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.
