I Wore Omega’s New Bond-Inspired Seamaster While It Was Still Top Secret
WatchesFor 30 years, Omega has been 007’s watch of choice. Now, with a new Seamaster, the Swiss maker is letting some of that super spy allure spill over to its main line.By Cam WolfFebruary 24, 2025Photo Illustration: Kelsey Niziolek. Omega: Courtesy Of The Brand. Cocktail: Getty Images.Save this storySaveSave this storySaveI wasn’t not like James Bond. In January, after I solemnly swore to protect Omega’s classified information (i.e., signing an NDA), the storied watchmaker issued me a precious piece of equipment in order to complete an operation of the utmost importance. The gadget in question? A new, top secret Omega Seamaster Diver 300m in bronze gold—the brand’s proprietary blend of nine-karat gold, silver, and palladium—with a burgundy bezel. My mission? Simple, really: test-drive the sickest wristwear not yet on the market.I bring up 007 for a couple of reasons. The first is that my orders were similar to those of former Bond and current Omega ambassador Daniel Craig, whom the brand routinely tasks with wearing unreleased watches at high-profile events—like the Governors Awards and the Olympics—to whet the public’s appetite. Unfortunately for Omega, I’m not papped quite as frequently as Craig, so the watch largely remained my little secret over the weeks I spent wearing it.While the Seamaster has served as Omega’s primary design in its dive-watch line since 1948, the story of this latest edition begins 30 years ago. With the release of 1995’s GoldenEye—Pierce Brosnan’s debut outing as the superspy—Bond cemented Omega as his official watch brand of choice, following decades of bouncing between Rolex, Seiko, and TAG Heuer onscreen. Ever since, 007 has unwaveringly worn a Seamaster, linking Bond to the timepiece as inextricably as the 1969 moon landing to the astronaut--worn Speedmaster.Omega has, of course, released several 007 Edition Seamasters over the years to coincide with the films. What’s notable about the one I was furnished with is that it isn’t officially a Bond collaboration—and yet the franchise’s influence remains all over the design. It’s a sign of just how important Bond remains to Omega and its future.Nearly five years after Craig retired as Bond, and with plans for his successor still under wraps, Omega is finding ways to let the 007 aesthetic trickle into the rest of its catalog. The brand-new Seamaster is the direct descendant of a special edition made to commemorate 2021’s No Time to Die. That watch featured a matte dial, toffee--toned hour markers, aged hands, and a handsome mesh bracelet—all of which transferred over to this latest release, only swapping the utilitarian titanium for Omega’s luxurious alloy. The bracelet, in particular—a bold upgrade over the Seamaster’s typical metal links or rubber straps—turned plenty of heads during drop-offs at my son’s preschool. It might not share the military dial markings and explicit 007 branding of the No Time to Die watch, but the Bond vibes are undeniably strong here.A piece like this, with roots in diving but fashioned from precious metals, eliminates the need to own both a dress watch and sport watch. (Bond never needed both.) This watch could comfortably be worn while bopping around to all your various engagements: black-tie poker games with world-conquering villains, rugged strolls through the Scottish Highlands, high-speed chases in the latest Aston Martin.In the watch industry, the victor is often the brand telling the best story. The mountaineers who first summited Everest carried Rolexes; Steve McQueen zoomed through Le Mans in a TAG Heuer; and Cartier always finds its way onto the wrists of royalty, from Princess Diana to Taylor Swift. Omega, which leveraged the moon landing as rocket fuel to build its own empire, knows that the average person doesn’t buy a watch because of the movement inside but for what it represents. And there are not many people—fictional or not—that men want to be like more than James Bond. Even a passing association is enough to turn this handsome Seamaster into a hit.
I wasn’t not like James Bond. In January, after I solemnly swore to protect Omega’s classified information (i.e., signing an NDA), the storied watchmaker issued me a precious piece of equipment in order to complete an operation of the utmost importance. The gadget in question? A new, top secret Omega Seamaster Diver 300m in bronze gold—the brand’s proprietary blend of nine-karat gold, silver, and palladium—with a burgundy bezel. My mission? Simple, really: test-drive the sickest wristwear not yet on the market.
I bring up 007 for a couple of reasons. The first is that my orders were similar to those of former Bond and current Omega ambassador Daniel Craig, whom the brand routinely tasks with wearing unreleased watches at high-profile events—like the Governors Awards and the Olympics—to whet the public’s appetite. Unfortunately for Omega, I’m not papped quite as frequently as Craig, so the watch largely remained my little secret over the weeks I spent wearing it.
While the Seamaster has served as Omega’s primary design in its dive-watch line since 1948, the story of this latest edition begins 30 years ago. With the release of 1995’s GoldenEye—Pierce Brosnan’s debut outing as the superspy—Bond cemented Omega as his official watch brand of choice, following decades of bouncing between Rolex, Seiko, and TAG Heuer onscreen. Ever since, 007 has unwaveringly worn a Seamaster, linking Bond to the timepiece as inextricably as the 1969 moon landing to the astronaut--worn Speedmaster.
Omega has, of course, released several 007 Edition Seamasters over the years to coincide with the films. What’s notable about the one I was furnished with is that it isn’t officially a Bond collaboration—and yet the franchise’s influence remains all over the design. It’s a sign of just how important Bond remains to Omega and its future.
Nearly five years after Craig retired as Bond, and with plans for his successor still under wraps, Omega is finding ways to let the 007 aesthetic trickle into the rest of its catalog. The brand-new Seamaster is the direct descendant of a special edition made to commemorate 2021’s No Time to Die. That watch featured a matte dial, toffee--toned hour markers, aged hands, and a handsome mesh bracelet—all of which transferred over to this latest release, only swapping the utilitarian titanium for Omega’s luxurious alloy. The bracelet, in particular—a bold upgrade over the Seamaster’s typical metal links or rubber straps—turned plenty of heads during drop-offs at my son’s preschool. It might not share the military dial markings and explicit 007 branding of the No Time to Die watch, but the Bond vibes are undeniably strong here.
A piece like this, with roots in diving but fashioned from precious metals, eliminates the need to own both a dress watch and sport watch. (Bond never needed both.) This watch could comfortably be worn while bopping around to all your various engagements: black-tie poker games with world-conquering villains, rugged strolls through the Scottish Highlands, high-speed chases in the latest Aston Martin.
In the watch industry, the victor is often the brand telling the best story. The mountaineers who first summited Everest carried Rolexes; Steve McQueen zoomed through Le Mans in a TAG Heuer; and Cartier always finds its way onto the wrists of royalty, from Princess Diana to Taylor Swift. Omega, which leveraged the moon landing as rocket fuel to build its own empire, knows that the average person doesn’t buy a watch because of the movement inside but for what it represents. And there are not many people—fictional or not—that men want to be like more than James Bond. Even a passing association is enough to turn this handsome Seamaster into a hit.
