It’s the first working day of the month (Friday doesn’t, and never will, count), which means it’s time to write about Christmas. Yes, it’s the time of year to begin to think about expensive items that you have to give to others, for no other reason than society dictates you have to.
I’ve never received what I would describe as a ‘posh advent calendar’. A posh advent calendar, by my definition, is any iteration that contains something more than just chocolate behind the doors. I’ve seen ones that have perfumes. I’ve seen ones that have whiskies. I have, now, seen one that is James Bond themed.
Celebrating seven decades of the ‘world’s most iconic spy’, the James Bond 2024 advent calendar is quite something. Available in a limited run of 1,000 units, the box promises a ‘memorable countdown to Christmas’. There are seven drawers, each with a fancy James Bond related gift. Sadly, it appears none of them are pre-made vodka martinis.
The seven doors each represent a decade from the films, with the 1960s containing a Universal Exports leather card wallet, the 1980s a boxed trio of hand-carved marble drink coolers referencing the Isthmus Casino from Licence to Kill, and the 2010s containing a mounted production sketch from Skyfall.
The box itself is ‘crafted with the same meticulous attention to detail as 007’s style’, with the textured paper that wraps the calendar meant to resemble the weave of Bond’s ‘impeccably tailored dinner jacket’.
It is, without a doubt, a very fancy advent calendar. As posh as they come, it’s priced at £180 and is available from the 007 Store or from the 007 Boutique at The Burlington Arcade, Mayfair. The contents, I am reliably told, are worth more than £350, so you are effectively making money by buying it. If the previous sentence doesn’t make sense to you, down some martinis, and read it again.
James Fisher is the deputy digital editor of countrylife.co.uk. He lives in London, but like all good spies, won't tell you where.
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