The real reason James Bond wears an Omega watch - the link goes further than you'd expect
If James Bond ever was a real agent on Her Majesty's secret service, it's fair to say, his cover's been blown. Every aspect of the world's most famous spy has been scrutinised, from his Aston Martin to his swimming trunks. And, like clockwork, with every new Bond film, watch aficionados squint at his wrist to see which horological creation Agent 007 is sporting now. Since 1995, our hero has been loyal to one brand: Omega. The forthcoming No Time To Die follows suit, with a new burly diving watch, the Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition, keeping time.
But why Omega? In the books and in the early films, Bond wore a range of watch brands. Sure, there's a long-standing marketing agreement between Omega and Eon Productions, the UK-based production company that makes the 007 films, but the connection goes deeper than that. The venerable Swiss marque is actually a fitting choice for a British civil servant and former naval officer.
As legend has it, when the Bond franchise was rebooted in the 1990s, with Pierce Brosnan donning the tuxedo, costume designer Lindy Hemming chose Omega on the basis of a watch worn by one of her father's Royal Navy friends. She grew up in the 1950s and '60s, so this would not have been unusual. Omega had been supplying wristwatches to the Ministry of Defence as far back as the Great War, with Royal Flying Corps pilots wearing some of the earliest wrist chronographs (Lawrence of Arabia famously had one).
During the Second World War, Omega's management chose sides, exclusively selling watches to the Allied militaries, denying deliveries to Axis forces.
This endeared Omega to countless pilots, sailors and soldiers who would have seen the company's distinctive logo on the dials of ship chronometers and pocket watches, and the well-known 'W.W.W.' - British Army code for an MoD-spec timepiece, the letters standing for 'watch, wrist, waterproof' - that was issued by the tens of thousands to British soldiers in the 1940s. These watches would be distinguished by a 'pheon' - the heraldic broad arrow that marks UK government property - seen on the caseback, the dial, or both.
As Ian Fleming's original Bond girl, Vesper Lynd, says in the 2006 film of Casino Royale, "MI6 looks for maladjusted young men who'd give little thought to sacrificing others in order to protect Queen and country. You know, former SAS types with easy smiles and expensive watches."
Fleming is said to have modelled his hero on some of the fighting men he oversaw during the Second World War. As assistant to the director of Naval Intelligence, Fleming was tasked with recruiting and training a specialised cadre of commandos known as 30 Assault Unit.
These were rough-and-tumble types willing to undertake highly dangerous undercover missions. Sound familiar? While 30AU was disbanded after the war, one could imagine future incarnations of Commander James Bond, Royal Navy, being a member of the equally capable, ruthless and secretive Special Boat Service, the amphibious branch of the Special Forces.
In the 1960s, the Royal Navy created a specification for wristwatches with which to equip its divers. This document, Def-Stan 66-4, part 1, called for a steel watch that could withstand 120m of depth as well as high levels of magnetism and vibration, had a rotating timing bezel, and featured a highly legible, luminous dial and sword-shaped hands.
A drawing of the ideal watch that meets these criteria was included, and it might as well have been a drawing of the Seamaster 300, a watch Omega had been making since 1957. And indeed, the Royal Navy did procure and issue the Seamaster to its divers for most of the late 1960s and into the 1970s. Had Fleming created Bond in the 1960s instead of the 1950s, there's a good chance he'd have outfitted him with a 'heavy, steel Omega with a luminous dial'.
James Bond is a character who exists both in the age of whatever film you see him in, and as a sort of timeless archetype. He uses the latest technology and gadgets, yet retains a sense of tradition and style, stepping out of a burning aircraft and straightening his tie. So, while the Royal Navy no longer issues Omegas to its divers, Bond is a retired naval officer, and a self-winding Omega dive watch fits his sartorial sensibilities.
The latest 'Bond watch', the Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition, retains the criteria of that 1960s defence standard, with its sword hands, fully hashed bezel and anti-magnetic movement. There's even a broad arrow mark on the dial, a nod to Omega's long tradition of outfitting the British armed forces.
Would a spy necessarily want to wear such a recognisable, covetable watch, with its broad arrow a dead giveaway as to whom its wearer serves? Perhaps something a bit more pedestrian or anonymous would be more suitable for clandestine manoeuvres. Maybe so, but then 007 would never sacrifice style to safety.
A timeline of Seamasters in the Bond franchise
Goldeneye - Die Another Day (1995-2002)
Pierce Brosnan's Omega Seamaster Professionals - the quartz ref 2541.80.00 seen in Goldeneye, and the automatic, ref 2531.80.00, worn in Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day - came with superspy gadgetry.
Casino Royale (2006)
For his first outing as Bond, Daniel Craig was equipped with two Omegas - a Seamaster Professional Planet Ocean, ref 2900.50.91, with a rugged rubber strap, as well as this suave Seamaster Professional, ref 2220.80.00.
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Smaller and more discreet than Craig's previous Bond watches, the Seamaster Professional Planet Ocean 600M Co-Axial Chronometer, ref 2201.50.00 that he wore in Quantum of Solace did not come equipped with any gadget functions.
Skyfall (2012)
For Skyfall, Craig again wore two Omega Seamaster models. In addition to the Professional Planet Ocean, ref 232.30.42.21.01.001, he also sported this Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M, ref 231.10.39.21.03.001.
Spectre (2015)
In celebration of Craig's fourth outing as Bond, Omega made an edition of 7,007 Seamaster 300 Spectre Edition, ref 233.32.41.21.01.001 available to the public - but without the explosive charge the movie version delivered.
Let us know if you would buy a Seamaster, and which reference is your favourite, in the comments below...
Read more
A recycled concept watch heralds a new age in horology - and it's just right for Gen Z
Omega's iconic Moonwatch is a collector's dream, and there are still some affordable vintage models
Sign up for the Telegraph Luxury newsletter for your weekly dose of exquisite taste and expert opinion.
