On 31 October, Sean Connery, one of the greatest cinema legends of our history, passed away. He had turned 90 in August and had been ill for some time, as his son recently announced. Connery’s wife Micheline said that the actor suffered from senile dementia and that “ he died in his sleep and it was just so peaceful. I was with him all the time and he just slipped away. It was what he wanted.”
Born in 1930 in Edinburgh into an ordinary family – a truck driver father and a waitress mother – Connery took dance lessons at a young age and dropped out of school at age 16 to join the British Navy. Following a visit to medical control, in which he is diagnosed with an ulcer, he was forced to abandon his military career and from then on he devoted himself to various jobs.
In the 1950s, he began to make himself known on the English theatrical stages but his definitive entry into the world of entertainment came in 1953, after his participation in Mr Universe, where he came in third. Connery was only 23 years old but his receding hairline had already manifested for some time, which made him both prominent and rather fascinating. The turning point came in the 1960s: in 1962 he was chosen by Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to play James Bond, the British secret agent born from the idea of novelist Ian Fleming. Connery retained the celebrated role of 007 in six films: Dr No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967) and Diamonds are Forever (1971).
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Connery is often uniquely associated with his iconic role of Bond but, in reality, his career includes many other famous films and several prestigious awards. From Alfred Hitchcock’s Marnie (1964) to The Name of the Rose (1986), in which he played William von Baskerville (and which earned him a BAFTA), to The Untouchables (a film by Brian De Palma thanks to which he won the Oscar for best supporting actor in the 1988 and a Golden Globe), up to Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The First Knight (1995) and, among his last roles, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003).
In all, Connery won an Oscar, two Bafta and three Golden Globes. He retired from the stage in 2005, after turning down leading roles in The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.
I don't think I'll ever act again. I have so many wonderful memories, but those days are over.
In 2012, he gave his voice to the protagonist of the Scottish animated film Sir Billi. This is, to all intents and purposes, his last production. Extremely fond of his private life, he spent the last few years with his family in Nassau in the Bahamas, where he spent his final hours.
Sean Connery memorabilia: how many times has there been a story about this?
Plenty. Sean Connery had an incredible charisma, charm and timeless elegance that made him one of the greatest style icons in the world. When it comes to collectables, therefore, those that belonged to the ‘Connery legend’ are among the most coveted, as they tell a small part of his great story.
Let's start with the watches: when Sean Connery first played James Bond, on his wrist was a Rolex Submariner 6538, which apparently belonged to a member of the crew (a producer or director) and which, considering the scarce financial resources available at the time, was loaned to Connery during filming. Faithful to the Rolex Submariner, Connery only switched on two occasions: he once wore a gold Gruen Precision 510 and in Thunderball sported a Breitling Top Time. In 2018, Christie's auctioned a Rolex ‘James Bond’ Submariner ref. 6538 for $1,068,500 (£803,512), setting the record for the most expensive Rolex Submariner ever sold at auction.
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Speaking of records, there’s the ultra-iconic Aston Martin DB5 of Goldfinger and Thunderball, which in August 2019 hit the great sum of $6,385,000 (£5,101,615) at RM Sotheby's. The car, equipped with 13 perfectly working 007 gadgets, was the model used for the promotional tour of the two 007 films.
In the summer of this year, the Château de l'Anglais villa on the French Riviera, which belonged to Connery and his wife Micheline Roquebrune, was put on the real estate market. 5000 sqm2 of wonders developed on six floors and surrounding garden, the villa offered a breathtaking view of the Baie des Anges and the port of Nice. To date, there is no news on the actual sale by the Knight Frank Cap Ferrat agency, but the value was estimated at €30 million.
See also: James Bond’s 1965 Aston Martin for Sale
Among the most coveted collectables are the posters of the famous James Bond films in which Connery starred. Particularly valuable is the poster dedicated to the release of the first 007 film, Dr No, which paved the way for a very successful series that continues today. Produced by Eon Productions, directed by Terence Young and starring Sean Connery and Ursula Andress, Dr No was made on a low budget but soon became a cult of international cinema.
There are endless pieces of memorabilia dedicated to Connery and his film characters: a world of objects that fascinate collectors, from the clothing worn on set by the actor to the cars he drove, the props he used, as well as the photographs, manuscripts and bottles of champagne he autographed and much more.
Provenance is always important when selling an item. In recent years, we have witnessed several auction records for art and collectables owned by celebrities, with perhaps the most notable sale being when Phillips sold Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona for $17.8 million (£13.3 mil and 500% above its estimate). “One of the few who can compete with Newman in fame and as a style icon is Connery, which is why we can expect that prices of Connery-related items will increase in value in the coming years,” Says Pontus Silfverstolpe, co-founder of Barnebys.
This is the beauty of collecting: when a great icon disappears, its incredible story continues to live on thanks to enthusiasts and collectors who, with their dedication, keep alive the memory of someone who is no longer here.
