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17Based on Dan “DaVinci Code” Brown’s bestselling novel of the same name, Angels & Demons (2009) follows the exploits of Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks) as he gallivants across Rome and the Vatican trying to foil the murderous exploits of the secret society known as the Illuminati. With his slicked-back-hair and action-movie pedigree, Langdon is reminiscent of Nic Cage’s character Benjamin Franklin Gates in National Treasure – only Langdon doesn't wear a Rolex. His wristwatch is far more playful.
Image courtesy, Columbia Pictures
Why We're Watching
It's the final day of Character Watch Week! If you haven't read our coverage ranging from Pokemon to the Black Panther, be sure to check it out. We even ranked our favorite Mickey Mouse watches of all time, which is where Robert Langdon comes into play. He may very well be one of the top minds in the field of art history and symbology (he's a Harvard professor, after all), but he doesn't let that get to his wrist.
While he most certainly has the means for all manner of luxury watches, he opts for a timepiece more fitting for a rumpled professor. That would be a Mickey Mouse watch, complete with moving arms that tell the time. (Happy now, Jack?)
Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) with the Vatican police, trying to solve the mysteries of the Illuminati with his Mickey Mouse watch. Screengrab courtesy, Columbia Pictures
Langdon's watch is an unassuming variation on the longstanding Mickey tradition. It's small and fitted to a black leather strap with the literal words "Mickey" and "Mouse" printed vertically on the dial. The history of these watches is long (and still continuing) but it dates back to the early 1930s, when the Ingersoll watch company (which would one day become Timex) unveiled a Mickey Mouse pocket watch – later followed up by the wristwatch which has been iterated on countless times over the years. Langdon's appears to be a Bradley Mickey Mouse watch, specifically.
Similar Bradley Mickey Mouse watch to the one worn by Tom Hanks in Angels & Demons. Image courtesy, Goodwill
This is a character watch no matter how you want to define the category. But the question lingers: Why does he wear this? Why not choose a more rugged timepiece fit for his continent-hopping adventures? While we don't find that answer in the movie, we do find it in the pages of Dan Brown's novels.
In The DaVinci Code, we learn about Langdon's history with the watch:
"Pulling back the sleeve of his jacket, he checked his watch – a vintage, collector's-edition Mickey Mouse wristwatch that had been a gift from his parents on his tenth birthday. Although its juvenile dial often drew odd looks, Langdon had never owned any other watch; Disney animations had been his first introduction to the magic of form and color, and Mickey now served as Langdon's daily reminder to stay young at heart. At the moment, however, Mickey's arms were skewed at an awkward angle, indicating an equally awkward hour."
Langdon, alongside CERN scientist Vittoria Vetra (played by Ayelet Zurer), in Angels & Demons. Screengrab courtesy, Columbia Pictures
It goes even deeper than that, believe it or not, and you can read the book for yourself if you want additional context. We're interested in the movie that brings the watch to life. And since Langdon's watch is covered up throughout The DaVinci Code movie, that brings us to Angels & Demons.
When We're Watching
Nearly an hour into the film, Langdon is hot on the trail of the Illuminati's plans. Alongside Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer) – a CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) scientist, and the Vatican police – he arrives at St. Peter's Square hoping to catch the secret society in the act of wrongdoing. The setting is teeming with tourists, news trucks, and reporters. As he makes his way through the crowd, Langdon takes a moment to check the time [00:54:10]. This is when we get the money shot. Underneath his blue dress shirt sits a vintage Mickey Mouse watch, with its active hands busy telling the time. You don't often get such overt watch shots in films – and never a Mickey Mouse watch – but it jives with the absolute lack of subtlety at large on the part of this movie franchise
Screengrab courtesy, Columbia Pictures
In the third act, Langdon convinces the Italian police force to take him to the Piazza Navona where he's certain the Illuminati are planning to brand and murder a Cardinal. When they arrive on the scene, they see a suspicious van pull up and turn its lights off. The police make their way over to the van to investigate and are immediately taken out by an assassin (who happens to be wearing a two-tone Rolex Datejust). The assassin proceeds to wheel the Cardinal out from the van, on a rig with bench press weights attached and drop him into a fountain. Langdon jumps in – eventually aided by good samaritans and manages to save the drowning Cardinal. All the while he has his Mickey Mouse watch on [00:01:30], which becomes visible as he rests his drenched arm on the outside of the fountain. There's no way this watch has that kind of water resistance but … movie magic right?
Screengrab courtesy, Columbia Pictures
Angels & Demons (starring Tom Hanks and Ewan McGregor) is directed by Ron Howard, with props by Trish Gallaher Glenn, and Federico Ciommo. It's available to stream on Netflix and rent on iTunes or Amazon.
Lead image courtesy, Columbia Pictures
