Three watch reviews stolen from the Dunkirk film narrative

OK, I know this is a watch column, but we have to talk about Dunkirk. If you haven’t seen it, please put down this magazine and head to the nearest IMAX cinema tout de suite. In a summer season stuffed with movies like Arachno-boy 8 (actually it was pretty good) and Monkey War 7 (that wasn’t bad, too, if I’m honest), Dunkirk is a refreshing change and just the visceral smack in the face we all need.

Right, where were we? Oh yes, watches. Well there is a watch link of sorts in Dunkirk, related to the Royal Air Force pilot played by Tom Hardy (a collective swoon from the women – and, let’s be frank, many men – out there).

Hardy’s flying ace has an Omega, and I’m not going to lie: it’s driving me insane trying to work out which model it is. There are already hundreds of people talking about it in online forums, so I’m not alone in this (though now I’ve revealed myself to be incredibly sad). But that’s all in the past.

Another great Omega recently released (and also with a genuine Hollywood connection) is the Seamaster 300m “Commander’s Watch” Limited Edition. Who’s the commander you ask? Well, Commander Bond, Commander James Bond, and this is another horological homage to 007, the Royal Navy’s greatest fictional officer (pipe down, Hornblower). It comes in a beautifully rendered case echoing a medal box, features a Nato strap in Royal Navy colours and comes with an extra steel bracelet and a strap-changing tool.

What about the watch? Well, it’s the redoubtable Seamaster 300m, a 41mm steel watch with an excellent calibre 2507 movement inside, the visible rotor featuring the commander’s insignia. It’s a dive piece, so the “300m” of the title refers to its water resistance. The design, as you would expect, has lots of nods to Bond, including the 007 gun logo on the second hand, on the case back and on the buckle of the steel bracelet. Limited to 7,007 pieces, the watch is priced at HK$41,200.