If you ever wanted to dress, schuss or tell the time like James Bond, now might be your only chance: a selection of items including dinner suits, silk cravats, Lamborghini skis and a special edition Omega Seamaster watch are up for auction, all from the personal collection of 007 himself, Roger Moore.
Moore, who died in 2017, played Bond in seven films between 1973 and 1985, beginning with Live and Let Die and ending with A View to a Kill. His family are selling 180 lots of Moore’s own memorabilia, with part of the proceeds going to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), which appointed Moore as a goodwill ambassador in 1991.
Harvey Cammell, global director of valuations and private collections at Bonhams, said: “Roger Moore really was one of the leading actors of his generation: he is an icon, a true legend, both as an actor and as a Bond. He was so suave and so charming; he had his own style which he very much brought to his roles, and that style actually comes out in the sale.”
Moore’s commitment to the finer things in life is very much in evidence. The auction includes two double-breasted dinner suits, used in Octopussy and A View to a Kill, which are expected to fetch £20,000-£30,000 each. The same estimate is affixed to a “50 Years of James Bond” anniversary Omega watch. A set of white 1980s Lamborghini competition skis has a guide price of £500-£1,000, and if you want to rattle your cuffs like Sir Roger, a pair of Asprey cufflinks are estimated at £800-£1,200. There is also what is described as “a large collection” of silk ties and cravats (estimate: £500-£1,000), as well as the travel backgammon set with which he reportedly took on Bond producer Cubby Broccoli between takes (£100-£150).
Moore’s little-remarked artistic side is also evident: a limited edition Jean Cocteau ceramic plate decorated with a ram’s head is included (estimate: £1,500-£2,500), along with a rare Joan Miró print (£1000-£1500) and Moore’s own drawings. In a statement, Moore’s children, Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian, said: “We know how much our father meant to so many people across the globe … He was also a kind and generous individual, as understandably proud of his charitable work as his acting career. We are delighted to be able to share his legacy with his many fans.”
Moore’s reign as 007 began after he was approached in 1972 following Sean Connery’s retirement from the role with Diamonds Are Forever (though Connery returned for the non-canonical Never Say Never Again, released in 1983). Moore had become a contender for the role through his presence in hit TV series The Saint and The Persuaders!, but was unavailable for the 1969 production On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, for which George Lazenby was cast. Moore’s film career highlights outside the Bond franchise include 1976 adventure film Shout at the Devil and 1979 all-star war comedy Escape to Athena.
The most expensive item of Bond-related memorabilia ever sold at auction, according to Guinness World Records, was a silver 1965 Aston Martin DB5, one of two publicity cars made for the early Bond films and featuring gadgets such as machine guns in the bumpers and a retractable bulletproof rear screen. It fetched $6.4m (£5.2m) in 2019 at an auction in Monterey, California. Another famous 007 car, the submersible Lotus Esprit as seen in The Spy Who Loved Me, was bought by Elon Musk for £616,000 in a 2013 auction after being discovered wrapped in blankets in a storage container in New York.
The sale has been organised to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Moore’s Bond debut in Live and Let Die; Bond fans no doubt will be interested to see that the cashmere overcoat he wore in the film is in the auction, too. Cammell adds:“The sale will be of huge international interest: there’s never been a Bond actor who’s put so many items of his up for sale. It’s a unique position to be in.”
The auction will take place on 4 October at Bonhams in London.
