Among those who follow such things, there is passionate debate as to which brand is the “true” Bond watch, Rolex or Omega. Had Bond b iteen hatched in the mid-60s, instead of the early ‘50s, we might have seen a Seamaster 300 on his wrist instead of a Rolex. Omega had a stint as official supplier to the Royal Navy and its form factor even became the Ministry of Defence’s standard, with its sword hands and a fully hashed bezel. In 1995, when the Bond franchise was rebooting with Pierce Brosnan, costume designer Lindy Hemming, chose Omega for the wrist of the hero partly because she remembers seeing a Seamaster on the wrist of a relative who was a Royal Navy man. This led to the partnership with Omega that persists today, a stroke of marketing genius famously hatched under the leadership of Jean-Claude Biver.
Is the 21st century Bond a watch nerd, with a six-watch winder in his London flat, spinning Omega dive watches?
The latest Omega, the Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition, was purportedly developed with input from actor, Daniel Craig, who has played James Bond since 2006’s Casino Royale. Craig is something of a watch enthusiast and clearly embraced his role as 007 judging from the criteria he provided for an ideal secret agent’s watch. This is the first time titanium has been seen on a Bond watch, but its light weight, corrosion resistance and antimagnetic qualities would make sense for a man who spends time in and under water and frequently around sensitive electronics. Craig also suggested some of the vintage cues we see on the watch: the tinted lume color, matte aluminum dial, and pheon, or “broad arrow” mark, indicating its MoD provenance. Some quibble over the erroneous use of the MoD caseback and dial markings on a non-issued watch, but it’s a bit of a moot point for what is essentially a film prop you can buy and wear. At a time when the traditional watch is being threatened by a new generation of ubiquitous, lozenge-shaped wristwear that bristles with apps, communication, and health monitoring, Bond steadfastly remains an analog man. Sure, cynics can argue this is due to a marketing agreement, but can you honestly see James Bond wearing an Apple Watch? It would be blasphemous, antithetical to what this character represents: a man who lives by his wits, his ingenuity, and his guile, all the while looking crisp and unruffled. The odd Q Branch gadget or wide jacket lapels aside, Bond is almost a timeless character, a constant in our culture through wars, moonshots, countless presidents and prime ministers. Isn’t that what we appreciate about our mechanical watches, their timeless constancy?
In a world of ubiquitous, lozenge-shaped wristwatches bristling with apps, Bond remains a standard bearer for the traditional watch. My time piece collection has included Movado. I have two choices (for value) in the Rolex family. The first is the Dee Sea Dweller James Cameron. The second is the Daytona. Light blue face.
William Lane Adcock
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