Earlier this year, everyone’s favorite secret agent was spotted at the Paris Olympics wearing an as-yet-unreleased watch — one that looked like a monochromatic take on the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition. That watch, worn by Daniel Craig in No Time to Die, has become a fan favorite, beloved for its lightweight construction, thin case, good looks and cool mesh bracelet. At $10,000, however, it’s not the type of piece that just any 007 diehard — or Omega fan — can afford.
Well, we’ve got some excellent news for you, fellow watch nerds! Omega just officially released the watch spotted on Craig’s wrist, and it’s a wild (financial) departure from the No Time to Die watch: Despite their similar looks, the new Seamaster Diver 300M — available in black or or grey with matching bezels — costs $6,500 on a matching steel mesh bracelet or $5,900 on rubber, making it effectively an entry-level piece within the greater Omega tool watch catalog. (And yes: We’re well aware that “entry-level” is a relative term, especially within the luxury sphere. But the value proposition in comparison to some of the company’s other offerings is still significant.)
Why the savings? Chief amongst the reasons is undoubtedly the material: The new watches are made of stainless steel rather than titanium, which is easier to work and finish. However, you still get the great majority of what made the No Time to Die watch special. Rather than use a ceramic bezel insert as is most common today, the new 300M uses an old-school aluminum insert on the black-dialed reference and a laser-ablated titanium insert on the grey-dial reference. The mesh bracelet, though steel rather than titanium, is present and accounted for, as is the 42mm twisted-lug case and helium escape valve. (The new watches measure 13.8mm thick rather than 13.0mm like the No Time to Die watch.) Omega’s Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8806 is also here, visible via a sapphire caseback and boasting 55 hours of power reserve.
5 Awesome Chinese-Made Watches
Long stigmatized, the Chinese watchmaking industry is delivering impressive products across a wide price spectrumFor those for whom the No Time to Die watch was a bit heavy-handed — the vintage-colored lume, for example, or the “Broad Arrow” symbol indicating British Crown property in reference to 007 — the new black and grey models are more subdued: The former’s aluminum dial features a subtle wave pattern in a cool modernization of the ‘90s Seamasters, and its applied indices and hands are filled with bright white luminous material. The contrast between the black dial and the white elements is striking yet refined, while on the grey model — which features a brushed PVD stainless steel dial — the elements form a cohesive, largely monochromatic whole that’s well suited to someone who wants his watch to fly further under the radar. (The lumed indices and hands are still white for good contrast, however.)
The automatic movement powering the new Seamaster is no slouch, either: Boasting a 55-hour power reserve, anti-magnetic resistance up to 15,000 gauss, a Co-Axial escapement and METAS certification, the Calibre 8806 is one of the brand’s premier power plants. Which brings us to the larger point: It’s unfortunately difficult these days to find a flagship, stainless steel dive watch from a premier brand whose price doesn’t cause double-takes. Though the new Seamaster Diver 300M doesn’t feature a multi-link bracelet with a complex dive extension or resizing mechanism and thus isn’t a perfect analog to much of its competition, the possibility of securing such a versatile, handsome and well-made diver for $6,500 is an attractive proposition. Especially in its black iteration, it’s the type of go-anywhere, do-anything timepiece that could become a family heirloom…
…perhaps passed from one secret agent to another?
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M
Diameter: 42mm
Movement: Omega Calibre 8806 automatic
Water Resistance: 300m
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