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Long awaited and finally here: the 25th Bond film, and the last spy thriller starring Daniel Craig, is hitting theaters. And there's no time to die for Omega either, as the Swiss luxury brand proves with two special models released to mark the film's premiere. Enthusiasts face a choice: lightweight titanium or majestic platinum? We take a close look at both versions of the Omega No Time To Die, highlight their differences, and explain what sets them apart from the classic Seamaster Diver 300M.
The "New" Bond Watches Are Familiar Faces
As fans of the British secret agent know, the release of No Time To Die was a difficult birth. Originally slated for October 2019, the film's debut was postponed five times and finally came two years after the planned date. As a result, the Omega No Time To Die models are no longer brand-new watches at this point.
Both luxury editions belong to the Seamaster Diver 300M family: while the titanium 007 Edition (Ref. 210.90.42.20.01.001) saw the light of day in late 2019, the second Omega James Bond followed in 2020 with an exquisite platinum case (Ref. 210.93.42.20.01.001). Unlike the titanium 007 Edition, the platinum model is called the "Numbered Edition" and bears its exact production number on the side of the case. But first things first.
Both Are Exclusive, But...
Although the James Bond watch didn't come out in 2021, both versions feel thoroughly up to date and house modern movements from Biel, Switzerland. From a technical standpoint, the two dive watches have a lot in common: beyond the case shape, the 42 mm diameter, and 300 meters of water resistance, their automatic movements are nearly identical. The key difference lies in the case material, which pushes the 007 Edition and the Numbered Edition into dramatically different price brackets: while the titanium model worn by Daniel Craig in No Time To Die carries a list price of €9,000, the numbered platinum version comes in at a staggering €50,800. Both versions of the Omega No Time To Die are undoubtedly exclusive, but the gap is remarkable.
Retro, Aluminum, and Vintage Super-LumiNova
Let's start with the more affordable Omega Seamaster, whose price is as light compared with the platinum model as its case. Critics argue that titanium robs the timepiece of the heft and tangible presence of a typical Bond watch. It's a valid point, but it's countered by the material's clear advantages: high durability, strength, and skin-friendliness. Fun fact: Daniel Craig himself asked for a titanium case. The shape of the No Time To Die watch has distinct retro airs, which pair superbly with the brown aluminum bezel and its vintage Super-LumiNova (detractors call it fake patina).
The brown tones continue on the dial, which is also made of aluminum and shows off the yellowish lume in generous quantity. A simple but cool nod to 007 comes from the Broad Arrow above six o'clock, the mark used in Great Britain to denote government-owned military property. Contrast is provided by the Seamaster lettering and the tip of the seconds hand, both in bright red. The skeletonized hour and minute hands, on the other hand, look familiar, having defined many Biel divers before the 2021 Omega James Bond.
Letting the Numbers Speak: The Titanium 007 Watch
Another old acquaintance: the helium escape valve at ten o'clock. Turn the case over and you're greeted by a solid titanium caseback with seemingly mysterious number codes that are closely tied to the British secret agent. Beneath a large Broad Arrow, 0552 is engraved first as the identifier of the Royal Navy, followed by the code 923 7697 A. The latter is the procurement number for a naval watch with a screw-down crown. Rounding off the numbers game on the Omega No Time To Die are the obligatory 007 and a 62, a tribute to the release year of the first spy thriller ("Dr. No"). The 007 watch is fitted to a titanium Milanese mesh bracelet that wraps around the wrist with incredible comfort and gives the dive watch an exceptionally refined look.
High-End in Platinum: The 2020 Omega James Bond
If you have no time to die and are willing to spend over €50,000 on your horological passion for James Bond, the Numbered Edition is for you. It is the embodiment of a Seamaster Diver 300M that goes all in on exclusivity down to the last detail: not only the solid platinum case but also the platinum diving scale in the black ceramic bezel and the platinum-gold plaque on the side of the case engraved with the production number underscore the noble status of the Omega No Time to Die. It is not limited but numbered; rather than a fixed run, a finite production period caps the number of pieces. A real showstopper awaits in the sapphire caseback, where the Bond family coat of arms has been laser-engraved and filled with platinum.
The luxury of the No Time to Die continues on the black enamel dial, decorated with the spiral pattern of a gun barrel. The markers are not painted on but made of 18-karat white gold, each forming a hole in the center with a diameter of exactly nine millimeters. The hands, indexes, and the Bond coat of arms at twelve o'clock are also made of white gold. Especially intriguing are the little secrets of the platinum Omega No Time To Die: besides a tiny 007 logo on the minute track at seven o'clock, there's a hidden "50" within the lume of the 10 o'clock index, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."
Top-Tier Technology: METAS-Certified Calibers 8806 and 8807
The Omega No Time To Die models are powered by a state-of-the-art Co-Axial caliber that comes in two versions: while the titanium Seamaster from "No Time To Die" features the 8806 with a rhodium-plated rotor and balance bridge, these components are made of 18-karat Sedna gold in the 8807 inside the platinum watch. Otherwise, the movements are identical: in addition to the demanding METAS certification, they boast magnetic resistance of 15,000 gauss, a solid 55-hour power reserve, and a free-sprung silicon balance spring. Geneva stripes arabesques round off the calibers' elegant aesthetics. One thing is certain: with powerhouse movements like these, there's definitely no time to die.
