CINEMATIC TIMEPIECES

Two new Omega watches have been crafted to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the James Bond franchise.

BY GABRIEL PESSOA

IT WAS 60 YEARS AGO, ON OCTOBER 5, 1962, THAT ONE of the most iconic movie characters in the history of cinema made his on-screen debut. The 25 action-packed James Bond movies have gained mass appeal and a raving fan following over the years. And while everyone has a favorite, Omega has a particular soft spot for 1995’s GoldenEye. This was the first Bond movie where the iconic 007 wore an Omega on his wrist.

The innovative and stylish partnership has not wavered since. Keeping up with James Bond’s own evolution, Omega watches have evolved over time.

Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming worked on five Bond films between 1995 and 2006 and was the person who initially proposed that 007 wear an Omega. “I was convinced that Commander Bond, a naval man, a diver, and a discreet gentleman of the world, would wear this watch,” she said.

It turns out Hemming was spot on with her choice, as Omega has an authentic connection to Britain’s Ministry of Defense. The company delivered more than 110,000 watches to pilots, navigators, and soldiers during World War II.

Inspired by the same Seamaster that James Bond wore in GoldenEye, Omega creates watchmaking magic through the film-themed caseback of the new commemorative Seamaster Diver 300M, replicating the famous 007 opening sequence. The new watch is driven by a precise Co-Axial Master Chronometer Caliber 8806 and is presented on a mesh-style bracelet — in the same style as James Bond’s Omega watch in No Time to Die Its bezel and dial are both made from blue oxalic-anodized aluminum, with the dial featuring laser-engraved waves and the bezel featuring a diving scale filled with white Super-LumiNova. Also, spot the commemorative “60,” which replaces the diving scale’s traditional inverted triangle and luminescent green dot, which links to the minute hand.

For collectors of the steel version, there’s a blue wooden presentation box in the original Diver 300M wave pattern, with three dots inspired by the classic Bond opening title sequence, including a secret push button on the right.

The Canopus Gold iteration of this timepiece is a nod to Ian Fleming’s Jamaican home, Goldeneye. The dial has been made from natural grey silicon, and thanks to the crystallites, each pattern is unique, guaranteeing the wearer that no two dials are ever alike. In tribute to the Jamaican flag, the bezel is circled with a paving of green- and yellow-treated natural diamonds in 10 different tropical shades, which range from extra-dark forest green to cognac.

Owners of the Canopus Gold edition receive their watches in an elegant mango tree box with mother-of-pearl marquetry, film-inspired dots, and a “60 Years of Bond” logo. The use of the mango tree references a famous song from the first James Bond film, while the mother-of-pearl is a nod to the shells of Crab Key.