Man suffers from amnesia after being discovered by a fishing boat in the middle of the ocean, learns he has innate combat and counterintelligence abilities while being chased by the CIA and a string of assassins across Europe. Such is the plot of 2002’s The Bourne Identity starring Matt Damon, who plays that very man (named Jason Bourne), who spends his time zipping Mini Coopers around Paris and scaling tall – by European standards – buildings, all while wearing one-time iconic steel sports replica watches for sale from a certain brand with racing heritage.
Why We’re Watching
This year marks the 20th anniversary of The Bourne Identity, which means I went 20 years without watching this film. It got to a point where I wore that as a point of pride. And not as a slight to the film, but just as a token of somehow being able to avoid it all these years (sequels included). But after spending time around a bevy of perfect UK TAG Heuer fake watches the last couple of weeks, from the Porsche Carrera to the Super Mario collaborations, and learning that Damon wears high quality replica TAG Heuer watches in this film, it felt like a cosmic sign to end my Bourne fast.
From a filmmaking standpoint, this one just isn’t for me based sheerly on the ’90s-hangover style of quick-cut editing and the odd acid-techno drum-backed score. Luckily, there was a good enough horological lodestar to keep me watching until the end.
And that would be the luxury replica TAG Heuer Link Chronograph watches on Damon’s wrist. The Link is a relic of 1990s watch design that is centered around the recognizable bracelet links found in a particularly round orientation. Much like the Rolex Oyster bracelet, it’s the sort of aesthetic you can spot from afar. Given that this film takes place in the early 2000s, the Swiss made copy TAG Heuer Link watches shown on screen, with its scratches and signs of wear, is time-appropriate – something we’re always looking out for here on Watching Movies.
What makes the cheap fake watches particularly interesting in The Bourne Identity is its integration into the plot. We are introduced to it at the same moment that Bourne learns who he is after being led to a safety deposit box at a bank in Zurich, Switzerland. The top replica watches, along with passports, contact lenses, and other personal effects are inside that box signaling that the watch is part of who he is.
Bourne wears the Link throughout the film and really puts the steel chrono through its paces. One thing’s for sure: The 1:1 replica watches can both give and take a punch. Given the character’s connection to the CIA, I think the TAG Heuer was a good choice by the prop master on the film. It’s a capable Swiss watch and rugged in its steel-on-steel construction, and not overly-luxurious for an assassin. And luckily for Bourne, despite the amnesia, he still remembered how to tell the time.
When We’re Watching
After the then-nameless Jason Bourne is fished out of the water, one of the boat’s crew members pulls a device from his back that contains information for a bank account in Zurich. Once the boat docks, Bourne makes his way to the bank where he is led to the aforementioned safety deposit box. When he opens it [00:16:04] the camera pans across the box’s contents until it lands on the AAA fake TAG Heuer Link Chronograph watches. Bourne immediately proceeds to put the watch on his wrist and remove the top layer of the box, revealing stacks and stacks of cash. He stuffs all the contents of the box into a red bag and his real adventure begins.
Not long after this moment, Bourne wanders into the U.S. Consulate in Zurich hoping not to be recognized (though he barely knows what’s going on and only just learned his name). He immediately finds himself pursued by security guards and engages in instinctual combat, resulting in a building shutdown and a manhunt for Bourne. The only way out requires him to scale the building via the broken fire escape. As he hangs by his fingertips from a snowy ledge [00:24:38], we get a clear view of the TAG Heuer on his wrist. Spoiler alert, he and the China super clone watches make it safely to the equally snowy ground.
Recent Comments