Introducing: The New Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond 60th Anniversary — With A Special Animated Case Back
Introduced in the city where MI6 resides, the new Omega Seamaster 300M celebrates 60 years of 007. Although James Bond has been wearing various watches from several brands in the past 60 years, since 1995, it has been the Omega Seamaster. In the presence of no one else than Daniel Craig, the most recent actor to fulfill the role of 007, the new Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond 60th Anniversary has been introduced to the press and special guests.
But before discussing the new Omega Seamaster 300M, let’s step back for a brief moment and look at the other Seamaster watches dedicated to the secret agent from London. As written in the introduction, it has been since 1995 that James Bond has been wearing Omega watches. Sponsored or not, the Omega watch has been on the wrist of James Bond since the GoldenEye movie, with the Seamaster 300M.
Bond and his Omega Seamaster watches
At first with the reference 2541.80 and later on with the 2531.80. The difference between these Omega Seamaster 300M references is the movement. The Seamaster Diver 300M 2541.80 featured in GoldenEye had a quartz movement. In the next Bond movie (Tomorrow Never Dies) with Pierce Brosnan as 007, it was the automatic (caliber 1120) watch with reference 2531.80. Using the quartz movement in GoldenEye had probably to do with the friendlier price point of that watch at the time. Quartz made this watch perhaps a bit more accessible for a larger audience. In the next movies, The World is Not Enough (1999) & Die Another Day (2002), the Seamaster Diver 300M 2531.80 could also be seen on the wrist of her Majesty’s secret agent.
Casino Royale and the 300M on the wrist of Daniel Craig as James Bond. Image source Omega
The return of the 300M
This watch and the later Seamaster Diver 300M reference 2220.80.00 in Casino Royale (2006) were often been watches that introduced people to collecting watches. According to boutiques and authorized dealers I’ve spoken to, people come into their shops asking for the Omega that James Bond wears. So contrary to what some of you (and that included me for a long time) believe, using the right ambassadors does help brands sell watches.
The Seamaster Diver 300M, with a blue dial, has been linked to James Bond since 1995, and it was one of those watches readily and widely available. Even during and after the release of these Bond movies.
Bond (played by Pierce Brosnan) deals a card at the casino table in Monte Carlo. Image via Omega
A no-nonsense diving watch with a caliber 1120 automatic movement (later replaced by the Co-Axial escapement caliber 2500), and also available with a quartz movement. It has an aluminum diving scale bezel, a steel bracelet (rubber strap optional), and the famous He-valve. The latter is still today, many years later, often a topic of discussion amongst watch enthusiasts. We also saw Daniel Craig wearing the Seamaster Planet Ocean in Casino Royale. A watch he wore till Skyfall (2012), to be replaced by the Seamaster 300 “Spectre” in 2015.
James Bond wearing his titanium Seamaster 300M No Time To Die. Image courtesy of Omega
No Time To Die
When Omega upgraded the Seamaster 300M in 2018, I expected Bond to return to the 300M models. The special limited editions in steel, gold, and platinum to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service confirmed my expectations. I didn’t expect a new titanium 42mm Seamaster 300M model with a beautiful mesh bracelet.
With its tropical (brown) aluminum dial, vintage Super-LumiNova, and broad arrow printed on the dial, it’s somewhat of a hybrid model between a modern watch with vintage inspiration. This watch was introduced in 2019 when the No Time To Die Bond movie was not postponed yet, and the demand has been incredible for this watch ever since. One of the things I like is that it’s not a limited edition. You can go out there and buy the watch your favorite secret agent has been wearing.
Meet the new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond 60th Anniversary
But wait, things just got real. Omega went the extra mile and came up with an incredibly cool version of the Seamaster 300M celebrating 60 years of James Bond. According to Omega’s VP of Product Gregory Kissling, this new watch has been inspired by the first Seamaster 300M that Bond wore in GoldenEye and the latest Seamaster 300M “No Time To Die.” The case and bracelet look similar to the titanium NTTD model, but the dial and color code are from the Seamaster 300M 2531.80/2541.80 models from 1993.
James Bond opening sequence animation on the case back
Let’s start with the case back because, just like the Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award 50th anniversary, that’s what the fuss will be about. Connected to the central second’s hand, there’s a continuous animation on the back side of the watch. This animation, a “moiré” effect representing the famous opening scene from 007 with the gun barrel, is always “playing.” It is a four-frame animation on an aluminum disc with a transferred spiral in black and white, rotating once every 60 seconds. The sapphire crystal of the case back had a chromium treatment to create the pattern you see. This, in turn, works with the disk to create the animation.
Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond 60th Anniversary dimensions
The beautiful animation might sound a bit gimmicky, but after seeing it myself, I am convinced it’s cool to have on your watch. It brings the watch closer to the Bond movies. As you can see, the case back is not screwed down but instead has been mounted to the case, fixed with 7 screws. Now, the downside of having this animation is that the thickness of the case is 0.7mm more than that of the titanium Seamaster 300M NTTD.
The case measures 42mm in diameter and 14.26mm in thickness. The lug-to-lug measures 49.7mm. In comparison, the Seamaster 300M in ceramic (diameter: 43.5mm) has the same thickness. For the haters: this watch still has the He-valve at 10 o’clock. I have — and have had — several 300M watches, and it never bothered me, but to some, it does. Even if I have no use for them, they’ve become an integral part of the Seamaster 300M design.
A new old dial with wave patterns
Now, as for the dial side of the watch, we see a familiar face! The dial and bezel are in a darker blue than the 1993 Seamaster 300M. However, the wave pattern on the dial is finer than on the current — or regular — Seamaster 300M models. Also, the Super-LumiNova on the dial and hands is white instead of the brownish Super-LumiNova on the 300M NTTD model. The wave pattern is laser-engraved, like on the standard 300M models. The hour markers are rhodium-plated and diamond-polished, and the Super-LumiNova will give a blue emission during low-light conditions. Of course, you will recognize the sword hands from the 300M, but there’s also the second hand with the lollipop. This derives from the Seamaster 300 from 1959 when the lollipop was first used.
Interestingly, both the dial and bezel inlay are made of aluminum. The diving scale has been filled with white Super-LumiNova with blue emission, except for the “60” and the “straight lines”; these have a green emission.
The new Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond 60th Anniversary comes on a stainless steel mesh bracelet, similar to the 300M NTTD version. It tapers from 20mm between the lugs to 18mm at the folding clasp. However, you can also wear it on a nice Bond-inspired NATO strap.
Caliber 8806
Inside, this watch ticks Omega’s caliber 8806. A self-winding Master Chronometer-certified movement with a power reserve of 55 hours. And no, the animation doesn’t consume additional energy (in case you were wondering). The movement has a Co-Axial escapement, Silicon “Si14” balance spring, and a Nivachoc system. This all adds up for Omega to have enough confidence to supply you with five years of international warranty. The movement, visible around the animation part in the center, has a rhodium-plated rotor and bridges. Omega used the famous Geneva waves in arabesque for decoration and blackened screws, barrel, and balance wheel.
The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond 60th Anniversary is not a limited edition and will become available in January 2023. The retail price of the watch is CHF7,000 (excl. VAT).
