The Third Wishlist Milestone Unlocks a Classic Bond Look
Today, on James Bond Day, IO Interactive announced that 007: First Light has officially reached its third wishlist milestone, surpassing 1.25 million wishlists. As a result, the Operation Riviera deluxe skin will be available for all players at launch, and an AMA (Ask Me Anything) with the development team — a live Q&A session where fans can submit their questions directly — is scheduled for early next year.
When IO Interactive revealed the outfit, many fans immediately sensed something familiar. It isn’t just another stylish look – it recalls one of Daniel Craig’s most recognizable Bond ensembles. The resemblance is hard to miss: the clean silhouette, the understated confidence, the quiet readiness for action. And the latest promotional image settles the comparison beyond doubt – paired with jeans, the Riviera Polo closely mirrors the casual polo-and-jeans look often associated with Quantum of Solace.
It also marks the fourth skin from the Craig era to be introduced as a reward. We’ve already seen the Casino Suit and Savanna Bloom outfit, both drawn directly from Casino Royale. The On Duty skin, while originally inspired by Roger Moore, is also recognizable from Spectre. Now Operation Riviera continues this trend, once again tying Bond’s in-game look to a defining part of Craig’s wardrobe.
The Real Operation Riviera – Sunspel’s 1950s Design That Inspired Bond’s Style
The story of the Riviera Polo Shirt reaches back to 1955, when Peter Hill, grandson of Sunspel’s founder, spent a holiday on the French Riviera. He noticed that the heavy piqué polos of the time were poorly suited for the climate – too warm, too stiff, and uncomfortable in the heat.
On his return to Long Eaton, Hill experimented with Sunspel’s warp knit lacemaking machines. By adjusting the process, he created a new fabric known internally as “Quality 75” (Q75) – a lightweight cotton mesh made from Supima cotton. Its open knit structure made the shirt cooler and more breathable, while still holding its shape.
Hill went on to name the resulting garment the Riviera Polo Shirt – a name that has endured ever since.
Daniel Craig’s Polo Shirts – From Casino Royale to Quantum of Solace
Decades later, the Riviera Polo found its way to the screen, tailored by Sunspel for Daniel Craig in Casino Royale.
When Academy Award-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming asked Sunspel to adapt the classic for the screen, the cut was slimmed, the sleeves shortened, and the fabric refined for movement. The outcome was a design that felt both authentic and cinematic – a pared-back look that suited the new Bond perfectly.
In Casino Royale (2006), Bond is seen in the navy Riviera Polo on the Bahamas after his mission to Miami. He returns to the Ocean Club, learns of Solange’s death, and is confronted by M, who reminds him of the stakes and has a tracker implanted in his arm. The pared-down polo underlined the scene’s mood – Bond focused, solitary, and ready to move forward.
Later, in Quantum of Solace (2008), Bond again appears in a navy polo – but this time it was a Tom Ford design, worn in Haiti with light trousers. The popular polo-and-jeans look linked to this era actually comes from behind-the-scenes photography (see above). Since Craig was known to keep wearing Sunspel polos privately on set, it remains uncertain whether those off-duty shots show a Ford piece or one of his personal Sunspel shirts. That ambiguity makes the Operation Riviera skin even more intriguing: its name clearly nods to the Sunspel Riviera Polo from Casino Royale, yet its visual presentation – a polo combined with jeans – never appeared on screen, instead blending film costume with Craig’s off-camera style and landing somewhere between Bond canon and Bond actor reality.
Although the skin clearly references the Riviera Polo by name, it doesn’t replicate it exactly. In the promotional image, the shirt lacks the characteristic three-button placket of the original Sunspel design. This suggests IO Interactive went for a close visual echo rather than a faithful reproduction – an inspired look rather than a screen-accurate replica.
Could Bond Return to the Riviera in 007: First Light?
On the surface, the “operation” is a direct nod to the Riviera Polo Shirt itself. But there may be more to it. Could it also be a subtle hint that Bond will travel to the Riviera in the game?
The Riviera is not just a stylish name – it refers to the iconic stretch of Mediterranean coastline that runs from the Côte d’Azur in southern France through Monaco and into the Italian Ligurian coast. This is the classic Riviera: glamorous resorts, winding coastal roads, luxury yachts, and cliffside towns that have long been playgrounds for the wealthy – and a natural fit for James Bond’s world.
And Bond has indeed crossed paths with the Riviera before:
- In GoldenEye (1995), several key scenes unfold in and around Monaco. Bond drives his Aston Martin DB5 along the winding coastal roads in a high-speed duel with Xenia Onatopp’s Ferrari F355. Later, at the Casino de Monte-Carlo, he faces Xenia across the baccarat table in a battle of wits and charm. The Riviera then becomes the stage for a turning point in the plot: during a demonstration at the harbor of Villefranche-sur-Mer, Xenia and General Ourumov steal the brand-new Eurocopter Tiger, which is later used in the devastating attack on the Severnaya facility.
- In Never Say Never Again (1983) (non-EON), Connery’s older Bond also returns to the Côte d’Azur. Highlights include his time at the Monte Carlo casino, where he crosses paths with Fatima Blush, and a spectacular motorbike chase through the streets of Nice.
By contrast, places like Gardone Riviera at Lake Garda – used in Casino Royale (2006) and revisited in Quantum of Solace (2008) – carry the Riviera name but are not geographically part of the Mediterranean Riviera. In Casino Royale, it’s where Bond recovers with Vesper after the brutal torture sequence; in Quantum, it provides the backdrop for the opening Aston Martin chase that launches the film at full throttle.
Bond Style, Then and Now
For fans, Operation Riviera isn’t only a digital skin – it’s a reminder of a look that remains timeless. The Riviera Polo Shirt is still part of Sunspel’s collection today, allowing anyone to add a touch of Bond’s understated style to their own wardrobe.
The current collection can be found here:
