Many images come to mind when presented with the name: James Bond.
James Bond is always surrounded by the iconic, whether that is Aston Martin, Vesper, Martini, or Bollinger, and 007’s timepieces are no exception to this rule.
In recent years, that iconic watch has been one name only: Omega.
The Swiss watchmaker has specifically manufactured some timepieces and sold them to the public before or after the film release as limited editions. In a few of the movies, Bond wears more than one Omega timepiece.
Here, we look at the Omega watches made even more famous by 007 and the films that set the perfect stage for these stunning timepieces.
The Omega Seamaster
Since Bond began wearing Omega, it has always been one series: the Seamaster. Different variations of the Seamaster have featured in the films, from the Seamaster Professional to the Seamaster Diver, but the main element remains consistent and timeless—much like Bond’s name.
Here are the two models that embodied the beginnings of this iconic partnership and the scenes in which Bond wore them:
Omega Seamaster Professional Quartz
The partnership between James Bond and Omega began back in 1995 when Piers Brosnan sported an Omega Seamaster in GoldenEye. This performance was Brosnan’s first as the iconic secret agent.
James wore the Quartz version of the Omega Seamaster Professional with the unique feature of a laser embedded in the case. Because of this, 007 was able to escape from an armored train carriage.
The designer behind this choice was an award-winning costume designer, Lindy Hemming.
Lindy was convinced that James Bond, with his naval background, would wear the Seamaster with a blue dial. Lindy was influenced by a childhood memory when a friend of her father’s, also a naval man, had worn an Omega when he visited them.
She felt the Omega range offered the exact blend of British derring-do, naval heritage, and sporty design that would work for the Bond character in all his incarnations.
Lindy was on cue with her historical accuracy as Omega has a long connection with the British armed services.
During World War II, Omega delivered over 100,000 watches to pilots, sailors, and soldiers after the Ministry of Defence set out specifications for service timepieces.
In 1967, the Omega Seamaster 300 was delivered to the MOD to become the official watch of the armed forces.
So, the connection between the services, men of action, and Omega had already been set in stone decades earlier, well before the first Omega watch appeared in GoldenEye in 1995 on the wrist of Piers Brosnan.
The Omega version sold to the public around the film’s release date did not feature the laser, unsurprisingly. Otherwise, it was identical to the one worn by Brosnan.
This Seamaster featured a brushed 41mm steel case, a blue dial sporting a wave pattern, a 300m waterproof rating, a blue bezel, and an integrated steel bracelet.
Omega Seamaster Professional 300M (Automatic)
Cue a change of timepiece for the next three Bond movies, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day.
The move was a joint decision by Omega and the film studio, who thought 007 merited something more sophisticated than a watch with just a quartz-powered movement.
Consequently, Bond wore the automatic version of the Omega Seamaster Professional 300M for the subsequent three films.
As with all Bond’s accessories, nothing is ever what it seems, so Bond’s Seamaster Professional hides a multitude of secret functions courtesy of Q, played by the late, great Desmond Llewellyn.
In Tomorrow Never Dies, in 1997, the Omega features a radio-controlled detonation device.
In The World Is Not Enough, released in 1999, the modified Seamaster concealed a mini grappling hook activated with a Helium escape valve. This mechanism allowed Bond to escape from the inspection room of a nuclear bunker.
The 2002 film Die Another Day saw the Seamaster adapted to feature a remote detonator activated via the rotating bezel plus a laser shooting out from the central crown.
40th Anniversary Special Edition
The release of Die Another Day also marked the 40th anniversary of the James Bond franchise. A special edition 007 version of the Seamaster joined the Omega collection to commemorate this.
A unique detail on the dial shows an 007 signature just about the numeral 6. It replaces the depth rating on the standard design. A repeating 007 motif also replaces the classic wavy pattern.
Turn the watch over, and there is an engraving on the case back to commemorate the 40th anniversary.
Omega made a limited number of these watches, 10,007 to be precise.
A New Era for Bond and Omega
While Brosnan’s performance as 007 saw him sporting a watch as suave as the man himself, the James Bond franchise brought in a new face—and a new line-up of Omega watches—to signal the arrival of a Bond unlike any seen previously.
Casino Royale
In the 2006 Casino Royale, Daniel Craig reprised the role of James Bond. He wears two different Omega watches throughout the film.
Craig’s first watch is the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Big Size. The clue is in the name as this watch is oversized and features a rubber strap, a first for Bond.
The thinking behind this was to modernize the character alongside the arrival of a different actor. This statement watch had one message for viewers: 007 is very much a 21st-century hero and not just a blast from the past.
Move on a few scenes, and Bond appears with a more classic style Bond watch, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300m Chronometer. He wears this during his meeting with Vesper Lynd on a train.
The watch is an essential element in the scene, and it stands out with its stunning refinement of the wavy blue dial. Vesper even remarks on it when she sees the watch on Bond’s wrist, uttering a single word: “Beautiful.”
The Seamaster Diver appears again later on during a poker game in Montenegro with Bond’s principal antagonist, Le Chiffre.
Omega had these watches in their catalog before Casino Royale premiered, but they also created two special limited editions to mark the film’s release.
Spot the dial on the Seamaster Diver 300M, which features the spiral pattern redolent of the muzzle of Bond’s pistol. Both watches have an engraving on the back with the 007 logo, and the logo with the gun also appears at the base of the second hand on the dial.
Quantum of Solace
Only one watch featured in the next Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, in 2008.
Spot the 42mm Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M in the film’s opening scenes, as 007 speeds alongside Lake Garda in his Aston Martin DBS.
Again, Omega made a special commemorative version to mark the launch of the film with a textured finish on the dial and the film’s name displayed just below the center.
Turn the watch over, and the case back features the 007 logo plus an engraving of the number in the series. With this limited edition, Omega made 5,007 examples.
Skyfall
Daniel Craig’s next appearance in Skyfall in 2012 saw him wearing two different Omega watches, once again: a Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M and the elegant Seamaster Aqua Terra 150.
Omega’s chronometer-certified Co-Axial automatic movement powers both watches. Just as well as time is of the essence in this action-packed blockbuster.
Both pieces feature a full steel case and bracelet and an incredibly robust and shock-resistant automatic movement.
Spectre
Bond wears two Omega timepieces in Spectre, released in 2015. These are a Seamaster 300 Spectre Limited Edition and an Omega Aqua Terra 150.
A notable difference from earlier Bond movies is easy to spot; 007 is actually wearing the limited-edition version on screen, the first time this has happened.
The stylish Seamaster 300 Spectre Limited Edition is a real hark back to Bond’s original background in the Royal Navy and Omega’s military connections.
This vintage-inspired piece features broad arrow-hands, a twelve-hour bezel, and large luminous hour makers.
Omega revealed that the inspiration to create this limited-edition piece came from the first Seamaster 300 made in 1957 and supplied to the Royal Navy during the 1960s.
The watch even features the NATO strap, a callback to the watchstraps worn by earlier James Bond characters in the pre-Omega days of the film in 1964 and 1965.
Sharp-eyed Bond aficionados will have noted the absence of watch wizardry in the last decade or so, courtesy of the original ‘Q’ and probably contributed to by the death of Desmond Llewellyn in 1999. Llewellyn was a stalwart of 17 Bond film releases.
However, the watch gadgets are back now with the Spectre Limited Edition Seamaster and back with a vengeance. This watch is modified to carry a bomb, and Bond uses it against his arch-enemy, Blofeld.
The second Omega watch in Spectre is the stylish and elegant Seamaster Aqua Terra 150, a sharp contrast to the Seamaster 300.
Omega also produced a special run of the Aqua Terra 150 with contrasting blue and yellow colors on the dial, both eye-catching and distinctive.
Turn it over, and the partly-skeletonized oscillating weight and the baseplate of the movement have been compiled to resemble the muzzle of 007’s pistol. Even the centerpiece looks like the tail of a bullet. What authenticity!
No Time To Die
The end of the James Bond story (for Craig) and the final release from 2021 is No Time To Die. The last appearance for Daniel Craig, he sports a 42mm titanium Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition.
This timepiece was a first for Omega as they worked closely with Daniel Craig and the production team to create it. Back in the day when Lindy Hemming was involved, Omega just donated the watches to the set for no fee.
So, what makes this Omega stand apart from the others? It is the first Bond Omega to have a titanium Milanese mesh bracelet. It is resistant and flexible, both stylish to look at and very comfortable to wear.
The dial is matte black and features the iconic skeletonized sword hands with red tips on the second hand, harking back to a design first seen in GoldenEye.
Omega goes vintage again with cleverly pre-aged luminous material for the hour markers, the most brilliant fusion of 21st-century design, and the heritage of both the Omega and James Bond brands.
Above the 6 o’clock hour marker and on the case back is the Broad Arrow, a motif that confirms the watch’s role as a piece of military equipment for the British armed forces.
Ironically, this is the only Omega watch not designed for military use. Buyers can choose between a classic NATO fabric strap or the titanium mesh bracelet option.
And so, Omega seems to have gone full circle, blending the very best of classic Omega designs and military heritage with the latest in modern materials. It’s a nod to the iconic brand that is James Bond throughout the decades.
Conclusion
Omega is synonymous with style and class, oozing a heritage that partners functionality with iconic good looks and elegant understatement.
Omega always manages to achieve that perfect fusion of rugged and classic. The quantum leap to the wrist of James Bond was consequently pretty logical and quite effortless.
A gentleman may be without his car or umbrella, but he is never without his wristwatch. Thus, the Omega became a real focus when modifying the watch to support the man with a surprise feature or device fit for a deadly yet stylish secret agent.
The kudos that the Omega Seamaster gained from its profile role in so many Bond movies just cements this brand’s credentials, but it was all there in the first place. Indeed, it is why Omega has always proved to be the perfect choice for 007.
If you are curious about any of the watches mentioned in this article and perhaps purchasing one for yourself, talk to the experts at Precision Watches.
