A NAVAL SALUTE
OMEGA’S LIMITED EDITION COMMANDER’S WATCH IS A HOROLOGICAL SALUTE TO THE ROYAL NAVY AND THE WORLD’S FOREMOST SECRET AGENT
Who hasn’t at least heard of James Bond? secret agent, lady-charmer and man of action, the legendary 007 has become the eponymous spy character for generations. few, however, might remember that Bond also holds the rank of Commander in the royal navy—the royal naval reserve to be exact. and this year marks the 50th anniversary of “you Only live twice,” the 40th of “The spy Who loved me” as well as the 20th of “tomorrow never dies”—three movies where Bond can be seen wearing his dress uniform.
inspired by what is arguably James Bond’s most regal look, Omega has created the seamaster diver 300m “Commander’s Watch” limited edition.
A Naval Ticker
James Bond first wore an Omega watch on 1995’s “goldeneye,” and has been a loyal fan ever since. This choice was first proposed by costume designer lindy hemming. naturally, she picked the seamaster. “i was convinced that Commander Bond, a naval man, a diver and a discreet gentleman of the world would wear this watch as opposed to the one everyone expected me to use,” she explained.
in fact, if James Bond was real, he would have more than likely been issued a seamaster. during World War ii, the brand ended up delivering more than 110,000 watches to great Britain’s ministry of defense. later on, the seamaster 300 was issued to military divers of
“If James Bond was real, he would have more than likely been issued a Seamaster”
various nations, and in 1967, a batch of secondgeneration seamaster 300s was commissioned by the mod for certain military units. Certainly they would have issued one for their top operatives, right?
Back to the “Commander’s Watch,” this limited edition timepiece is clearly an ode to the British naval ensigns. Obviously, this means that the watch is dominated by touches of red, blue and white. The case, at 41mm, comes with a blue ceramic bezel which, in turn, has a diving scale made of liquidmetal. a touch of red is added in the form of a rubber covering over the first 15 minutes. The dial, meanwhile, is polished white ceramic, which helps highlight the red and blue skeleton hands and the red “seamaster” inscription.
two more touches of red lend a unique flair to the Commander’s Watch: a red 007 gun logo as the counterweight of the central seconds hand and a red number seven in the date window. further references to the James Bond mythology can be found on the rotor—which is visible through the caseback and features the distinctive rank insignia of a royal navy’s commander. and beneath all that, the watch is powered by Omega’s Calibre 2507 movement.
finally, the watch comes with both a blue, red and grey natO strap as well as a stainless steel bracelet. The watch, the optional bracelet along with a changing tool and a naval-themed pin are presented in a special box reminiscent of the cases used to hold military decorations and medals. Only 7,007 pieces of the stainless steel “Commander’s Watch” have been made available. a further seven pieces in 18K yellow gold have also been created, and will likely become one of the most sought-after models among die-hard collectors.
A Worthy Cause
another noteworthy chapter of the “Commander’s Watch” saga is a very special auction, to be held later this year, where three of the limited edition seamasters will be sold with the proceeds going to selected charitable funds. The three models being auctioned, however, might proof to be the most desirable pieces yet: One stainless steel and one 18K yellow gold limited edition model numbered 007, along with a one-of-a-kind Commander’s Watch in 18K white gold. There’s little doubt that double-ohseven, if he were real, would gladly add one of these timepieces to his ever-suave wardrobe.