With the Seamaster Diver 300M, Omega announced a timepiece to celebrate 60th anniversary of James Bond.
The journey of charismatic hero born from the novels of Ian Fleming moved to the world of cinema in 1962, James Bond is one of the most iconic characters in the history of culture and art since it appeared on the big screen for the first time. 60 years and 25 movies have passed since then, and James Bond still looks like a million in 2022 and undoubtedly cooler than ever with his partner Omega.
The first Omega and the first Seamaster to save James Bond’s life were able to use it like a laser gun in the 1995 movie Golden Eye. Four years later, the Seamaster turned into a hook watch in the movie, which is The World is Not Enough. Writer Simon Garfield said about James Bond, “I also wanted a hook on my watch. You might want to have a hook on your watch too. Yet only Bond’s watch can have a hook.”
The story of how the Seamaster model was paired with James Bond is also interesting. Lindy Hemming, the costume designer of the movie Golden Eye, who examined the character, consciously decided on the Seamaster.
Since James Bond is a former Royal Marines commander, his watch should be suitable to his naval character Yet, just being a diving watch is not enough, it should also have been a watch that both technically powerful and elegant in keeping with Bond’s chic style and enticing spirit. Another noteworthy point is that both James Bond and the Seamaster have improved themselves for about a quarter of a century.
The partnership of Omega and British Royal Marines is well-associated. Because Omega gave more than 110,000 watches to pilots and sailors during the WWII, and it has a deep connection with UK Ministry of Defense (MoD).
After Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond, Daniel Craig took on the role of 007 in five memorable films. The actor became an Omega ambassador and fan throughout his role. On the other hand, Naomie Harris, who played the character of Moneypenny (Skyfall, Spectre and No Time To Die), also joined the Omega family, representing elegant and strong women.
First released in 1957, the Seamaster 300 is a diving watch built with military divers around the world in mind. In 1967, the majority of production of the 2nd generation Seamaster 300 was delivered to the MoD, who ordered it for specific units. Frankly, if James Bond were a real Royal Marines commander or an intelligence officer rather than fiction, he would still wear a Seamaster 300 in those years.
Meanwhile, during the 60th anniversary celebrations, an 18,000-square-foot “Sean Connery Stage” built at Pinewood Studios opened, a concert held on the Royal Albert Hall stage, and Christie’s held a charity auction in which objects from the movies (including several Seamasters, an Aston Martin DB5, and a jet boat) were featured. The record-breaking watch at auction is a titanium Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition watch that used by Daniel Craig in the movie, No Time to Die, which sold for €226,800.
A Stunning 60th Anniversary Omega Seamaster
The Seamaster Professional and the Co-Axial Master Chronometer 300M were surprises of this year that Omega announced on November 23 to celebrate the 60th anniversary. Besides the plain design and elegance of the dial, the watches also feature elegant details.
The bezel and dial of the new Semaster 300M model, which is inspired by the Seamaster 300M used in the Golden Eye, is made of blue aluminum. Laser-engraved waves, which give the impression of moving with light plays on the dial, are one of the elegant details, and the diving scale on the bezel has been redesigned and the familiar inverted triangle has been replaced by the number “60”. (The Super-Luminova coated numeral “60” and the minute hand are green, the other numbers and indexes are blue.)
In keeping with the famous agent’s classic dressing style, the 42mm diameter Seamaster Diver 300M with a stainless-steel case and steel bracelet contrasts beautifully with the skeleton rhodium plated hour/minute hands and white polished aluminum lollipop seconds hand and the blue dial.
The real show is behind the watch: a rotating gun barrel design and the famous James Bond silhouette seen in the opening sequence of the movies appear and disappear. To provide this magical animation, a laser-engraved disc is attached to the second hand in a unique design that has never been seen before.
Thus, it is emphasized that both time and action never stop. A highlight of the new watch is the first time a white polished lollipop seconds hand appears on a Diver 300M.
More Exclusive
Along with the Omega steel version, another Seamaster Diver 300M has been released for passionate Bond fans with the case, bracelet and buckle of Canopus Gold™, a reference to the first collaboration that started with the Golden Eye. The natural gray silicon dial nods to the sands of 007’s Caribbean hideout. To make the watch more striking, Omega plated the unidirectional bezel with inlaid green and yellow diamonds. In addition, the Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer Caliber 8807 powers the watch, which is more luxurious than a steel watch. In addition to all these, special cufflinks and bracelets for the 60th anniversary celebrations are also presented to the enthusiasts.
