The Omega James Bond watch to die for

DURING 007's latest cinematic outing, No Time To Die, James Bond wears an Omega with a coiled mechanism fitted to the underside of the watch that creates a limited radius electromagnetic pulse.

The device allows the world's favourite spy to short out any circuit on a hard-wired network and it becomes a useful life-saving tool. Upon Bond's successful return from the mission, he wryly declares to its designer, Q, "Just showed somebody your watch - it really blew their mind."

In real-life, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition's technical capabilities doesn't stray too far from its big screen watchmaking magic. Like almost all its mechanical timepieces today, the watch is Master Chronometer certified; meaning it has been tested and approved at the Swiss industry's highest standard of precision, performance and magnetic-resistance.

With its Co-Axial escapement, a silicon balance spring, and other non-ferrous materials, it is capable of resisting magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss - equivalent to that of an MRI scanner. In everyday use, this level of anti-magnetic technology will protect it from the magnetic fields of common objects like mobile phones and laptops, which can spoil a mechanical watch and stop it from working in the long run.

But don't just take our word for it. On the eve of his final appearance as James Bond, Daniel Craig talks about how the newest 007 watch was created, his obsession with vintage watches, and why he doesn't trust himself to change his own watch strap.

Q: Tell us about your role in the design of the new watch. What did you speak to the designers about? And what were the details you focused on?

A: This new watch has also really been an amalgamation of many discussions. I had some suggestions but they went away and ran with it. Raynald (Aeschlimann, president and CEO, of Omega) really let the design team go and do what they wanted.

When they showed it to me, I genuinely said: "You've done it." There was nothing in the end that I needed to add. There's the style of it, of course, but it's also close to a military watch, and you have that heritage with Omega and the British army watches of the second World War.

All of those things that I wanted to connect through, they've done it. I'm over the moon with it.

Q: Was it important to make this watch a Seamaster Diver 300M? That's the classic Bond watch, so was it essential for you that the new James Bond watch was a Diver?

A: Where Bond starts in No Time To Die, it makes complete sense. He's sort of retired. He's in Jamaica.

He's on his boat. So probably, a little more by accident than design, it worked perfectly.

Which is great. The fact it's a diving watch is great, because we hint that he's diving in the first part of the movie.

Plus the strap, which feels vintage in a kind of seventies way, I really like that kind of touch. Like a sixties, seventies divers watch. It feels like that period.

Q: You mentioned vintage. Were the vintage touches important for you? Does that appeal to your own personal taste in watches?

A: My first Omega watch was given to me on my 18th birthday by my Dad. It was a gold dress watch. I wore it so much, one of the arms came off and I lost it.

Sadly, it disappeared. But that was my first proper watch, so I've always had a love for old Omegas.

I think the designers were going to do it anyway, but when I started talking to them, I was very much hinting by saying: "Look back, look back at what you had."

Then there was the whole thing about sticking a Nato strap on it.

I've been doing that for years. I've been taking my watches and sticking them on Nato straps, just because it's fun to swap them around.

And they grabbed that and said, "Yes, let's do that."

Now, every watch has a Nato strap on it. The only thing is, I'm always nervous about having that strap-changing tool and attacking my watch with it.

I'd rather just take it to a watchmaker to get it done.

• The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition is crafted from lightweight Grade 2 titanium, with a tropical brown dial and unique military markings. It is available to own on a titanium mesh bracelet or a striped Nato strap.

Price: S$13,450