« 007 Watches for Every Spy »
James Bond's missions are usually as secret as they are dangerous – and in many situations, their success depends on precise timing. Small wonder, then, that Her Majesty's master spy relies on rugged, dependable watches. On top of that, a stylish gentleman would somehow never look fully dressed without a fine watch on his wrist. That's why, ahead of every new 007 film, many watch enthusiasts ask themselves which watch MI6's star agent will wear this time. We take a look at the remarkable career of the beloved secret agent and his watches.
Omega and James Bond – An Inseparable Duo for Years
At least when it comes to the choice of brand, James Bond watches have held no surprises in recent years: for more than two decades, it has been Omega wristwatches every single time. From the 1960s onward, the secret agent mostly wore a Rolex before appearing with a Seiko for the first time in 1977. One exception was the Top Timer from Breitling, seen in the 1965 film "Thunderball." 007 stayed loyal to Seiko until 1985. In "The Living Daylights" he chose a Tag Heuer, only to return once more to the Rolex Submariner in "Licence to Kill" in 1989. Since then, he has stuck firmly with Omega, and the brand's James Bond watches regularly find their way into the collection of the famous Swiss manufacture.
Customers do have to live with a few minor limitations, however: the special extra functions that James Bond watches often feature on screen aren't available on the models sold to the public. Perhaps that's for the best – over the years, the master spy's watches have housed things like a Geiger counter, a circular saw, a hidden explosive charge, a laser, and a remote detonator, to name just a basic selection.
The Start of a Partnership Spanning More Than 20 Years
The first Omega model the British secret agent wore on screen was the Omega Seamaster Quartz Professional 300m – with a blue dial and blue bezel. For many fans, it has been the quintessential Omega Seamaster James Bond ever since. After its debut in "GoldenEye" in 1995, it went on to "co-star" in several more Bond films, although a closer look reveals that these were in fact different versions of the model. In some cases, different watch models are even worn in one and the same film. In "Casino Royale," for example, both a Seamaster Diver 300M and a Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M made an appearance.
The Planet Ocean 600M worn in "Skyfall" was something special: instead of the usual stainless steel case, it was a special titanium edition. Incidentally, it later fetched an impressive €194,000 at auction. Omega is now the watch brand worn most often in Bond films, followed by Seiko and Rolex in second and third place.
Current 007 James Bond Watches in Omega's Collection
If you'd like to wear an Omega Seamaster James Bond on your own wrist, you have several options. Alongside the Seamaster Diver 300m with a blue dial – the spy's classic Omega Seamaster – the current collection offers several other models that either appeared in Bond films or were created as a tribute to the beloved spy.
One alternative in black, for example, is the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600 m Co-Axial on a black rubber strap from "Casino Royale." If you'd rather wear this watch on a stainless steel bracelet, there's a matching option for that, too – the same choice James Bond made before his mission in the 2008 film "Quantum of Solace." All of these models are classic dive watches, distinguished by high water resistance and features such as highly legible hands and indices coated with luminous material, as well as a unidirectional rotating bezel. They look sporty and are as rugged as they are reliable.
For those who prefer a somewhat more understated design or are specifically looking for a dress watch with a James Bond connection, the Seamaster Aqua Terra is a fine choice. It made its debut in "Skyfall" in 2012 and is likewise powered by an in-house self-winding caliber with a Co-Axial escapement.
Limited Editions
In addition to these four models, which – apart from the on-screen features already mentioned – largely match the "regular" production versions, there are now also various limited editions.
The manufacturer currently offers three of them. The Seamaster Aqua Terra 150 M James Bond Limited Edition launched in 2015. Its blue dial is inspired by the Bond family coat of arms, and the shape of its oscillating weight is reminiscent of a gun barrel. Its resistance to magnetic fields is spectacular: even at 15,007 gauss, it keeps running unfazed and with its usual precision.
The second limited-edition watch in the current lineup is a special version of the Seamaster 300 m from the 2015 film "Spectre." Unlike its predecessors, this reworked version of the dive watch classic, first launched back in 1957, is fitted with Omega's Co-Axial caliber 8400, allowing it to withstand magnetic fields of up to 15,000 gauss as well. The Seamaster 300 "Spectre" Limited Edition is worn on a NATO strap whose black-and-gray striped design gives it a particularly stylish, elegant look.
The third model among the Omega James Bond Limited Editions is the Seamaster Diver 300 M, now offered with a 41-millimeter case diameter and likewise with a Co-Axial escapement. The "007" lettering, which tapers into the silhouette of a stylized pistol at the tip of the red seconds hand, discreetly points to the agent with the same service number.
In terms of color, this watch stands out with its white dial and various blue and red accents, found for example on the bezel and in the dial lettering. This special edition also comes on a particularly handsome NATO strap with alternating gray and blue stripes, separated by thin woven-in red lines.
Since nothing has yet been announced about the partnership coming to an end, watch and Bond fans alike can look forward to seeing which watches will appear on screen in the coming years – and which will be the next Omega Seamaster James Bond.
And who knows – perhaps one day the gentleman with all those delicate and dangerous missions will choose a model from another Omega collection. The Speedmaster Moonwatch, for instance, surely has just as much potential as a spy watch, as do a Speedmaster Skywalker or a Spacemaster Z-33.
Not to mention that these models could surely "hide" a few surprising features of their own.
