As part of the launch of the current Seamaster Diver 300M collection, Omega is introducing a new version in grade 2 titanium and bronze gold. The design of the new Seamaster is based on the Seamaster Diver 300M ‘007’ Edition from 2019, thus complementing the recently presented stainless-steel versions of the Diver 300M. After a few days with the new watch on my wrist, I for one am convinced by its aesthetics and wearability – but there is one tiny disadvantage in my eyes. But before we get into it, let’s look at the facts and figures.
Since ‘GoldenEye’ (1995), Omega watches have been far more than mere timepieces in James Bond films – they have become indispensable tools. For example, in ‘The World Is Not Enough’ (1999), the watch is equipped with a miniature grappling hook that frees Bond from a perilous situation. They become lifesavers when Dr Madeleine Swann, played by Léa Seydoux, detonates a Seamaster converted into an explosive device to free Bond from the clutches of villain Franz Oberhauser. The watches are even the saving grace for the world, as in the film ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ (1997), in which James’ watch has a remote detonator instead of a helium valve, which blows up the boat of the villain Elliot Carver and ultimately thwarts his plans to trigger a global conflict between Great Britain and China. What makes these watches and the special editions available for purchase so appealing is the spirit of adventure that they embody, and which is intended to be stylishly transferred to the wrists of their owners.
While the special editions do not always correspond to the models worn by James Bond in his films, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M ‘007’ Edition from 2019 was one of the models that changed this. What sets this watch apart from most Omega Bond watches is not only the fact that it is an exact replica of the watch worn by Bond in the film, but also that Daniel Craig played a key role in its development. To fulfil Craig’s wish for a ‘lightweight watch with a vintage military look’, Omega equipped the Seamaster Diver 300M ‘007’ Edition with a dark grey titanium case that barely reflects light, as well as a titanium bracelet.
With this Bond watch, Omega created the basis for the latest addition to the Seamaster line. The new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M is presented in a titanium case, just like its aesthetic role model, and thus marks a departure from the ceramic style that has characterised the Seamaster Diver watches of recent years.
But how does the new Seamaster feel on the wrist? Omega has not only given the new Seamaster a domed sapphire crystal, but also the typical Omega bronze-gold accents on the crown, bezel, indices and hands, with a green aluminium dial at the centre, which only begins to reveal its vibrant colours when exposed to sunlight. However, this combination of domed sapphire crystal and the green aluminium dial, which is the watch’s greatest aesthetic strength, is also its only drawback for me: the fact that the sapphire crystal is domed and only has an anti-reflective coating on one side makes it somewhat difficult to read the dial due to reflections and shadows.
The watch does not have a date display, which doesn’t detract from the design of the dial – as was already the case with the Seamaster Diver 300M ‘007’ Edition – but rather gives it an orderly, sophisticated appearance. Overall, the interplay of a dark grey titanium case and the bronze-gold components coated with the ‘Vintage Super-LumiNova’ luminescent material, such as the indices, the diver’s scale and the hands, ensure that the new Seamaster Diver 300M embodies the spirit of an Omega Bond watch with a genuine vintage aesthetic, despite not actually being one.
When you wear the watch, with its construction modelled on the Seamaster Diver 300M ‘007’ Edition, you realise that Omega has fulfilled Daniel Craig’s wish for a lightweight watch: the watch is comfortable to wear on the wrist thanks to the lightweight titanium case with a diameter of 42 mm and a height of 13.80 mm, and the titanium grade 2 bracelet, which was also launched on the market in this form for the first time with the Seamaster Diver 300M ‘007’ Edition, ensures a secure fit on the wrist. Although the bracelet is not as flexible as one might expect at first glance thanks to its close-meshed construction, the easy-to-use adjustment function ensures that the bracelet can be adjusted effortlessly by quickly snapping it into the holes provided.
Finally, it is worth taking a look behind the closed caseback at the Co-Axial Master Chronometer calibre 8806, which holds the Master Chronometer certification used by Omega. The certification, which is awarded to watch movements in addition to the certification of the Swiss testing institute Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC), was established with the founding of METAS (Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology) back in 2015.
For a movement to be deemed a Master Chronometer, it must undergo the following procedure: as part of the METAS test, the movement is put through its paces in its individual parts and as a whole, whereby it must pass a total of eight tests. The main focus is on anti-magnetic properties, water resistance and power reserve. Watches that receive this certification are characterised by the following properties: they are anti-magnetic up to 15,000 gauss, water-resistant up to 200 metres, and must be able to function within a deviation range of 5 seconds per day (0 +5), which is 5 seconds more accurate than the COSC requirement (-4 +6).
In the case of the new Seamaster Diver 300M, the movement has a power reserve of 55 hours and an automatic winding system.
The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M in titanium and bronze gold is part of the permanent collection and is now available in the Omega online shop or from authorised retailers. Interested parties can choose the watch on the titanium mesh bracelet or alternatively on a green rubber strap with a folding clasp. The watch is priced at 11,700 euros.
