Dear santa,
I know that I have been fairly poorly behaved and have performed mediocre at best this year but, in anticipation of great improvement next year, please may I get the new James Bond Omega Seamaster 007 edition? I promise to only drink twice a week, call my mum more and write more articles for The Young Horologist.
Yours sincerely,
Moore, Calum Moore
Introduction
Those of you who know me well, or who are just polite enough to tolerate me talking about watches, will know that I am a big Omega man. For me Omega has maintained the perfect balance of luxury, utility and relative affordability like very few brands have been able to do. However, one of the biggest characteristics that I love about Omega is that they balance satisfying the demand of the mainstream and of the hardcore nerds. This is exemplified in the fact the Speedmaster professional moon watch still comes in a manual wind vertical clutch chronograph Lemania based movement with very little design changes in the last 50 years AND also in Titanium, black ceramic, white ceramic or any other mainstream fad material that is popular at the moment. So when I saw the teaser for a new James Bond watch in the same year as the anniversary of 007 partnership I was excited. Very excited. A variant of an Omega Seamaster has been strapped on the toned wrist of James bond since 1995 when a blue dial Quartz Seamaster 300m accompanied Piers Brosnan in Golden eye. Then since 2002 Omega has produced a limited edition watch specifically for each Bond movie with a flawless bit of marketing occurring in Casino Royal:
“Rolex?”
“No, Omega”
“Beautiful”
For me this partnership is a perfect metaphor for what Omega is as a brand: Luxurious yet rugged, utilitarian and affordable enough to be given to a public sector agent….. For this reason, I bought my Seamaster purely based on how good it looked during both Casino Royale’s Poker room scenes and the scene on the boat in Venice (Also the chronometer certified co-axial movement and the price point). However, with one notable difference - I wear mine on a mesh bracelet……
So I love Omega and especially the pieces produced with the charming yet deadly 007 in mind, but why is this Omega Seamaster Bond edition one of my favourites?
The nod to Omega’s Military Heritage
As Bond is intrinsically linked with the English military and special forces, a perfect sentiment for a bond edition watch would be to make clear design nods to Omega’s very important Military History. The Arrow on the dial and case back is reminiscent of the very same found on the dials of the watches made for the Allied servicemen during the second world war known as the Dirty Dozen. This was in reference to the fact that 12 brands were commission by the English Military, one of which was Omega.
It Comes on a mesh bracelet (as I have been saying it should do for about a year)
Don’t get me wrong, the Seamaster Bracelet is a classic and iconic design that has remained intrinsically unchanged since the first iteration in the 90s. However, I’ve always had a soft spot for a diver on a mesh bracelet. So I quickly switched the traditional bracelet out for the mesh. Immediately the mesh bracelet gives the piece a completely different feel. With the substantial fitted bracelet, the watch wears larger than 41mm. With the straight-end mesh the watch wears much smaller and flies under the radar. It also harks back to the like of the Polprof and the early edition Seamaster 600m. Therefore, when I saw that they were making the new Bond watch on a mesh bracelet, I was suitably elated. This meant that my prayers had been answered. This would mean that the larger case size would be balanced out by the sleek mesh bracelet, and it would also validate my self-proclaimed status as a "watch genius", evidence of which you can see below.
The “fauxtina” colour scheme and domed crystal
This is probably a slightly controversial point that divides the nerds. However, in this model I really like the use of fauxtina on the indices, hands and bezel to further emphasise that vintage military watch aura. It can often been too much or not that authentic enough but I feel that in this piece, combined with the “Dirty Dozen” arrow, matte finish of the titanium case and domed crystal it all works in perfect unison to create an authentic and tasteful vintage military watch feel harking back to that of a 5513 or 6538.
Daniel Craig had a direct involvement in the design… apparently
It’s fairly common knowledge that Daniel Craig is a very serious watch nerd regularly spotted wearing 1960s Rolex Cosmographs and Paul Newman Dial Daytonas on the red carpet.
Therefore, I am confident that Craig’s involvement in the design process would have resulted in many tasteful vintage-inspired design aspects. Furthermore, as a dedicated actor who has played the character in 5 movies, Craig knows what best suits the character and the whole Bond story. A vintage-military inspired, matte titanium, Omega dive watch with a Master Chronometer co-axial movement is pertinent to a man who is a master in combat, jumping off moving motorcycles and bedding foreign women but whom also drives vintage Aston Martins and sports 3-button Tom Ford suits.
Down sides: Titanium case
This is a personal preference for me that im sure a few won't agree with. I completely understand the positives of titanium: Its far harder and lighter than steel, subsequently making the watch more practical and comfortable. However, I personal like the reassuring heft of solid 316L steel on the wrist. To me getting my first proper watch when I was 18, I was taken back by the weight of it. When I have tried on Titanium Grand Seiko's and Omega's, the lightness just feels wrong. As if it’s a fake or something. Stupid I know. But I know that a Seamaster made in Titanuium will feel a bit alien to me at first. Id rather the steel. But that’s just me.
Case size and thickness
This is a constant compliment from me about pretty much any modern watch made with the exclusions of the likes of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39mm. I loved the previous iteration of the Seamaster 300s due to the fact they were the same case size and thickness as the submariner. They wear surprisingly sleak on the wrist. Hence why Daniel Craig rocks it with a tuxedos in Monte Carlo. However, the recent Seamaster 300m and also this James Bond Edition, come in at 42mm in diameter as they house the new Master Chronometer co-axial caliber 8800 movement. This is an improved movement for a number of reasons but the cost comes at an extra 1mm case diameter and about 15mm extra width (I’m exaggerating) The point being the dimensions make me nervous that it will wear like an IWC Aqua Timer – fitted and comfortable but very high. If they made this watch in a 39mm with an 11mm thickness. Sweet Jesus... But this would come at the cost of a completely new movement, making the watch far more expensive. Id imagine anyway...
Conclusion
To conclude, this is phenomenal release from Omega that perfectly combines Classic Omega-James Bond design execution, tasteful vintage design inspiration, Omega’s military heritage and modern Omega technology in the materials and movement. The fact the watch comes on a mesh bracelet subsequently proving me right about the need for a mesh strap on a Seamaster 300m is just an added bonus!
Specs
Case: Titanium
Case Diameter: 42mm
Crystal: Domed, Scratch Resistant Sapphire, anti-reflective treatment on each side
Bracelet: Nato or Titanium mesh
Movement: Omega Calibre 8800 Master Chronometer Coaxial
Calum Moore
Editor and Co-Founder