Omega Takes Vintage Inspiration for Its New Seamaster 007 Watch
A new James Bond movie means a new James Bond watch, and the upcoming No Time to Die is no different. Omega unveiled the watch that Daniel Craig will be sporting in his fifth and final outing as the roguish British spy on Wednesday—the Seamaster 300M 007 Edition.
Over the course of 57 years and 24 movies, the actors playing James Bond have worn wristwatches from a number of brands including Rolex, Breitling, Seiko, Pulsar, and Gruen. But for the last nine films, starting with Pierce Brosnan in 1995’s Goldeneye, Bond has been an Omega man, thanks to a partnership between the Swiss-brand and franchise producers Eon Productions.
Bond watches, like Bond cars, very much reflect the tastes and fashions of the time the movie was made. And the No Time to Die watch—which actor Daniel Craig had design input on—is bang on in a number of trends.
The rugged but lightweight 42mm Grade 2 titanium case, fitted out with a Master Chronometer certified automatic movement, comes on either a titanium Milanese mesh bracelet or a military-inspired NATO strap. The whole thing can dive to 300 meters (or nearly 1,000 feet) without breaking a sweat.
Perhaps the hottest trend in watch design over the past five years has been making new pieces inspired by vintage watches, and the 007 Edition Seamaster leans heavily into that. The hour markers, hands, and bezel indicators are all in a handsome shade of tan that evokes the aging of vintage timepieces that used radioactive material like tritium for their luminescence.
Hammering home the vintage military aesthetic is the British Ministry of Defence “broad arrow” insignia on the dial, as well as a NATO stock code on the caseback, which suggests the watch was issued to Bond in 1962, the year the first movie in the franchise Dr. No was released.
Some might quibble that the Ministry of Defence wouldn’t issue a watch on a mesh bracelet, never mind one with tan lume, but the Bond franchise has always taken inspiration from British military history, while simultaneously taking several liberties with it. In this, the Seamaster 007 is no different.
The watch costs $8,100 on fabric strap, or $9,200 on titanium bracelet, and will be available from Omega retailers in February 2020, two months ahead of April 8, the No Time to Die release date.
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