On September 28, 2022, the Omega Seamaster worn by Daniel Craig in No Time to Die was auctioned at Christie’s for £226 800. Before the auction opened, it was estimated to fetch anywhere from £15 000-£20 000. It surpassed that tenfold.

What is it about watches and Bond?

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Watches and Bond, Bond and Watches

Since Goldeneye, Omega has been the official watch of the James Bond franchise. In the 1995 film, Pierce Brosnan wore the Omega Seamaster 300M Quartz (2541.80.00)—often referred to today as “the Bond Watch.” However, in subsequent films, including Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002), Brosnan traded in his quartz reference for the automatic 2531.80.00.

And, of course, Daniel Craig’s interpretation of the infamous 007 had his Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean in Casino Royale (2006) and continued to wear variations from the Seamaster collection in later films like Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and the aforementioned No Time to Die (2021).

But James Bond has been associated with various watch brands throughout the history of the film franchise. Sean Connery wore a Rolex Submariner 6538 in the early Bond films, including Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), and Goldfinger (1964). The legendary 5513 can be spotted on Roger Moore’s wrist in films like Live and Let Die (1973) and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).

Moore also introduced a few quirky timepieces into the bond pantheon, like the Seiko 0674 LC in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and the Seiko M354 Memory-Bank Calendar in Moonraker (1979). Moore looked to Seiko again in For Your Eyes Only (1981), where he can be spotted in both a 7549-7009 and the H357 Duo Display. In later films he turned to a Seiko TV and a Diver’s 150m. He was also caught in a Datejust during one scene in A View to a Kill (1985).

Timothy Dalton’s Bond, for his part, wore a TAG Heuer Professional Night-Dive in “The Living Daylights” (1987)—though later he did sport a Submariner in License to Kill (1989).

There have also been cameos from a Breitling Top-Time, Gruen, Pulsar, and even a Pre-Daytona.

Bond and Omega

However, despite these early dalliances outside the Omegasphere—or that in the novels, Bond wore a Rolex Explorer—it is fairly safe to say that Bond’s association with Omega has been cemented in the contemporary zeitgeist. While the benefits of this partnership cannot be quantified, it is clear that both parties have profited from the alliance. The franchise, from Omega’s sympathetic marketing machine, and the watchmaker, from the title character’s mysterious allure. Anecdotally, it is reported that the Omega Seamaster 300M saw a significant increase in sales following the release of Goldeneye.

Interestingly, while today product placement deals are what ultimately ensure the continued affiliation, in the beginning, the adoption of the Seamaster was an organic shift spurred on by costume designer Lindy Hemming. Hemming eschewed Saville Row suits for Brioni from Italy in an effort to make Brosnan’s Bond more contemporary and European. She found Rolex too flashy and was looking for a change there, too. In addition, Hemmings, who encountered former Navy men among her father’s circle of friends, recalled that they all wore Omegas. In the end, the brand proffered the watches for free at her request. It wasn’t until 1997 that Bronsan would become an official brand ambassador.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Co-Axial Master Chronometer James Bond 60th Anniversary

Of course, if you are a Bond aficionado—or simply a fan of the Omega Seamaster—you can acquire your own bit of both in the Seamaster Diver 300M Co-axial Master Chronometer James Bond 60^th Anniversary Edition.

The 60^th Anniversary Seamaster is a special version of the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M that pays tribute to the association between Omega and the James Bond film franchise. It was created to celebrate the long-standing (25+ years) partnership between Omega and James Bond, which began in 1995—but also to officially celebrate 60 years of Bond in cinema.

Based largely on the platform created for Daniel Craig’s watch in No Time To Die (210.92.42.20.01.001) the Bond Seamaster is a treasure trove of subtle (and some not so subtle) references to the cinematic franchise. Perhaps the most obvious departure from the standard 300M is the tight wave pattern on the dial, which is much closer to the texturing we find on the original 300M from 1993, and, as such, reflective of that worn by Brosnan in Goldeneye. The blue used in the Bond Seamaster is also of a darker hue than that in the current collection.

While the skeletonized sword hands remain the same, the Bond Seamaster sports a lollipop seconds. This is also the case with Craig’s 007 Edition. Both are, again, nods to Brosnan’s earliest example. However, perhaps the most overt celebration on the front of the watch is the replacement of the inverted triangle traditionally located on the top of the aluminum bezel insert. In its place we find a “60,” as a tribute to the anniversary. It has also been treated with green Super-LumiNova—like the minute and seconds hand—so that it stands out from the predominantly blue hue used in all other dial elements.

Like the 007 Edition, the Bond Seamaster is also equipped with a mesh bracelet—albeit in stainless steel rather than titanium. It is a minor marvel of engineering as it tapers from 20mm at the lugs to 18mm at the clasp. To a certain extent, the bracelet is easily adjustable through the simple flap in the foldover clasp; however, the smaller wristed may find the strap long.

The most interesting design element, and perhaps the most divisive, appears on the case back. Omega have created an ingenious moiré effect through use of a four-frame animation that recreates the opening sequence used in all Bond films. Linked to the seconds hand, the animation runs constantly. This bumps the case thickness up slightly to 14.3mm, but also requires that the case back be attached by screws, rather than screwed down—as it is in all other Seamasters. Nonetheless, water resistance remains a robust 300m.

Under the hood, the Bond tribute employs the Calibre 8806—a co-axial master chronometer, shared with the 007 Edition. It has undergone the extensive METAS testing and is rated to magnetic resistance of 15 000 gauss.

At first blush, the James Bond 60^th Anniversary is a beautiful watch, regardless of the many tropes and Bond references. The dark blue strikes a perfect note, and the wave pattern is so nice, one might wonder how it ever morphed into the pattern we find in the current collection of the 300M. The dateless dial possesses balance and symmetry. Even the two tone lume suits it to a tee—not to mention its functionality in a diver. In addition, the bracelet is frankly a highlight. Its tight weave, its taper…the straightforward clasp…a dream. With the exception of the moiré effect on the case back, the Bond franchise cues are ultimately unobtrusive. It’s simply a great watch.

However, I suspect that the case back animation will attract the most diehard fans, and if you aren’t one of those, it makes for quite a party trick.  

Final Thoughts

It is an interesting decision—and I would like to think, not a wholly commercial one—to have the character of James Bond persist, even now in the 21^st century, in the wearing of a mechanical watch. But then, just consider the fandom that has grown up around this anachronistic association. Flemming’s Bond was certainly a man of fine taste, but also of frugal means. Surely, like the millions of Bond denizens who are watching the protagonist’s wrist even today, a contemporary James Bond would appreciate the engineering of a fine Swiss watch, as he would the cut of a Saville Row suit—or a Brioni, for that matter. Certain things defy the passage of time. That’s why we call them timeless.

But I think, too, that in an increasingly sedentary world where authentic adventure is difficult to find—or simply beyond our reach in day-to-day life—we live vicariously through our stories and through the objects associated with those stories. When we slip on an Omega Seamaster then, we find it emblematic of who we would like to be—dashing, debonair, and perhaps just a little bit dangerous when it’s called for. So, maybe it’s not so difficult to understand the relationship between watches and Bond, after all.  We can’t all be international men of mystery (I may be mixing up my film franchises here, baby), but we can all don a dive watch. And perchance that simple trapping will embolden us just enough to seek our own adventures.

The Omega Seamaster 300M James Bond 60th Anniversary Edition retails for $7,600USD. For more information, please visit the brand website.

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About the author

Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.

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