FRIDAY WIND DOWN: T+T meets James Bond and lives out super-spy fantasies in London
Luke BenedictusThe invitation came through emblazoned with two logos – those of Omega and 007. “Raynald Aeschlimann, The M of Omega, invites you to a spy-inspired event: 60 Years of James Bond. Dress code: black tie (of course).”
Andrew and I duly started whistling cinema’s most famous theme tune.
In London, we were driven to a secret location, where visitors in tuxedos and little black dresses were shown into an underground bunker where a brisk young man known as Q gave us our “highly classified briefing”. At times, it was slightly difficult to concentrate on this due to the extraordinary array of Bond paraphernalia around the room from the silver Aston Martin DB5 from Casino Royale to the Triumph Scrambler motorcycle from No Time to Die “We believe we are combatting a global cyber threat that we’ve linked to a known terrorist organisation called Spectre,” Q told us. “If they succeed it will be the end of the world as we know it.”
Passwords and secret codes were distributed and we were then shown into a room for drinks where we were warned that Spectre agents were circulating. During small talk over cocktails and games of Blackjack, we would occasionally be accosted by actors dressed as guests. A sinister man in black leather gloves with a thick Russian accent would sidle up and attempt to subvert your allegiance. Or a straight-backed Englishman from MI6 would ask you to plant a bug in the jacket pocket of a “suspected double agent”. As the drinks flowed, the lines between reality and fiction become increasingly blurry.
Of course, this was all part of a high creative launch for the new stainless-steel Omega Seamaster 300M 60 Years of James Bond Edition that you can read all about here. Daniel Craig duly made his last hurrah as 007 onstage and spoke about how, during his time in role, Omega had allowed him growing input into the Bond watches. “What’s been amazing is Omega has come in and collaborated with me,” he said. “I wanted to bring in the gadget elements to these beautiful timepieces and for them to mean something in the film.”
This latest Bond launch caps what has been a total monster of a year from Omega with a series of headline-grabbing launches from the Ultra Deep to the MoonSwatch to the Speedmaster ’57 and now this. In my opinion at least, the brand have won 2022 in the release stakes. When I asked Gregory Kissling, Omega’s Head of Product Management, to reflect on this extraordinary 12 months, he gave me a happy but tired smile. “Just wait,” he said. “We’ve still got more to come”.
Passing you back to Zach for the rest of the Wind Down. Have a great weekend.
Luke
Watch meme of the week: WOSTEP wannabes with @nycwatchguy
It is great to find the small victories in things, but this hilarious meme reminds us just how far most of us have to go before truly being able to call ourselves a watchmaker.
Wrist shot of the week: Zach has a #NWA
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Zach made his intentions clear at the close of Watches & Wonders, but an allocation was by no means guaranteed. Fortunately Zach got the call that his limited edition Cartier Santos Dumont Large, with a beige-lacquered rose gold case, had arrived the day before Thanksgiving. Think it is pretty obvious what he is thankful for this year. Zach captioned his #NWA post: “The buttery beige lacquer gives it such a distinct look, the accents of rose gold sneaking through only further complementing the vibe. Perfect size for my wrist, and a movement derived from Piaget, where I began my watch industry journey… it’s going to be a long honeymoon.”
Time+Tide Shop select of the week: Hamilton Khaki Field Murph Auto 38mm
The Khaki Field Murph Auto 38mm is here. One of science fiction’s most famous watches known by fans as ‘The Murph’ is now housed in a compact 38mm stainless steel case. Featuring an ultra-readable black dial, beige vintage-style Super-LumiNova finished hands and black leather strap, it reflects the key aesthetic codes of its 42mm predecessor. Powered by the H-10 automatic movement boasting an 80-hour power reserve, this Khaki Field Murph Auto will capture the hearts of those who are in love with smaller watches.
You can read our full hands-on review of the watch right here.
Order now in the Time+Tide Shop. Price: AU$1,375
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week:
INTRODUCING: Flame to please with the Oris Coulson Limited Edition
Oris has a long history at the forefront of environmental issues, releasing a continuous series of limited editions to benefit causes from ocean reef health to pollution. Their newest release continues the tradition. The 1,000-piece Oris Coulson Limited Edition is designed to bring awareness to the very real problem of wildfires (or bushfires in Australia), often exacerbated by climate change throughout the world. The watch itself notably includes the first ever Swiss 3D-printed carbon case and a orange gradient dial. Read the full introducing review here.
HANDS-ON: The new IWC Portofino Perpetual Calendar IW344601 and IW344602
The latest duo of Portofino watches, the IWC Portofino Perpetual Calendar IW344601 and IW344602, continue the legacy of legendary IWC watchmaker Kurt Klaus, and his ingenious perpetual calendar module born in the ’80s, that allow the user to manipulate all of the perpetual calendar indications via the crown in favour of case-side pushers. Read or watch the full hands-on review here.
Watches from the Pope, Randall Park, Coach K, Betty White to be auctioned off for charity
Currently running until November 30, within Rago/Wright’s latest “Watches” auction catalogue there are nearly 50 lots up for sale as a part of the Once Upon a Time Watch Project. These lots, and the full proceeds of their hammer price, aim to support the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation. Since 1992, the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation has presented 1058 scholarships to deserving college-bound students in Northeastern Wisconsin, the United States, and other parts of the world. Click here to read the full story.
HANDS-ON: The Hamilton Khaki Field Murph is now available in 38mm
Upon the initial release of the Hamilton Khaki Field Murph watch from Interstellar, some were deterred by its 42mm case diameter – expressing as much on Hamilton’s social media. Sure, many loved the 42mm original, but for those who were holding out for something a bit more compact it is finally here: The Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm! Read or watch the full hands-on review here.
Everything you need to know about the new Omega Seamaster 300M 60 Years of James Bond Edition
This year marks the 60th anniversary of James Bond in film, so, of course Omega wants to celebrate this anniversary and partnership the best way they know how: a new stainless steel Omega Seamaster 300M 60 Years of James Bond Edition. Find out everything you need to know here.