By TLex Yesterday we saw a couple of leaked images of the new OMEGA Semaster 300M James Bond 50th Anniversary watch. The images weren't of a particularly good quality, so perhaps didn't do the watch justice. Suffice to say the watch looks a lot better now. That's not to say that I'm in love with it; far from it! I'm still really not keen on the '007' pattern on the dial, but have a new found appreciation for other details like the ceramic bezel insert with its red matte chromium nitride '50' minute marker and the the custom bullet rotor and gun barrel effect caseback . . .
To commemorate 50 years of James Bond film-making, OMEGA will release a special updated version of their Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond watch, which was worn by Bond in Goldeneye and a number of movies prior to that. The James Bond 50th Anniversary Seamaster 300M has been produced in two case sizes, 41mm for gents and 36.25mm for ladies. The 41mm version will be produced in a Limited Edition of 11'007 pieces; the 36.25mm version in 3'007 pieces.
The watch cases are constructed from Stainless steel and feature ceramic bezel inserts with elapsed dive-time scales in matte chromium nitride with their '50' minute markers in red to reflect the 50th Anniversary. Each version of the watches comes on a classic brushed and polished OMEGA patented screw-and-pin stainless steel bracelet.
Their lacquered black dials features a 007 monogram pattern. The 41mm version has 11 applied hour markers; whereas the 36.35mm version has just ten with a diamond index at the 7 o'clock position to signify James Bond's agent number '007'. The hour markers have been applied with white SuperLumiNova of the type used on all new generation Seamaster divers. Presumably the minute-hand and the 12 o'clock bezel marker have been applied with green SuperLumiNova to allow optimum reading in poor light conditions. There's a black date window at 3 o'clock.
Both versions will house OMEGA's calibre 2507 self-winding movement, which is fitted with their revolutionary Co-Axial escapement, the component that has driven a revolution in mechanical watchmaking since it was first launched in 1999.The watches are certified chronometers.
The screwdown caseback has been stamped with a gun-barrel design. And a custom 'bullet' adorned rotor can be viewed through a central sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on its inside. Further features include: a unidirectional rotational divers bezel, a helium escape valve or HEV designed as such to allow helium atoms to escape during decompression, a feature required for SAT diving, where professional divers operate from diving bells. As indicated by its name, the watch has a water-resistance of 300 meters.
So not such a terrible watch after all! However I think the news that we (Omega / Bond fans) are all waiting for is - which version of the new PO family will Daniel Craig be wearing as James Bond in the upcoming movie Skyfall? There has been some speculation and even rumors of the new Blue Ti version - we shall see!
