Fresh turn for a time-honoured watch

The Life: Omega is set to launch a new watch celebrating 50 years of James Bond.

Daniel Craig wears an Omega watch in the film Quantum of Solace. Susie Allnutt / Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc 2008

For his 21st birthday, my university friend's mum bought him an Omega watch featured in Casino Royale, the James Bond film in which Daniel Craig made his debut as Agent 007.

The watch was so expensive, my friend refused to bring it to the dodgy neighbourhood where we lived in student digs and instead packed the timepiece away at his parent's house. It was only to be worn on black-tie and shaken-not-stirred occasions.

Personally, I just thought it was because he looked nothing like James Bond, or Daniel Craig, and probably more like the notorious Bond villain Oddjob.

But my friend assured me and our other housemates it was because the watch was worth so much.

I think that if you have something expensive, you should not hide it away on the odd chance Burglar Bill will steal it. Flaunt it and act like James Bond while wearing it.Fortunately, now is your lucky chance to do so, because to celebrate 50 years of Bond films, Omega is releasing an update of the Seamaster Diver 300 M. Agent 007 has worn a Seamaster watch in every adventure since GoldenEye, in which Pierce Brosnan starred.

The new watch comes in two versions, male and female, of 41 millimetres and 36.25mm, respectively, and is made of a stainless steel case with ceramic bezel rings and diving scales in matt chromium with the number 50 in red.

The smaller watch has a diamond in the "7" position and is priced at Dh19,500 (US$5,308) and the larger piece at Dh18,500.

Both pieces are expected to be out early next month, but you will have to be quick in buying one because only 11,007 units of the larger version and 3,007 of the smaller size are being produced.