The No Time To Die Seamaster Pro 300M Diver accompanied Daniel Craig on his final film as James Bond, serving as a watershed moment for the partnership. Designed with input from Craig himself, and paying tribute to Bond and Omega's shared history, this was a most fitting end to the Craig era.
Ending On A High Note - Daniel Craig's Final Bond Watch
The first thing to mention about the No Time To Die Edition Bond Seamaster is that this is NOT a limited edition. After the immense popularity, demand, and shortage caused by the highly sought after Spectre Limited Edition, Omega made a point of releasing watches that were worth owning on merit even without exclusivity. I'm personally a huge fan of this as I don't enjoy a watch any more simply for the fact that other people have "missed out" and would rather every collector with a genuine desire to own a watch get their chance.
It is great to see then, that the first non-limited James Bond Omega is a superb follow-up to the Spectre.
The Seamaster Pro 300M Diver was the perfect watch to base this on, being both the first Bond watch Daniel Craig wore in Casino Royale and the original Bond watch in 1993. The latest generation of Seamaster Pro 300M is the watch I recommend most frequently to first time buyers. As the fourth generation of an incredibly popular design, Omega have perfected this watch over 30 years into the best dollar for dollar dive watch on the market.
Taking that already brilliant design, imbuing it with subtle easter eggs, nods to Bond and Omega's history, and delivering it in a subtle, utilitarian, yet highly elegant titanium and chocolate brown finish, this watch hits its mark like a brick through a plate-glass window.
History, Significance & Sentimentality
In designing the No Time To Die Edition Seamaster, Omega, the film producer's and Daniel Craig carefully considered the history of both the Bond franchise and Omega's Seamaster.
The case-back engraving represents a rather elegant dovetailing of those two histories in a form that's both subtle and faithful to the past. It tells a story without resorting to branding, in a way that will particularly appeal to those who know and understand it.
Firstly, we have the "Broad Arrow" symbol at the top, an emblem seen on many vintage Omega's of the past such as the vintage RAF53 which featured it on both the dial and engraved on the case-back. This symbol indicated government property and has seen use over several hundred years in both Britain, as well as colonies like Australia and India. As Q often reminds Bond, government property must be returned in working order.
Next, we have a series of numbers specific to the watch as it would be described by the British military. The number 0552 appears on many watches and indicates Royal Navy issue, specifying the branch, while 923 7697 specifies a dive watch, and A on the following line indicates a screw-in crown for enhanced water resistance.
The final numbers on the case-back speak for themselves, 007, the man himself, and 62, the year Sean Connery first took to the silver screen as the eponymous spy.
While it may require some explanation, it is also extremely fitting. James Bond was always a Royal Navy officer first, just as his creator Ian Fleming before him. Similarly, Omega has supplied the British armed forces in all three branches going back to the mid-20th century. Even today, Omega continues to supply unit-specific limited edition watches to the British military, continuing that decades old history and tradition.
Case & Bracelet
The case of the Seamaster Pro Diver 300M No Time To Die Edition is based on the standard 42 mm version of the Seamaster Pro Diver, but with a satin finished grade 2 titanium case rather than the typical stainless steel. This case is a very reasonable 13 mm thick and thanks to the impressively light titanium construction, weighs a mere 93 grams on the matching titanium mesh bracelet and 72 grams on NATO strap.
The current Seamaster Pro 300M diver is an absolutely excellent watch to begin with, having benefited from 30 years of iterative improvement and I would argue it stands as the best quality dive watch anywhere near its price range on the watch market.
The modifications made to this winning formula, a combination of Daniel Craig's preferences along with those of the film's producers and Omega's product team further hone this Seamaster into a very special piece to own.
While the standard Seamaster features a ceramic bezel which blends into, and effectively matches the compound curve of the domed sapphire crystal, the fit between bezel and crystal is very different on the NTTD. Instead, we see a distinctly domed crystal diverging from the bezel, catching the light and creating a look very similar to the vintage Seamaster 300 military watches of old. This is a subtle difference for the benefit of watch enthusiasts but a significant one to engineer into such a timepiece without compromising water resistance.
Gone is the standard display-back, replaced by a solid titanium back engraved with the numbers and symbols discussed above. Between the solid case-back and different sapphire crystal, Omega has reduced the overall thickness of the watch by 0.6 mm compared to the similarly 42 mm and titanium cased Sedna Limited Edition, Ref 210.60.42.20.99.001. The Naiad locking system serves to ensure the case-back engraving remains in perfect alignment with the watch, while also keeping the watch water resistant to a more than adequate 300 meters.
The bezel is made from aluminium rather than ceramic, with luminous indices matching the same vintage tritium color used on the dial and hands. While this gives a great effect and the glow looks very impressive, the aluminium may be somewhat more prone to wear and damage than ceramic so this must be kept in mind.
Finally, the watch is actually available in two distinct references, the titanium mesh bracelet version, Ref 210.90.42.20.01.001, and the nylon NATO strap version, Ref 210.92.42.20.01.001. When new there was about a 10% price difference between the two, but the vast majority of people will want the bracelet as it is absolutely superb. The NATO can be bought separately for $330, which is rather insane if you have the mesh version and really want it.
Being fitted with standards 20 mm lugs, these watches also retain compatibility with the Seamaster Pro range of rubber straps and bracelets which can be fitted for a different look.
Movement
The movement powering the No Time To Die Seamaster Pro is the Omega Calibre 8806 Co-Axial movement.
The Calibre 8806 is the no-date version of the Calibre 8800. This movement represents the thinnest automatic version to date of the family which began in 2007 with the Calibre 8500.
This movement oscillates at 25,200 vph and features hacking, a traditional quick-set date mechanism, >15,000 gauss magnetic resistance, METAS Master Chronometer certification, and a 55-hour power reserve from a bi-directional winding system. All of this comes from a package only 4.90 mm thick, even with a 3-level Co-Axial escapement.
These movements are a result of Omega's iterative program of continuously improving their entire movement range with each technological step or advancement. As a result, the early teething issues of the Calibre 8500 are now long gone, and these Master Chronometer movements have earned a reputation for accuracy and dependability.
Given that the No Time To Die Seamaster Pro models were only released in late 2019, none are yet due for service even on the secondary market. When the time does come, they can be handled easily by any Omega certified independent watchmaker at a reasonable price. The fact that these watches use a standard production Omega movement rather than a special version for use with a display-back should make them easy to independently maintain well into the future.
Dial & Variants
The dial of the No Time To Die is quite unique in that it too espouses the ceramic used in regular models in favor of tropical brown aluminium to match the bezel insert. The coffee-colored vintage patina style lume really fits well with the style of the watch and the different hues of the titanium and aluminium.
This dial features the broad-arrow symbol at the bottom, below the dial text in a similar way to the RAF53 and other Omega vintage military issue models, adding to the character of this very special timepiece.
The bi-color lume glow is carried over from the standard Seamaster Pro, with the bezel pip at zero and minute hand both glowing green, while all other lume on both bezel and dial is blue. The non-luminous dial text, including the Omega logo and the outer minute track perfectly color match the coffee-colored lume, giving a clean and focused look to this utilitarian military themed watch.
As mentioned, there are two variants of the No Time To Die Seamaster, the titanium mesh bracelet version (which everyone should get) Reference 210.90.42.20.01.001 , and the NATO strap version Reference 210.92.42.20.01.001.
It's interesting that this time around they chose to make two separate models rather than including both options along with a strap tool, as they did with the Spectre Limited Edition, but perhaps most customers don't want to pay for the option they don't use.
The third category worth mentioning is the worn watches used during the film's production of which there are 5 in total. Of those 5, some will no doubt be held in reserve for museum display by both Omega and the film's producers, while Daniel Craig likely still has one for himself and deservedly so.
There is however one in private hands now, thanks to a charity auction benefiting the organisation Time's UP UK. This watch was sold at auction in September 2022 for an extremely impressive £226,800 and features a bespoke case signifying that it was worn by Craig during the filming.
Buying
The only decision to be made with the No Time To Die is NATO strap or bracelet, and I can't recommend the bracelet enough as it is a magnificently produced item that matches the watch perfectly. On the secondary market, the price difference between the two is very minimal, while the bracelet is very costly if bought separately so for most people this should be an easy choice.
Condition wise, the biggest issue is going to be the titanium case and aluminium bezel. Titanium is a great material to make a watch out of, being both very light and hypoallergenic, yet the surface is softer and more prone to scratches and damage than stainless steel. Due to the difficulty of working with titanium it can be harder to restore a finish on a titanium case outside of sending it back to Omega, so if buying used prioritise case condition and bracelet condition above all else. The bezel is similarly somewhat vulnerable, being made from relatively soft aluminium and can be scratched relatively easily. While the bezel insert seems like a small item, it is sold as a complete assembly with the outer titanium bezel at quite a considerable cost, so a damaged example should be avoided.
While these watches came out at the end of 2019, as of mid-2023 they are still available from Omega by virtue of this being a non-limited edition, which is a really great thing for enthusiasts and collectors. It has had the secondary effect of ensuring that these watches have not been scalped or stashed in safes by speculators, but have been bought, worn and enjoyed by collectors.
At the moment there are about twice as many No Time To Die models on the secondary market available for sale as there are Spectre Limited Editions, and the NTTD models are typically selling for about 75-80% of MSRP, which is a decent saving over retail. At this point we still don't know who the next James Bond is, much less when to expect the next film, but presumably these watches will continue to be sold by Omega for some time during this period. Right now is likely the best time then to purchase a No Time To Die, whether new or used depending on your preference, as the market is currently full of them which won't aways remain the case.
I never like to buy a modern watch purely on speculation of future value, so while I do suspect these will go up over time, the important thing is that a watch is special enough to make you want to check the time more often than necessary just to look at it under the light. The No Time To Die is precisely that, a watch with the charisma, history, and ruggedness of James Bond, the practicality and engineering of Q branch, and the timekeeping performance of Omega.
Discussion thread on Omegaforums can be found here:
