Omega Seamaster 300 James Bond ‘No Time to Die' ref. 210.90.42.20.01.001

The Origins

Initially released in 1948 and based on watches used by airmen in WWII, the Omega Seamaster has become one of Omega’s best-known collections, and one of watchmaking’s most notable sports watches, specifically within the arena of dive watches. While it was initially a dress-style watch with thick lugs and a precious metal case, the Seamaster was designed to tackle casual daily wear while remaining functional for use in water with an impressive 62.5 meters of water resistance – which was by no means a slouch at the time. However, the modern Seamaster that we know and love today was born a short nine years later, in 1957, along with the Speedmaster and Railmaster, which complete Omega’s iconic ‘ 1957 trilogy’. 

Inspired to upgrade the Seamaster after they had 50 of the Seamaster’s original cases fitted with rubber O-ring gaskets and pressure-tested tested in 1955, Omega began to work with new materials and push their engineering boundaries. As a result, they created the Seamaster 300, which featured a heavily luminescent dial and handset, a rotating bezel, a thick domed hesalite crystal, and double crown seals. Interestingly, while named the Seamaster 300, the watch was originally only rated for 200m of water resistance, with Omega insisting that the watch could outperform the testing equipment. 

In the decades following, the Seamaster continued to evolve as into one of watchmaking’s most impressive dive watches, and in 1995 it made its debut on the wrist of Pierce Brosnan as the iconic English spy James Bond in ‘GoldenEye.’Since then, the Seamaster has lived on as one of James Bond's watches of choice and now enjoys the privileged position in today’s market as one of the most iconic dive watches ever released. 

Launched in 2021, the Seamaster that we have here is the ‘No Time to Die’ ref. 210.90.42.20.01.001, which is aesthetically identical to the timepiece that Daniel Craig’s James Bond wore in his last film of the same name. Boasting plenty of calls to Bond’s occupation as a spy for the British government’sSecret Intelligence Service, MI6, the ref. 210.90.42.20.01.001 is one of the most aesthetically unique Seamaster 300 variants produced in a long time. 

The Case and Dial

Inspired by James Bond’s role as a military spy, the ref. 210.90.42.20.01.001 boasts several trademarks of a military-issued timepiece, such as the arrow on its dial at 6 o’clock and caseback. The numbers that are also on its caseback also mimic the issuance numbers used on real pieces of military kit, which can often be found on genuine military-issued timepiece. Offered with a dark brown dial with fauxtina-coloured luminous indices and hands and matching fauxtina-coloured markings in its ceramic bezel, this stunning timepiece blends rugged design and classic appeal with James Bond’s dangerous lifestyle and his iconic position as the silver screen’s best-known spy.

Made entirely out of grade 2 titanium instead of stainless steel like usual, the ref. 210.90.42.20.01.001 features the Seamaster 300’s signature 42mm case in a slightly darker colour than collectors would know it. Boasting the Seamaster 300’s twisted lyre lugs and helium escape value at 11 o’clock, the case’s presence on the wrist is still unchanged, however, the ref. 210.90.42.20.01.001 uses a Milanese mesh bracelet in lieu of the Seamaster’s traditional bracelet, which completely alters its wearing experience. An intriguing take on the Seamaster, this watch is a breath of fresh air for the collection, given how slow Omega has been to evolve it. 

The Movement

Powered by the automatic cal. 8806, the Seamaster ‘NTTD’ boasts 55 hours of power reserve alongside Omega’s famed co-axial escapement and a bevy of certifications such as its Master Chronometer certification awarded by METAS that states that it is resistant to magnetic fields reaching 15,000 gauss – an incredible feat. Additionally, the cal. 8806 also features a free sprung-balance with silicon balance spring, automatic winding in both directions and rhodium plated finishing with Geneva waves. Granted, while other Seamaster 300s provide a view of this movement through an exhibition caseback, the Seamaster ‘NTTD’ makes no such concession with its solid caseback. 

Celeb Love

Given its close affinity with James Bond and Daniel Craig, given that ‘No Time to Die’ was his last film as the iconic character, the ref. 210.90.42.20.01.001 has become a popular choice for Bond fans, Omega collector’s alike and celebrities alike. Of course spotted on the wrist of Daniel Craig throughout the movie and on the red carpet, other celebrities who have donned the ref. 210.90.42.20.01.001 include famous faces such as Will Ferrell, Joe Rogan and Conan O’Brien.

Market Performance

While the Seamaster ‘NTTD’ has certainly earned its place as one of Omega’s most popular recent releases thanks to its vintage aesthetic, military-inspired details and link to one of the silver screen’s most iconic characters, it has consistently traded below its MSRP of $10000. Granted, while it did trade around its retail price soon after it was released, it has since settled on a market value of around $7700, a negative price premium of 23%, which is around the level of performance that we would expect from Omega. 

While this might be a surprise given the level of hype the watch had after its release, Omega’s decision to make the Seamaster ‘NTTD’ a general production offering instead of a limited edition offering as they normally would for a tie-in James Bond watch is likely the cause of its performance. If the production was limited to around 7007 pieces, like the James Bond watches often are, the Seamaster ‘NTTD’ could have certainly reached, and sustained, a market price premium over its MSRP. In the same vein, like other James Bond edition watches, once it has been discontinued it is likely that the Seamaster ‘NTTD’ will appreciate in value. Will it appreciate enough to be worth more than its MSRP? Only time will tell, but if you look at other James Bond edition watches from Omega, you will have plenty of evidence to support the idea that it will. 

Check out the live performance of Omega Seamaster 300 James Bond ‘No Time to Die' ref. 210.90.42.20.01.001 on The Wristcheck Index