Although he has retired from his landmark role as James Bond, following five films that grossed nearly $4 billion worldwide, it seems that Daniel Craig’s relationship with OMEGA watches, the official watch of 007, is continuing unabated. OMEGA is also the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games, a position it has held since 1932, and Craig is a brand ambassador for the Swiss watchmaker since he first signed on as Bond in 2006. So it’s no surprise that he attended the recent games in Paris as OMEGA’s VIP guest, both in the stands at the competition itself and at their “OMEGA House” activation space.
Regarding its timekeeping duties, the Olympic Games notes that OMEGA’s role “has not only involved the precise timing of many different sports and disciplines but also the consistent development and evolution of the vital equipment that today’s athletes rely on.” During the event, OMEGA unveiled a new Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Ultra Light timepiece among others. But far more interesting was the unannounced and so far unreleased prototype watch that Craig, a longtime watch collector, wore during his Olympic appearance.
Bearing a resemblance to the standard 60th Anniversary Seamaster 300M with a similar mesh bracelet, the unknown timepiece sports some key differences: this OMEGA Seamaster has a pip on its bezel in place of the numeral 60; the bezel itself appears to be ceramic; it has white hands and indices; and it has a wave-pattered dial. As far as Seamaster 300M variants go, in our opinion, it is less handsome than the “tropical” OMEGA Seamaster 300M 007 edition in titanium with an aluminum bezel which Craig helped to design as part of the James Bond OMEGA watch collection for his final appearance as Bond in 2022’s No Time to Die, though perhaps more authentically militaristic.
OMEGA’s only comment on the watch came at the end of a press release wherein it noted, “the details of the timepiece will be revealed later this year.” Regarding James Bond watches that have appeared on the silver screen, the series of 007-themed OMEGA Seamasters have gained a following amongst collectors, though they lag behind the numerous Rolex models such as the Rolex Submariner that have also gotten cameos in the earlier Bond films. Beyond the Olympics, OMEGA partnerships in the sporting world include America’s Cup sailing, the Volvo Ocean Race, and the annual PGA Championship.
