We talk about films today. James Bond movies those were made 1995 and later. Any plausible reasons behind? – Certainly. And I see some of the readers ready to spill it out. Wait, we all know it; let the bubble burst not so fast.
The thing is, Omega, unlike what many of us think, is adorning Mr. Bond only since 1995. Mr. Bond needed a more ‘Euro’ look that matches his needs as a sophisticated British gentleman. It was Golden Eye. In the film, the watch has a remote detonator implanted and a laser beam; this Omega Seamaster Professional (blue dial, quartz) is actually what Swatch introduced in 1993 as a professional diving watch.
A couple of years later, Bond wore the Golden Eye Seamaster Chronometer in Tomorrow Never Dies. This too had an integrated detonator while in The World Is Not Enough (1999), it was the Omega Seamaster Professional on his wrist. This one dragged him out from under 30 feet of snow. The bezel hid a wire with a grappling hook that Bond shoots for a secure target. The bezel then turns in the opposite direction, picking 007 up on the ground.
In Die Another Day (2002), Bond’s Seamaster Professional also features a remote detonator (the helium valve) controlled by the bezel. The crown threw a laser.
Casino Royale in 2006 is when Daniel Craig came in replacing Brosnan. This was a newer and harder Bond wearing the Omega Seamaster Professional and the Seamaster Planet Ocean. Both had co-axial escapements, were water-resistant to 600 meters and allowed Bond to handle dangerous situations better, including underwater. Both these watches then appeared in the market as limited versions, with a definitive 007 logo. But this 42-mm watch appeared somewhat smaller than the Planet Ocean seen in Casino Royale later on. However, Quantum of Solace (2008) onward, Bond has ceased wearing the blue Omega Seamaster Professional. That’s after spending half of a century with it! Now, in Skyfall, it is the Planet Ocean.
As the ‘official’ Skyfall watch, 5,007 limited-edition James Bond timepieces were released worldwide before the film debuted. These boasted specialist diving features – a helium escape valve and a chromium nitrate diving scale – besides the rotating diving bezel and 1,960 feet water resistance. They also had exclusive co-axial caliber 8507 movement with a Si14 balance spring made from silicon. There’s also a 007 insignia on the dial and Skyfall 007 engraved to the rotor.
It has a titanium version as well but these are not as atrociously priced as the one Mr. Craig wore during filming Skyfall. It sold for £157,250 or $254,273 at Christie’s. Comparatively, the Omega Seamaster, sold at the same auction, fetched £33,600. The estimate for both was around 8000GBP.
We hope Bond sticks to Omega. If he can’t, he must make sure his new watch is as great as an Omega.
Watch(es) mentioned in this post are listed below. Click to see details and buy them:
Nice looking watch with a very good heritage. I have been considering this same model for quite a while. online several watches valuable post articles, very interesting.