Charlie Higson’s Bond wears an old watch, not a new one. In King Zero, he owns a battered vintage Vertex Cal 59 W.W.W. military watch, an original wartime model inherited from a great-uncle. The Vertex Cal 59 is a good reminder that the best Bond watches are not always the expensive ones.
In the books
King Zero was published in the UK on 24 September 2026 and in the US on 17 November 2026. In it, Bond’s watch is a vintage Vertex Cal 59 W.W.W., a model made for the British military, inherited from a great-uncle. Our evidence is a mention of the watch in the story, not a scene.
The details
Dirty Dozen. Vertex was one of twelve watch makers commissioned to produce wristwatches for the British military in the Second World War, the group known as the Dirty Dozen. It was the only one based in Britain. Vertex began large-scale production of the Cal 59 W.W.W. navigation watch, and 4,652 were delivered during the preparations for D-Day.
The maker’s history. Claude Lyons founded Vertex in 1912. The company closed after the quartz crisis, and his great-grandson Don Cochrane revived it a century after its founding. The M100, based on the wartime Cal 59, was its first new watch in 45 years.
Wearing it now
The original Cal 59 is not in production, and a vintage example we found listed as sold out. Vertex’s tributes are the practical route. Men’s Journal calls the M36 the closest in size, at 36mm across, 11mm thick and 46.5mm lug to lug, with a double-domed sapphire crystal, water resistance to 100m and a Sellita SW260-1 automatic movement. The M100A is a 40mm version of the same idea. Both are non-date, with moulded Super-LumiNova on the dial. We would take the smaller M36 for a slim wrist and the M100A for a larger one, on the leather strap with a navy jumper and a field jacket.
Specifications
| Original | Vertex Cal 59 W.W.W., British military watch, Second World War; not in production |
|---|---|
| Tribute | Vertex M36 (36mm) and M100A (40mm) |
| M36 case | 36mm diameter, 11mm thick, 46.5mm lug to lug |
| Crystal | Double-domed sapphire box crystal with anti-reflective treatment |
| Movement | Sellita SW260-1 Top Grade automatic, 31 jewels, non-date |
| Water resistance | 100m, screw-in crown |
| Straps (M36) | Expandable metal, sand and leather over-and-under straps included |
| Guarantee | 5-year global guarantee on the M36 |
The wartime story is on Vertex’s own heritage page.
Questions
Which watch does Bond wear in King Zero?
A vintage Vertex Cal 59 W.W.W., an original wartime model inherited from his great-uncle.
Can I buy the Vertex Cal 59?
Not new. It is out of production, so Vertex’s M100 series and M36 are the current tributes to it.
How big is the Vertex M36?
36mm across, 11mm thick and 46.5mm lug to lug.
More Bond reading is in our books and media section, and the Bonds page shows the watches the screen Bonds wore.
