60 years of bond watches

OMEGA Seamaster: Seal of approval

Purpose-built for the most action-packed situations, the new Seamaster Diver 300M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 42mm 007 Edition has been created in collaboration with Daniel Craig to meet the suave needs of a spy.

The 42mm watch has the outward appeal of a vintage timepiece, but is actually entirely modern and functional, making it an essential piece of kit for MI6’s most dapper agent as he defends Queen and country. It’s cast in Grade 2 Titanium, which is super-lightweight and hardwearing, and features an aluminium dial and bezel with a very on-trend ‘tropical’ patina effect that replicates the aged brown hue of vintage watches. Under Craig’s influence, the watch comes on a titanium mesh bracelet.

Delivering outstanding performance and effortless style, the OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300m 007 Edition Titanium Automatic Men's Watch is presented on a striped NATO strap in dark brown, grey and beige. With 007 engraved on the loop, this piece is water-resistant to a spy-approved 300 metres.

For both Bond and OMEGA, the number 60 is hugely significant this year as it marks the 60th anniversary of the first James Bond film. It was Pierce Brosnan that first wore a Seamaster Quartz Professional Diver 300M to his wrist in 1995’s GoldenEye.

For that film, the costume designer Lindy Hemming picked the watch herself, as it reminded her of the both sporty and functional Seamaster model worn by her RAF father. ‘I was convinced that Commander Bond, a naval man, a diver and a discreet gentleman of the world would wear this watch,’ she said. It was a spot-on choice for the naval commander, and 007 has worn an OMEGA Seamaster in all his films since.

Then and Now

The original OMEGA Seamaster was first introduced in 1948. It featured innovative O-ring gasket technology that took inspiration from the waterproof watches the brand supplied to the British military during the Second World War. In 1957, OMEGA launched a now-iconic trio: the Speedmaster, the Railmaster and the Seamaster 300. The latter, with its steel case and ‘tropical’ dial, was prized for its water resistance – a feature that the new piece certainly channels.

In 1993, OMEGA launched what would become Bond’s watch of choice: the Seamaster Professional Diver 300M. The recently revamped in celebration of the 25th anniversary, the line includes a series of 42mm models, featuring polished ceramic dials laser-engraved with the original wave pattern, and ceramic bezels with a diving scale cast in Ceragold™ or white enamel (giving longer-lasting whiteness and durability). Other design updates include raised indexes filled with Super-LumiNova® and subtly reshaped skeleton hands alongside a patented helium escape valve with a new conical shape.