Is There Time To Die?

I’ll take my watch shaken? No wait… That’s not right. Stirred? Oh to hell with it.

I don’t care for gimmicky products. Take the constant reissues of the ‘Bullitt’’ Mustang, for example. Yes, that particular shade of green is quite lovely, but the Marketing Department at Ford needs to be hit with a squirt bottle a few times and be told a firm “no” from time to time.

In a similar vein, Omega has marketing ties with the James Bond franchise (but forget the fact that Mr. Bond has been known to wear Seiko, Tag Heuer, and most notably Omega’s biggest rival, Rolex).

However, I must be honest with you. I have not seen the most recent installment of everyone’s favorite British spy. But doing the lightest of online research has revealed the significance of the broad arrows on the dial, and caseback. These arrows signify British Government-issued property, most notably associated with the Ministry of Defence, in the modern era. Neat little tie-in I suppose. Except that this Seamaster is… Well… Just a watch… That anyone can buy through an Authorized Dealer of Omega. Strike that, actually. You can just buy the thing on Omega’s own website and have it shipped right to your door. But I guess in America you can buy guns in a lot of places too, that aren’t controlled by the US Government.

The sheer timing of my review of this watch is somewhat interesting, because it falls into a time where I have the most amount of watches ever in my possession (it’s gone now, so you can’t rob me of it). I have my personal collection, a Rolex Explorer 114270, Tudor Black Bay 58 (Blue), and a one-handed MeisterSinger. I never thought I’d have a real issue with finding what watch to wear, and let me tell you… It’s the best problem to ever have. The real truth of the matter is, I had to force myself to put on the Omega.

The first couple of times doing so weren’t the most comfortable either. The supplied mesh bracelet is key in most of my complaints with the watch. It’s big. Rather, it’s too long. While being adjustable, on the smallest hole (giggity), there was simultaneously a small gap between my arm and the titanium, plus there was a rigid structure that was created between both layers of the bracelet, creating basically zero chance of the watch hugging my wrist. Just like a poorly positioned seat in a car, that one connection your body has with the car (or watch in this instance) can ruin an otherwise lovely experience.

Now, you can save yourself the $1,100 on the titanium mesh bracelet and go for a Nato strap. I’d advise you to go that route.

Okay, Mr. Grumpy Face… What’s there to like about the “No Time To Die” Omega Seamaster 007 Edition? Plenty actually! In typical Omega fashion, the 42mm case wears smaller and better than the numbers may suggest. The 42mm case is also only 13mm thick, and has a lug-to-lug of 47.5mm in length. Not bad! I’d say that’s rather compact for a 42mm case. The crystal is a domed piece of sapphire, but the dial can be read at most angles, and doesn’t feel too vintage, nor does it add much to the height of the watch either.

Like the standard Seamaster Professional 300, it also houses a Helium Escape Crown, for when you need to run from the baddies by taking a deep swim in some exotic ocean or river. 300m of water resistance comes as standard with this watch. The movement is a Caliber 8806, which means 55 hours of power reserve on-tap and it can tolerate up to 15,000 gauss of magnetism… For when you are escaping even more baddies and need to take a short-cut through an MRI machine room… I think that’s what it means. I need to watch more James Bond to be sure though.

Over time, the watch becomes more and more charming. I love and appreciate the warmth that comes from the dark chocolate dial and aluminum bezel insert. While not having quite the satisfactory click and accuracy of the Tudor Black Bay 58, I still found using the bezel a fun and charming experience when timing day-to-day activities. After a day or so of wear, I found myself over the hump, and started to look past the bracelet. It took a little bit, but I got there eventually. The Grade-2 Titanium case and mesh bracelet help in reducing heft off of the wrist, while still maintaining a presence, and matching the toned-down vibe of the rest of the colorway. I’m here for it. I just wish the bracelet would fit my wrist properly. The watch also features bi-colored lume, with C3 green on the minute hand and 12:00 pip, and BGW9 blue on the dial indexes and bezel markings as well.

So, it’s $9,500. Let me repeat myself. This watch is $9,500. Hmmm. I like and appreciate the James Bond franchise as a whole, and I like the Daniel Craig films. But $9,500 compared to a similarly equipped Seamaster Master Professional 300 at $5,600? I mean, that’s also Submariner (at retail). It’s not a gift shop James Bond toy-watch, but it feels like gift shop-level pricing for what is an elevated Seamaster Professional 300.

I’d like to thank the owner of this No Time To Die Seamaster, Bruno for allowing me to snag both this, and his Tudor Black Bay 58 Blue for the extended duration that I was allotted. You can go see him and wave hello at O.C. Tanner in downtown Salt Lake City. This isn’t at all a paid advert for him or the company, but tell him I sent you.

If you have the means, and the love for all things James Bond, this special edition of the Seamaster Professional 300 is truly an awesome, and interesting piece that you could totally wear every single day. Just make sure the bracelet fits you ahead of time.