James Bond fans could not possibly be happier with Omega’s latest tribute.
Spy game
James Bond fans could not possibly be happier with Omega’s latest tribute. The special edition Seamaster Diver 300M, created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, is so chock-full of references that 007 himself wouldn’t wear it for risk of exposure. The index at 12 o’clock is based on the Bond family coat of arms, the “7” numeral in the date window shares the same font as the 007 logo, and there’s a hidden “50” at 10 o’clock that’s only visible in the dark through Super-Luminova. The dial features a gun-barrel design and a bullet head at the centre, and is enhanced with yellow gold-rimmed hands and indexes, and a ceramic dial. Finally, a yellow-gold plate on the case side bears the 007 logo and the edition number.
Dial it up
With seemingly free-floating components laid bare on the watch face for all to admire, Ulysse Nardin’s Executive Tourbillon Free Wheel was never short on spectacle. And yet there’s nothing a few exotic dial options can’t do to spice things up even more. There are four new references, and each is limited to 18 pieces. These dials now come in frosty light blue osmium (the world’s heaviest metal), black dyed straw marquetry, starry aventurine, or Carbonium Gold, a material made from fusing carbon filaments and gold particles to create a pattern of shimmery, flowing waves. The Executive Tourbillon Free Wheel is also equipped with the brand’s silicon-reliant Anchor Escapement, and has a week’s reserve of power.
Metalmorphosis
With formalwear rules easing, it’s no longer tacky to don a rugged sports watch with a suit. The only trouble is getting them under those cuffs, which is where Panerai’s Luminor Due collection comes in. The Due collection offers slimness without taking away the Luminor design’s significant wrist presence, and it has just expanded with new models in titanium, characterised by blue sunburst dials and beige lume. The 38mm and 42mm models are powered by the brand’s thinnest movement, the 4.2mm thick P.900. The largest and most complicated, the Luminor Due GMT Power Reserve (PAM00964), measures 45mm wide and comes with date, red-tipped GMT hand, 24-hour/small seconds subdial and an AM/PM indicator.
