The Omega 007 Seamaster Diver 300M Bond Edition watch hands-on

Three years ago, Omega organized one of the most fascinating events I have ever seen; New York was the venue for the launch of the newest Omega 007 to appear on and off the wrist of actor Daniel Craig in “No Time to Die”, in cinemas later this year. While we thoroughly enjoyed such an alluring event in the “city that never sleeps”, starring Daniel Craig in person along with the production company, we couldn’t conversely spend enough time to get into the nuts and bolts of the new timepiece instead.

The Omega Seamaster 007

An Omega watch is ever since the secret agency’s favourite life-saving accessory. If we exclude the Omega 007 Casino Royale and the Omega 007 Skyfall Planet Ocean-based timepieces, James Bond has often worn an Omega Seamaster 007 and a specific option of a standard Seamaster marketed at the time each film was promoted.

However, the new Omega Seamaster Diver 300m 007 Edition opens a new chapter for the Bond-themed watch; it is not a restyled ordinary Seamaster but an esthetic and technical new take on the current model, fully renewed. Its shape, materials, and aesthetic traits turn the standard formula into a one of a kind Omega 007 No Time to Die diving watch.

The Omega 007 Seamaster Diver 300M Bond Edition

No Time to Die has closed a saga starring Daniel Craig as character James Bond; never before was the relationship between actor, production team, and Omega watches this close. Craig got hands-on and was fully involved in making the new Omega Seamaster 007 watch. The outcome, let the specs aside, is a timepiece blending a vague vintage military feel, as seen on the dial and the case-back (where all the engravings are fully aligned thanks to the Naiad Lock locking system), with a seventies-inspired “vintage diver” look, boosted by vintage Super–Luminova™ and a newly engineered Milan mesh flat bracelet. Case and bracelet come in Grade 2 titanium; it means it’s softer than Grade 5 titanium (an alloy) but more adaptable to brushing processes given its lower Vickers surface hardness.

Scrolling down the specs, the Omega 007 Seamaster Diver 300M Bond Edition measures 42 mm across and 13.15 mm in thickness but wears slimmer than any standard Seamaster since the case is thinner and the domed sapphire glass is thicker instead. The bezel’s anodized aluminium inlay replaces its ceramic sibling. Surface finish, case design, and brushed titanium make it the most sophisticated Seamaster at all. Clasp and bracelet are easy to adjust, with the mesh ensuring supreme comfort, with each tiny link gently tapering your wrist as no other Milanese mesh can do. However, let me highlight two improvement areas: the clasp, once closed, looks too hefty and contrasts with the slim bracelet’s mesh too much. Next, I think a quick-release system would allow any wearer to quickly swap the bracelet and apply, for example, a rubber strap.

The Omega 007 Seamaster Diver 300M Bond Edition is a professional diver engineered for saturation diving and a ready-to-be-used pro diving tool. Consequently, a tropical rubber strap (hopefully with a 007 embossed logo) would be a welcome addition and will brilliantly fit in the secret agent’s storytelling. I also took the watch on a precision balance to determine its weight; the timepiece weighs 98 grams, which is good; any value under 90 grams usually makes for a feather, thus ending up being too light to the majority of watch enthusiasts.

The 007 Seamaster houses the Master Chronometer certified Omega 8806 calibre, decorated with “arabesque” Côtes de Genève and capable of 55 hours of power reserve when fully wound. While the Master Chronometer is no longer in the headlines, it is still a unicorn in the industry. It ensures total magnetic resistance, a feature whose performance is still poorly appreciated by most buyers whereas guarantees reduced service intervals given the plenty of magnetic fields we’re all exposed to daily; even more so in the future as the number of electronic devices (and fully electric vehicles, too) keeps growing at a steady pace.

Final thoughts

Three years have gone from product launch to our hands-on review; it took us a week or so to get a comprehensive overview of the new Omega 007 No Time to Die. The Seamaster Diver 300M Bond Edition is a luxury titanium sports watch that plays a formidable option to a Speedmaster, too. Its no-date dial, the vintage pedigree, the flat mesh bracelet, the titanium build, and the James Bond DNA make it for a luxury all-rounder and the most comfortable Omega watch I have ever tried.

However, in contrast to the current brand’s strategy envisioned by the latest Snoopy, I would have gone for another limited super-exclusive series. The association with 007 and a specific episode would perfectly pair with a one-off timepiece for a limited-time sale interval. Although Omega watches keep production volumes under strict control, I would have gone for limited product’s availability in either time and volume.

Retailing at 9,200 Euros, the highest ever listing for any 007-themed Omega watch, I’d finally add a tropical rubber strap to bring the most ambitious 007 Edition, so far, to its full potential turning it into the ultimate Omega 007 ever.

(Photo credit: Marco Antinori for Horbiter®)