Daniel Craig's debut as James Bond signalled a new direction for 007: a grittier spy, with A Lot On His Mind. Yes, he did think it appropriate to barge into a shower, uninvited, with a sex trafficking survivor. And yes, Judi Dench's M did chastise him for reducing Gemma Arterton to a mere "sacrificial lamb". But Craig has, for all intents and purposes, updated Bond for the modern day. No crassly named accomplices. No campy gadgets, either.
That energy has translated off-screen, too. James Bond's watches used to be less about telling the time, more about melting steel and blowing up volcanic lairs. But ahead of his upcoming (and final) outing as 007, Craig wore a piece that, like him, is above gimmickry. It was Omega, for a start. And at the old school classic procession that was the Golden Globes, Craig opted for a Speedmaster that was right at home: the Day-Date Automatic Chronometer.
The watch itself (long a go-to for Bonds of all ilks) is classic red carpet: it's lustrous without being covered in diamonds, it's incredibly detailed and, best of all, comes in a red gold on red gold combo. Not to be confused with the softer rose gold – an option far more popular in Swiss circles – red gold is an alloy of pure 24-karat yellow gold, copper and silver. That makes it very shiny. That also makes it a little costlier than most other Speedmasters, with an asking price of £11,560 (perhaps even more at re-sale, since this limited release is now sold out worldwide).
But you're not just paying for special metal. Inside, the Day-Date Automatic Chronometer houses an Omega 3606 calibre. Made exclusively for the Swiss marque, the self-winding movement has up to 44 hours of juice, and powers a horological triple threat: day, date and month indication. The Speedmaster's precision has long been championed – a close relative once landed on the moon, don't you know – and Craig's endorsement is the latest in a long line of very famous men having very good Omega watches, including Eddie Redmayne, Henry Golding and Ryan Reynolds.
All very good company. And when Omega crafts watches this handsome, superfluous gadgets are out the window. Yes. Even laser beams.
