Too often in a TV drama, a character’s watch is just a random accessory lobbed in by the wardrobe department at the last minute. Yet when it’s done right, a watch can become infused with psychological depth and meaning. And when it’s done to absolute perfection it can deliver a tell-tale insight into a character’s very soul. In Gangs of London – currently screening on Stan in Australia – Sean Wallace’s Rolex Datejust is very much the latter. The British drama is essentially a bare-knuckle version of The Godfather with a cockney accent. Chaos reigns after Finn Wallace, the gangster patriarch of the ruling London clan, is gunned down in cold blood. As rival families jostle for power and struggle to protect their interests, Finn’s eldest son, Sean (Joe Cole, last seen in Peaky Blinders) is thrust into the role of top dog. Unfortunately, he’s not a natural mob boss. While determined to step up, Sean lacks the calculating head and lethal calm of a Michael Corleone. Blinded by his lust for vengeance and desperate to prove himself, he lashes out at any perceived enemies with mind-boggling savagery. The tone of the series is set by the opening scene in…
The post Sean Wallace’s Rolex Datejust in Gangs of London shows that the watch doesn’t always maketh the man appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.