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Tag Heuer 1000 Night Diver, ref. 980.031N, James Bond The Living Daylights, circa 1988 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Tag Heuer 1000 Night Diver, ref. 980.031N, James Bond The Living Daylights, circa 1988

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
TAG Heuer (maker)
Date
c. 1988
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
vws2292
Credit line
Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (vws2292)
Catalogue title (original)
Tag Heuer 1000 Night Diver - Model Ref: 980.031N - James Bond The Living Daylights - c.1988 (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Vintage Watch Specialist (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number vws2292), this is a wristwatch by TAG Heuer, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1988. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Vintage Watch Specialist

A Very Well Preserved and rare, Tag Heuer 1000 Night Diver as Worn By Timothy Dalton as James Bond in " The Living Daylights" - Model Ref: 980.031N from c.1988 in Black PVD with Luminous Dial. TAG Heuer S.A. is a Swiss luxury watchmaker that designs, manufactures and markets watches.The company began as Uhrenmanufaktur Heuer AG, founded in 1860 by Edouard Heuer in St-Imier, Switzerland. In 1985, TAG Group purchased a majority stake in the company, forming TAG Heuer . In 1999, French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH bought nearly 100 percent of the Swiss company. The name TAG Heuer combines the initials of "Techniques d'Avant Garde" and the founder's surname. TAG Heuer is considered one of the world’s leading luxury watch brands, offering a strong history of innovation with deep connections to sports timing. What’s On Offer Affectionately known as the “Night Diver” by fans, this luxury watch was the first time Bond had worn a watch with an illuminated dial. Although The Living Daylights had no official watch sponsor, the Night Diver soon became popular amongst watch aficionados and moviegoers alike. This particular example is dated to approximately 1988 and is in remarkably good condition, even the black PVD has survived with barely any deterioration. The blemish-free luminous dial looks great with its Mercedes hands and lollipop seconds hand. The hour markers are intact and there is a subtle date aperture at 3 o'clock. The black bezel is also in great shape with no damage to speak of. Of course, the watch is preowned so there are signs of light wear, but for a watch this age, it really does look well. As a discontinued reference, these watches are very much sought after by TAG, Bond and vintage watch lovers alike. Additional information Made from Case: PVD Coated Stainless Steel Dial: Luminous Crystal: Sapphire Bracelet: PVD Coated Stainless Steel Technical specifications Winding: Movement Type: Quartz Calibre: ETA 955.114 Jewels: Waterproof: When New Power reserve: Purchase details Condition: Excellent Model Reference: 980.031N

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Dive and water-resistant watches

Keeping water and dust out of a wristwatch was a long-standing challenge. Rolex's screw-down Oyster case (1926) and Omega's Marine (1932) were landmarks; in the early 1950s Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms and Rolex's Submariner defined the professional dive watch with rotating bezels for timing dives, luminous dials and high water resistance. The ISO 6425 standard (1982) later codified what a 'diver's watch' must do.

Dive watches became icons of post-war design and exploration, and their evolution — helium escape valves, ceramic bezels, saturation-diving depth ratings — records the history of underwater work.

What to look for

  • Unidirectional or bidirectional rotating bezel with minute markings.
  • Screw-down crown and case back; depth rating printed on the dial.
  • Luminous hands and markers (radium before c. 1960, tritium c. 1960–1998, then Super-LumiNova).
  • Reference numbers on the case between the lugs or inside the back.

Dating clues

  • Screw-down Oyster cases: from 1926.
  • Professional dive watches: from 1953.
  • Tritium 'T' marks on dials: c. 1960–1998.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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