London (CNN) -- Aspiring James Bonds no longer need to be On Her Majesty's Secret Service to get kitted out with UK government-issue armored cars and expensive watches -- now they just need to be online.
Thousands of items including luxury timepieces, reinforced Jaguar cars, helicopters and even a Harrier vertical take-off aircraft have gone on sale by Britain's Ministry of Defence to raise funds.
UK press reports described the sale via the government's own Disposal Services Authority and the private mod-sales.com websites as a "clear out of 007's warehouse."
Among items reportedly on sale were watches including a Raymond Weil Tango, worth more than $1,000 and a Maurice Lacroix Miros Coussin Chronograph.
The Daily Telegraph said the timepieces were bought for special forces and defense intelligence operatives working at overseas embassies to allow them to blend in with local dignitaries at diplomatic functions.
"Another of the timepieces for sale is a Christian Dior crystal ladies watch, set with 48 diamonds in a black lacquered dial," the paper reported.
"It is water resistant to 50 meters -- handy if one needs to dash out of the ballroom, swim across a dark mysterious lake and though a sluice to defuse a nuclear bomb."
Sadly, it appears that wannabe spies need to have lightning quick reactions in cyberspace as well as in the field -- many of the items have now been snapped up and removed from the websites.
While Britain's armed forces are facing cuts as part of wider efforts to rein in public spending, the Ministry of Defence denied reports that the sale was to make up for a financial shortfall.
"These sales have been going on for many years," a spokesman said. "It's normal that we sell unwanted items to raise money for the taxpayer, but the idea that we're trying to raise money to fill a budget shortfall simply isn't true."
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