Omega’s latest James Bond watch is centred on the spy’s naval background.
Omega returns with another James Bond-themed watch, this time centred on the spy’s naval background. Jamie Tan reports
Far from being just a british Secret Intelligence Service agent with the license to kill, the fictional James Bond also holds the rank of commander in the British Royal Navy Reserve. Incidentally, 2017 marks an interesting confluence of anniversaries of the James Bond film franchise: the 50th anniversary of You Only Live Twice, the 40th anniversary of The Spy Who Loved Me, and the 20th anniversary of Tomorrow Never Dies, which all featured Bond in his military uniform. This has inspired Omega to create the Commander’s Watch, based on the Seamaster Pierce Brosnan wore in Goldeneye in 1995— the very first time an Omega appeared on the wrist of Agent 007 following a decision by Lindy Hemming, the film’s costume designer. Unlike the original’s (incidentally, a quartz timepiece) predominantly blue colour scheme, the new Commander’s Watch is clad in red, white and blue, which brings to mind the Union Jack. The watch’s design contains several nods to Bond, beginning with a seconds hand that has a counterweight with the 007 gun logo. The numerals on the date wheel are also all in blue save for 7, which is rendered in red. Finally, engravings on the caseback, rotor and bracelet all identify the watch’s commemorative nature. The Commander’s Watch also showcases Omega’s technical prowess with details that were absent in the Seamaster worn by Bond in 1995. For a start, the new timepiece’s bezel is a hybrid of three materials— ceramic, Liquidmetal (a zirconium-based amorphous alloy) and rubber—that have been combined seamlessly to yield a smooth and scratch-resistant surface. The watch’s calibre 2507 deserves a special mention too— the movement is based on the ETA 2892, but modified with a co-axial escapement and is Cosc-certified. Just 7,007 pieces of the watch will be produced in stainless steel, with an additional seven pieces in yellow gold. Each watch will come with a fabric Nato strap that mirrors the timepiece’s red, white and blue colourway, and an additional stainless steel or yellow gold bracelet. These will all come in a presentation case that is reminiscent of a military medal display case, with a strap changing tool and a “naval pin” rounding out the package.