Turbo. The gold Unique Sports from the film is out of production and found second-hand.
What is the model number?
One enthusiast source gives QL 1402 and QL 2000, but it is unconfirmed.
See the full list from Tomorrow Never Dies, the Accessories collection and Pierce Brosnan’s Bond.
