What does it take to be a world-famous superspy? Using fancy gadgets to save the world? Debonair good looks and expertly tailored tuxedos? How about wearing top-secret Omega watches? If it’s just the last one, then I’m well on my way to becoming the next James Bond.
Earlier this summer, former 007 Daniel Craig sat in the stands at the Paris Olympics sporting a never-before-seen Omega. Eagle-eyed watch enthusiasts determined that Craig was wearing an unreleased Seamaster 300M that shared DNA with the various 007 editions of the model that have dropped over the years. I’ve spent the last few weeks on my own secret mission: testing out that very same watch, one of two new Seamaster 300Ms that Omega is releasing today.
The new Seamaster 300M nicely blends the modern version of the watch with the vintage-tinged 007 versions. The watch steals many of the best elements from the latter and incorporates them into the standard-production pieces. Like the 007 editions, the updated Seamasters have a mesh bracelet, a clean dial that excises the date window, and an elegantly domed sapphire crystal. The new watches also trade out the Seamaster’s standard ceramic bezel: The black-dial makeup worn by Craig features a bezel made from aluminum, while the sleek gray spin boasts a titanium bezel, just like the watch Bond donned in 2021’s No Time to Die.
Omega’s two biggest pop-cultural links are to NASA and Bond, who’s been wearing the brand’s pieces since 1995’s GoldenEye. While NASA informs the best-selling Moonwatch and is still inspiring new references, like the excellent“First Omega in Space” Speedmaster that just came out in October, 007 watches are typically reserved for special editions. With this new Seamaster, Omega is letting their relationship to Bond infuse into the broader line, like an herb popped into a stew. Unlike the 007 Seamasters, which were replicas of the watches worn by Craig in the films, wearing this watch didn’t feel like walking around in high-priced movie memorabilia (not that there’s anything wrong with that!). Instead, Omega test-drove elements for this pair of new watches in special 007 editions before pulling them into these standard releases. You get Bond-tested suaveness without having to pledge allegiance to MI6.
