The Feeling of being James Bond 007 with The Omega Seamaster 300 SPECTRE Limited Edition on the Wrist (specs & price)

Who among us has never had the dream of being bond, James Bond? No! Really? What is there not to dream about with the fast cars, beautiful women, the stylish elegance and the action… everything in the 007 movies are what every man has ever wanted to do and be (I know I have). And that’s exactly what we’ve done. Well, not entirely, but at least we had a slight feeling of what it is to be James Bond, while wearing the brand new Omega Seamaster 300 SPECTRE Limited Edition and getting to shoot it in the actual Aston Marin DB5 used in Goldfinger. As the next instalment of Bond will be released tonight, we thought it was the perfect time to share with you our exclusive photos and feelings about the watch – and we hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did, w hen we felt like James Bond (sort of…).

The James Bond story has always been strongly linked to watches – and not the worst watches to be fair. You know us, we’re huge fans of watches here, at Monochrome (thankfully, because that’s our daily job). Furthermore, we’re also big fans of all things related to James Bond, and we guess there are a lot of you here also interested in 007. Since 1995, the franchise has partnered with Omega Watches and it gave us as a result many different editions (that we all explained here). For the latest instalment of the 007 adventures, Omega has just launched one of the most inspired James Bond watches ever, which goes by the name Omega Seamaster 300 SPECTRE Limited Edition – and we had the opportunity to play a bit like James Bond, by strapping this watch on our wrist together with bond’s usual black suit and a way-less-than usual Aston-Martin DB5, the actual car from the Goldfinger movie.

So how does it feel to wear a James Bond watch in his very own car? The minute you slide into the sumptuous seats, smelling the aroma of the vintage leather, you grasp the soft warm wooden steering wheel, you have the beautiful view of the long sweeping bonnet when looking through the windscreen and then you realise you are in something special, very special. Even before you start the straight-6 4 litres engine, you know that something magical is about to begin. Then, you look down at the dashboard and immediately you are reminded the main goal of your secret-agent life: chasing villains – and for that, you can rely on the finest technology Agent Q has to offer, with an extremely sophisticated navigation system and even an integrated phone, multiple tools (that some dare to call gadgets… ignorant!) including machine-guns, retractable bullet-proof screen and bumpers and these so-useful central-locking device on the wheels to eliminate potential assailants. And then you find the small pusher in the gear shift… the iconic gadget for some, but the one you know to be the best weapon, actuating the ejection seat…

Hey, Wakey Wakey, switch-off the dream-mode. Ok, maybe we’ve gone a bit too far. We’ve only been allowed to sit in the car, which doesn’t prevent us from enjoy a bit of the mystery from the movie. But admittedly, having the opportunity to seat in one of the most iconic DB5 was great, especially as it was used in Goldfinger, and it’s certainly the best place to shoot the new Omega Seamaster 300 SPECTRE Limited Edition. Why? Because this watch goes back to basics, back to the idea we have of a proper James Bond 007 watch.

What makes this Omega Seamaster 300 SPECTRE Limited Edition so special, compared to all the previous watches made by Omega for James Bond 007 movies? First, we have to remember the early instalments of the films, when Sean Connery was playing the main character. On his wrist was strapped a proper tool watch with a real military feeling – something totally appropriate considering the guy’s job. Connery was wearing a Submariner 6538 (the slim one, with a straight case but with an oversized crown). The “James Bond touch” was the striped RAF-style nylon strap that replaced the original metallic bracelet (the Submariner was worn on a black military fabric strap with olive and red stripes). At all points, a very toolish and rugged combination – and that’s something Omega partially reintroduces with the new Seamaster 300 SPECTRE.

The Spectre edition doesn’t differ much from the normal Seamaster 300. Everything is in the details but those updates create a new, more toolish and much more stylish feel. Frankly, this James Bond edition is a big success. The watch remains technically the same, with the same 41mm case, with straight lugs, oversized crown and a vintage-inspired style (bringing back many clues from the original Seamaster 300m CK 2913). The antimagnetic calibre 8400 Master Co-Axial is also still in place, with its good look and innovative features (resistance to 15,000 Gauss). The updates are only focusing on the visual aspect of the piece but the final result is great.

What we have is first a new bezel, with a ceramic insert that gets rid of the diver scale to now feature a 12-hour display (something that is said to be useful in the movie). Then, the dial shows a new logo with a larger font. The triangular index at 12 is still in place but the 12 numeral is removed – the Omega logo is replacing it. A minor change that makes the watch look much cleaner. Finally, the second hand sports now a military lollipop shape (instead of the Omega-style diamond hand). The final touch is the 5-stripe NATO strap that complements the look of the Omega Seamaster 300 SPECTRE Limited Edition (the box also includes a metallic bracelet that features a fully brushed finish – something that will certainly please collectors).

The new James Bond watch is a modern timepiece and it’s an Omega (sorry for the purists and the vintage lovers). However, it’s clearly the most beautiful and the most (pardon the pun) James Bond edition ever created as an official 007 watch. It brings back the look and feeling of the early Bond movies. The watch they used as a base was already an impressive piece but this Omega Seamaster 300 SPECTRE Limited Edition adds much more coolness and the final vintage / military touch we were screaming out for. Gents, trust us, if you want to play at James Bond (or if you just like watches), this edition is the one you really want to get your hands on. Price: 6,300 Euros (included in the set: the Omega Seamaster 300 in stainless steel with 12-hour ceramic bezel, a metallic bracelet, an Omega NATO strap, a tool to change the strap and a loupe).

Thank you to the Louwman Museum for letting use the Aston-Martin DB5 from Goldfinger to do this shooting. The car is part of the collection of this famous and interesting car museum based in Den Haag, Netherlands (www.louwmanmuseum.nl). Photos by Bert Buijsrogge for Monochrome-Watches.