Omega Spectre

The partnership between Omega and James Bond turned 20 in 2015. That same year, the 24th Bond film, "Spectre," hit theaters. The Swiss luxury watch manufacturer marked the occasion with two limited editions: the Omega Seamaster 300 Spectre and the Aqua Terra 150M Spectre. Bond, played by Daniel Craig, sported both models on the silver screen.

The Seamaster 300 version had a limited run of 7,007 pieces and is highly coveted among watch collectors. Due to high demand, this Spectre watch sold out almost immediately, and its price has since increased by several thousand dollars. In the movie, this timepiece has an explosive additional function. However, the main features of the consumer model are its 12-hour bezel and lollipop second hand. Thanks to the Co-Axial Master Chronometer caliber 8400, this watch is extremely precise and can withstand magnetic fields of up to 15,000 gauss.

Omega produced 15,007 units of the Omega Aqua Terra 150M Spectre. This Seamaster Aqua Terra has retained its value well, but is not as sought-after as the Seamaster 300 Spectre. The Bond family coat of arms inspired several elements of the Aqua Terra 150M Spectre. You can find the pattern on its blue dial, as well as on the second hand. On the reverse side, the caliber 8507 is a sight to behold. Its skeletonized rotor with a James Bond engraving resembles the famous "gun barrel" opening sequence from nearly every Bond film.

The Omega Seamaster 300 Spectre is easily one of the most popular Bond watches and a favorite Seamaster edition overall. Not only did this diving watch sell out quickly, but it has also performed extremely well from a financial perspective. Limited to a run of 7,007 pieces, this Seamaster 300 had an original list price of 7,500 USD. The same watch was selling for almost 8,300 USD only a few months later. By late 2017, it had passed the 9,000-USD mark. As of mid-2022, the Seamaster 300 was demanding just under 10,000 USD, regardless of condition.

The Design of the James Bond Seamaster 300

The design of the Seamaster 300 Spectre is very similar to that of the standard model, with a few notable exceptions. The numbers 0 through 11 on the ceramic bezel immediately catch the eye. They are made of Liquidmetal, an amorphous metal alloy that is more resistant and elastic than titanium or aluminum alloys. The bidirectional bezel also allows you to keep track of the time in a second time zone by synchronizing it with the hour hand, rather than setting the hour hand manually.

In contrast, the normal Seamaster has a unidirectional bezel with a 0 to 60 scale. This is a classic feature of diving watches. Before you start your dive, you turn the bezel and align the zero marker with the minute hand. This way, you can keep track of how long you've been underwater.

Both models feature triangular indices similar to those on the first Seamaster 300 from 1957. Other details from the original include Arabic numerals at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock; the only difference being the 1957 version featured a numeral at 12 as well. The Spectre edition replaces the 12 numeral with the company name and logo. Another common feature is the arrow-tipped hour hand; however, the second hands differ. The standard Seamaster has a triangular tip, while the Spectre edition has a lollipop hand with a circular tip.

The most noticeable feature of the Spectre watch is its gray and black NATO strap. James Bond, as played by Sean Connery, first donned a NATO strap in the 1964 film "Goldfinger." In close-up shots, you may notice the 18-mm strap was too slender for the Bond Submariner's lugs.

Magnetic Resistance to 15,000 Gauss

The automatic caliber 8400 ticks away inside the Omega Spectre. This movement features a co-axial escapement, an alternative to the traditional Swiss anchor escapement. The co-axial escapement boasts increased accuracy and efficiency. The balance wheel oscillates at 25,200 vibrations per hour (vph). Omega crafts the balance spring out of silicon, a metalloid with anti-magnetic properties, thus protecting the movement from magnetic fields. In fact, this watch can withstand up to 15,000 gauss. What's more, a double barrel lends this timepiece a 60-hour power reserve.

Like its historical predecessor, Omega does without any additional functions in this caliber. In Spectre, Bond asks the quartermaster if the watch does anything. Q responds, "It tells the time." However, later in the film, we learn that it also doubles as an explosive device.

The Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Spectre had a limited run of 15,007 pieces. As a result, it's neither as rare nor as highly coveted as the Seamaster 300 Spectre. This is reflected in its financial performance. After initially retailing for 7,350 USD, the price for ref. 231.10.42.21.03.004 quickly fell to about 5,600 USD. At one point, prices for a never-worn piece sank below 5,200 USD. This model has since rebounded and is now worth roughly 7,000 USD.

So, if you're looking to get your hands on a limited-edition Omega James Bond watch and aren't that concerned with value appreciation, you should definitely take a look at the Aqua Terra 150M Spectre.

Features and Technology: Aqua Terra 150M Spectre

With a diameter of 41.5 mm, the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M is a half-millimeter larger than the Seamaster 300 Spectre. However, it's only water-resistant to 150 m (15 bar, 492 ft), which is still enough for swimming and snorkeling. As its name implies, the Seamaster 300 can survive depths of up to 300 m (30 bar, 984 ft).

The Aqua Terra 150M Spectre's blue dial features the Bond family coat of arms in a unique, interlocking pattern. A black outline of the coat of arms with three yellow dots in the middle also adorns the tip of the second hand. The family motto is "Orbis non sufficit" – the world is not enough. Fans will recognize this phrase from the 1999 film of the same name and the 6th Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969).

You can view the caliber 8507 at work through the display case back. This movement has a special oscillating weight, which was designed to resemble a gun barrel with a bullet in the middle. This is a nod to the gun barrel sequence from the opening credits of every EON-produced James Bond movie.

Similar to the Seamaster 300 Spectre, the Aqua Terra 150M Spectre is also resistant to magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss, thanks to its anti-magnetic silicon components. Omega outfits the caliber 8507 with a co-axial escapement. The final watch is a certified Master Chronometer, just like the Seamaster 300 Spectre. In order to be certified, the watch must pass tests verifying its precision, water resistance, and resistance to magnetic fields. Finally, there's a date display at 3 o'clock and a sapphire crystal front and back, enabling clear views of the dial and caliber.

At the end of "Spectre," James Bond sports a third Omega watch. More specifically, he wears a vintage Chronograph Caliber 321 in stainless steel. This timepiece bears the reference number 101.010 and was produced in the 1960s. It looks stunning next to Bond's iconic Aston Martin DB5, also a product of the 60s. This exquisite car has appeared in several Bond films. The gold version of the Chronograph Caliber 321 sells for around 8,800 USD in good condition.