Omega Seamaster Diver 300M

James Bond’s trusty timepiece turns 70

Over its 170 years of celebrated watchmaking, Omega, founded as La Generale Watch Co in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, has notched some illustrious moments along its timeline. In 1892, it made the first minute-repeater watch and, in 1917, in the early days of flight, the pre-RAF Royal Flying Corps adopted its wristwatches for pilots’ use. However, Omega’s enduring highpoint is being the first watch on the moon, when Buzz Aldrin bounded across its surface in 1969 with a Speedmaster his Nasa-approved lunar timepiece.

And for 23 years, a Seamaster has adorned the wrist of James Bond, helping the agent escape innumerable scrapes while saving the free world. Beginning with GoldenEye in 1995, Pierce Brosnan wore a Seamaster Professional through his four films as 007, culminating in a Q-adapted model for Die Another Day (2002); it featured a bespoke bezel-operated remote detonator and a laser firing from the crown (don’t ask, you can’t get one). Taking over in 2006’s Casino Royale, Daniel Craig continues the relationship by wearing successive versions of the Seamaster such as limited edition Planet Oceans.

The Seamaster first appeared in 1948 marking the company’s centenary and the watch’s legacy is curated to this day. “We've tapped into Omega’s history and brought it forward for a new generation,” says CEO Raynald Aeschlimann. “The Seamaster Diver 300M celebrates its 25th anniversary this year with a complete makeover, and the skeletonised Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 shows how we’re keeping our space history fresh and unique.”

The 2018 Seamaster Diver 300M has been updated with Master Chronometer movements, among the industry’s finest for precision and performance. The wavy patterned dials so popular in the original models have returned, only now they are laser-engraved. “It’s a great evolution of a legendary watch,” says Aeschlimann. “This year, we’ve got a few more surprises. And 2019 is going to be even bigger. It’s the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, and probably the release of the next James Bond film… things are going to be busy. And exciting!” Brendan Fitzgerald £4,800; omegawatches.com