Bond’s tie in the opening Bilbao scene is the kind of thing nobody remembers and everybody is wearing well: dark silk with a quiet zig zag woven through it. Turnbull & Asser sells the Turnbull & Asser Zig Zag Silk Tie today, made as seen in The World Is Not Enough. It is a current product, not a second-hand hunt.
In the film
Pierce Brosnan‘s Bond wears a dark silk tie with a lighter zig zag in the first scene, when he visits the Swiss bank in Bilbao. One caveat: sources in our evidence note that the tie Turnbull & Asser sells is not exactly the screen-used one, which has a subtler, less visible zig zag. Turnbull & Asser says its version was revisited from original patterns and records in the Bond and Turnbull & Asser archives. We would call it the closest match you can buy.
The details of the Zig Zag Silk Tie
100% silk. The maker lists the cloth as pure silk in a geometric pattern. It is the right cloth for a tie that has to hold a knot all day.
Made in England. The ties are designed in-house, woven at a centuries-old English silk mill and handmade in the maker’s English workrooms.
A self-tipped blade. Each tie is made with a self-tipped blade and slip-stitching along its length, which lets it sit on the neck and recover after a day’s wear.
9.5cm wide. The width at the broadest point is 9.5cm, a classic proportion that suits a notch lapel on a single-breasted suit.
Wearing it now
The point of a zig zag tie is that it reads as plain from a distance and patterned across a table. We would wear it with a navy or charcoal suit and a white or pale blue shirt, and keep everything else quiet: a plain pocket square, black oxford shoes. It works for a bank meeting or a business lunch and does not call attention to itself.
Care. Specialist dry clean only; do not machine wash, bleach or tumble dry. Hang it up after wearing and let the knot drop out rather than pulling it loose.
In the same spirit
For a different silk tie in the catalogue, the Alexander Olch Avery necktie is burgundy twill with bourette spots. It is an alternative in the spirit of a patterned tie with a plain suit, not a copy of this one.
Specifications
| Product code | ZZT92000 2062 46 |
|---|---|
| Material | 100% silk |
| Pattern | Geometric zig zag |
| Width | 9.5cm at the broadest point |
| Construction | Self-tipped blade, slip-stitched |
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Care | Specialist dry clean only |
| Price | US$415 (at the time of writing, October 2026) |
The maker’s page is on Turnbull & Asser’s site.
Questions
Is this the exact tie Bond wears in The World Is Not Enough?
Not exactly. Our sources say the tie sold now has a more visible zig zag than the screen-used one, though it is made from archive patterns.
Where is the tie worn in the film?
In the opening scene in Bilbao, when Bond visits the Swiss bank.
How wide is it?
9.5cm at its broadest point.
Browse more clothing from the films, or return to the The World Is Not Enough page.
