Omega Presents the New James Bond Seamaster 60th Anniversary
Omega has just introduced the latest “James Bond Seamaster” which comes with a stainless steel case, blue wave pattern and a steel mesh bracelet.
In the year that celebrates 60 years of the movie by the most famous British special agent in the world, Omega decides to mark the date with a new Seamaster, whose design has roots in the last 007 film – No Time To Die and comes with several details of previous Seamaster used in the same movie saga in the past.
And moving immediately to the watch, on the outside the traditional 42mm diameter stainless steel case, anodized aluminium blue bezel with the full 60 minutes scale filled with lume, crown at three o’clock with the respective crown guards, HEV (Helium Escape Valve) at ten o’clock, glass sapphire on the front and case back and the usual 300m of water resistance.
The blue aluminium dial features a laser-engraved wave pattern (no surprises), no date window, applied hour markers and skeletonized hands all filled with lume and a lollipop centre seconds hand.
Inside, just like the previous edition, it is fitted with the Caliber 8806 automatic movement, which is METAS Master Chronometer certified, operating at 25,200 Vph and offering up to 55 hours of power reserve. The movement that is possible to observe through the open case back, is easily forgotten with the painting of the sapphire glass that comes with the opening theme of the 007 films with the radial effect of the gun barrel and still and mainly with the animation effect that works in partnership with the second’s hand.
The watch is offered on a steel mesh bracelet in the style of the previous edition of the 007 Seamaster and which evokes a more vintage style.
The new Omega Seamaster will be available from January 2023 in the brand’s official boutiques and authorized retailers for CHF 7,000 (excl. VAT) and although it is not a limited edition it will be a limited production.
Our Opinion
If we start by saying what we didn’t like, which is nothing, then almost everything is said. That’s right, the new Omega Seamaster “James Bond” is a nice surprise for us and although confirmation can only come when we see it live, we risk in advance saying that we will hardly have to retract from a hasty analysis.
And if sometimes we say that we liked it because we simply liked it, because love, at first sight, is what it is, here we have to say that although we also fell in love with it at first glance, there are many arguments that justify it.
The blue hue of the aluminium dial and bezel that reminds us of the Seamaster used by Pierce Brosman as an agent at Her Majesty’s service in the 90s seems to us to be quite consensual and is a great starting point. But then there are a number of details that make the difference, namely the fact that the dial comes without a date window which, in addition to pleasing us a lot, gives better symmetry to the dial, the laser-engraved wave pattern is much smaller giving the feeling of a smooth dial at a distance and the tailless Lolipop hand is yet another pleasing unique detail.
Another of the highlights of the new Seamaster is the introduction of a uniform light in two tones on the bezel, as it already happened on the dial, which is a detail much appreciated by the public and we just cannot understand why it is still a rare option among premium brands, and since we are talking about the bezel, we cannot fail to highlight another unique detail which is the inclusion of the Arabic mark of 60 minutes at 12 o’clock instead of the traditional inverted triangle with the dot.
At the case level, the option for the sapphire case back, and a patent-pending animated effect, is not our cup of tea, since for us a tool watch will always be a tool watch and the Seamaster is just that, however, this is a matter of taste and therefore we believe that there will be many fans excited about this detail.
Still, on the outside, we cannot fail to mention the steel mesh bracelet that comes with the watch, which refers to a more vintage look but which we really like and which we had already seen in the previous edition, we are not fans at all of the traditional steel bracelet of 5 (7) links, which in our opinion could have already been renewed in terms of design, and therefore the current mesh bracelet seems to us a very interesting option at the moment.
Finally, we have to talk about the price, although it is much more appealing than the previous edition which still costs around € 10,500 this new version costs € 8,500, € 2,000 less however we must not forget that the previous version was offered with a case and bracelet in titanium and while this one is in stainless steel if we also consider the other current versions in steel of the Seamaster with a steel bracelet for a price of around € 6,100, the premium of almost € 2,500 that has to be paid continues to be quite significant by the new Seamaster, it seems a bit over the top and perhaps this is the only Achilles heel of the watch.
More information at www.omegawatches.com.
General Specifications:
Brand: Omega
Model: Seamaster Diver 300M 60 Years of James Bond
Reference: 210.30.42.20.03.002
Dial: Blue
Lume: Super-LumiNova
Case Material: Stainless steel
Case Dimensions: 42 mm Diameter, 13.15 mm thick
Crystal: Sapphire Glass
Case Back: Sapphire Glass
Water Resistance: 300 Meters
Strap: Stainless steel mesh bracelet
Calibre: Omega 8806
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 25,200 Vph)
Jewels: 35
Power Reserve: 55 Hours
Price: € 8,500
Availability: January 2023
Limited Edition: No