Greatest of all time

As the James Bond franchise celebrates 60 years, Vogue India reflects on the Omega watches that equipped the legendary spy and his leading ladies on their secret missions.

- RISHNA SHAH

IN 1995, OSCAR-WINNING costume designer Lindy Hemming decided that James Bond would wear an Omega watch. She selected a ‘Seamaster’ model from the Swiss horologers with a marine blue bezel, wave patterned dial and steel bracelet to elevate his look. “I was convinced that Commander Bond, a naval man, a diver and a discreet gentleman of the world would wear this watch,” explained Hemming on Pierce Brosnan’s debut in GoldenEye (1995). Her astute decision catapulted the ‘Seamaster’ into stardom—not only did it become a bestseller (who wouldn’t want to get their hands on a Bond watch?) but an important tool in the wardrobe of the spy and the film’s female protagonist as well as the script, assisting them on their adventures and sometimes even keeping them alive. Here are six important versions of the heroic his and hers ‘Seamaster’ timepiece you need to know.

1995-2002: ‘Seamaster Professional 300m’ watch

Is a Bond watch even a Bond watch without all the gadgets and gizmos? Brosnan’s arm candy from the 1990s and beyond was everything you’d expect from a secret agent, and more. Since its first cameo sighting in GoldenEye, the ‘Seamaster’ took a larger supporting role in the storylines of future sequels. For example, in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), the timepiece was fitted with a detonator. In The World Is Not Enough (1999), the handy accessory was upgraded with flashing LED lights and a grappling hook with a 50ft microfilament line because frankly, why not? In