DUNHILL LIGHTERS: DANCE INTO THE FIRE

The prestigious firm Dunhill, makers of the famed lighters and cigarettes, makes its first appearance in the Ian Fleming’s books, who was himself a heavy smoker and can be seen in that famous photo posing behind a cloud of dense smoke. It is important to point out that in Fleming’s novels Bond uses a gray Ronson detached to the cigarette case, like the one seen in Dr. No’s famous casino scene. The fact of how many packs a day Bond smokes has been debated among fans and Bond aficionados for years, along with his particular tastes for special Turkish blends, it can be said that Bond surely knows his way around the art of fine tobacco. It is also worth mentioning that Pierce Brosnan himself made an ad in Japan for a cigarette brand long before his 007 days, wearing a tuxedo in true Bond fashion. Brosnan’s Bond is seen in Die Another Day smoking cigars instead.

 

Dunhill lights 007's fire

Like a true connoisseur, Bond utilizes only top quality lighters, like the Dunhill Models we now detail below

 

Good old friend Felix Leiter knows of Bond’s fine taste, that’s why in License To Kill the Leiters give 007 a plated Dunhill with the legend “James, Love Always” as a gift. Later Bond will burn the villain Sanchez with this lighter.

This lighter given to 007 by the Leiters is a Dunhill Unique Silver Barley, ideal for graved inscriptions and one of the most popular models. According to experts, it was designed in 1924 combining the charm of the 20’s with modern engineering techniques. These lighters have the added value of being also working gadgets with hidden qualities like the ones we now point out:

ANTHOLOGY MODELS

We focus on two models used in Tomorrow Never Dies in the Arms Bazaar opening sequence, under “M”’s watchful eye.

 

The one Bond uses to light up the enemy soldier’s cigarette is a Dunhill QL 1402 Unique Sports, with modified blinking red light.

The grenade model that falls to the snow is instead a
QL 2000 Unique Sports Turbo, a gas fuelled one.

And that’s how the heat of the action sparkles, making Bond’s opponents literally dance into the fire of a spinning flame.

  

CUFFLINKS: THE ELEGANCE OF DETAILS

Even if Connery wasn’t too fond of them, Bond is seen throughout the film Goldfinger wearing them almost in every scene, a fact that won’t occur again until Diamonds Are Forever.

Connery with his Dunhill Rhodium Black Plated

Model used by Brosnan en Tomorrow Never Dies

Moore and his Square Facet Silver/Black

Although Fleming in his novels clearly states that Bond’s prefers Cartier, in the movies the leading brand is definitely Dunhill right from the early ones up to the Brosnan era, but as a more than justified exception Moore is seen in The Spy Who Loved Me wearing a pair of Mont Blanc Elegance given to him as a birthday present by 007’s legendary producer “Cubby” Broccoli.

		Mont Blanc Elegance

Dalton’s arrival to the Bond role only reinforced Dunhill’s permanence in the franchise, in more subtle and discreet models than the ‘70s look. The relaunching of the saga with GoldenEye, Brosnan’s first outing as 007, meant a reassurance of all things Bond: Aston Martin, vodka martini and Dunhill cufflinks.

 

By Mario Frungieri (J.Bond),
M. Virginia Sánchez (M.Goodnight)
and Patricio Carbajal (Pat006)