With No Time to Die (2021), the era of James Bond as played by Daniel Craig has wrapped up. The series was marked by a polarising shift in tone, perhaps the most daring yet seen in the film juggernaut’s six decades. It had to do with the portrayal by Craig – brawnier, more ruthless, a blunter instrument than the suave Bonds of the past – as well as the story and thematic elements, which ventured into unexplored territory for both the character and his world. Little was carried over from previous Bond films. Dame Judi Dench, playing M, was one. Bond’s watch, the Omega Seamaster, was another.
The Omega Seamaster has been an intractable part of Bond legend since Goldeneye (1995), the first of the four Pierce Brosnan films. As a diving watch collection, the Seamaster was chosen as reference to Bond’s background as a commander in the British navy, as well as being durable enough to believably survive various globetrotting adventures. Brosnan exclusively wore a variation of braceleted, blue-dialled Seamaster Diver 300M, which had 300m water resistance rating and distinctive wave-patterned dial.
As if to make a statement of difference, the Bond by Daniel Craig arrived in Casino Royale (2006) wearing a black Seamaster Planet Ocean on a rubber strap. This is a heftier watch and takes its diving role even more seriously with a depth rating of 600m. It was an extra-large variant as well, with a 45.5mm diameter. It suited the new Bond, introduced as he was with extraordinary cinematic physicality in a brutal foot pursuit in Madagascar. Fittingly, the Planet Ocean is one of Omega’s toughest watches.
Later in the film, Bond dresses up somewhat with an updated version of the Diver 300M, blue on a bracelet in the Brosnan vein. While it has a sheen of elegance, it is still a bit of a faux pas to wear such an unashamed diver with a dinner jacket, as Bond does during his high-stakes poker game in Montenegro. Then again, Bond never shied away from rule-breaking – especially not this version of Bond.
The Planet Ocean returns, still in black but on a bracelet this time, in Quantum of Solace (2008), and in a more regular 42mm size. This is Bond’s only watch in the film, and it spends little time in its native habitat as 007 seeks vengeance in the Bolivian desert – a rugged, muscular accessory to Craig’s pugilistic take on the character.
In Skyfall (2012), the Planet Ocean makes an appearance again at the start. Omega constructed a unique model in titanium to use during the film’s initial ferocious action sequences. For most of the film, however, Bond instead wears a blue Seamaster Aqua Terra on a bracelet. This is the dressiest watch of the main Seamaster lines, but still a solid tool watch rated to a depth of 150m – handy, should one ever end up in a frozen-over Scottish lake.
Up to Skyfall, there was a significant break from Bond tradition, as his watches lacked any gadgets whatsoever. This finally changed in Spectre (2015), which, tonally, was a throwback film in many ways. It had a scene in which Q gives Bond a new watch – a heritage-inspired Seamaster 300, on a striped NATO strap, no less. It even had a villain’s secret lair in the Moroccan desert, where Bond is held captive and threatened with torture. In classic fashion, his watch explosively saves the day, thanks to its ‘rather loud alarm’ as Q undersells it.
No Time to Die is a definitive conclusion to the James Bond of the last five films, and here 007 goes back to the Seamaster 300M – but it is a very unusual one. Its 42mm case is fashioned from titanium, and it has a mesh bracelet to match. It has a dark brown dial, and the hands, markers, and bezel indicators are a distinctly vintage beige. The dial also bears a small arrow-shaped emblem, which is a traditional mark of British government equipment. While the film took the character into unexplored territory, it heavily referenced the past, especially that of Dr No (1961). Appropriately, during the climax of the film, Bond infiltrates a hidden base, and his watch gets a moment to shine as it disables the security system. Later, it is instrumental in defeating the lead henchman – and Bond even makes a quip about it.
The Diver 300M 007 Edition (RM37,850) as seen in No Time to Die is a particularly distinctive watch to end on, full of atypical design elements that makes it a standout amongst a crowded field of 007 watches. It was also released as a non-limited edition, so anyone looking to commemorate the unique interpretation of James Bond by Daniel Craig should have less trouble finding one.
