Every Wednesday is Watch Wednesday at MotoringExposure, the blog for fast super cars and exotic cars. Although the watch related articles are most of the time less in-depth than the ones posted here at Fratellowatches, they are still worth reading for the intermediate and advanced watch collectors.

This week, it is all about the Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300M, also known as the James Bond watch in times of GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day and Casino Royale. Although the SMP in GoldenEye was a quartz movement driven watch and the Casino Royale featured the more recent Co-Axial version, these watches are basically all the same (with some minor optical differences). In Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, the Seamaster Planet Ocean was introduced as Bond’s new watch.

Nevertheless, the Seamaster Professional Chronometer Diver 300M (ref.2220.80) remains available for customers, with its wave pattern dial, skeleton hands and 9-link bracelet.

Personally, I love this watch and it was the first ‘serious’ mechanical watch (ref.2531.80) that I bought, in the year 2000 (and sold it a few years later). You can find a more in-depth review of this watch (click here), that I wrote several years ago.

Enjoy the article over at MotoringExposure! Click here for the blog post!

Graham London – famous for their eccentric time pieces -  launched their new website last Tuesday. Graham London’s completely redesigned web site went online at www.graham-london.com. When you click collections and select the watch of your choice – my choice would be the Chronofighter – you can use the zoom-functionality to get very (and I mean very!) close. The new digital home of Graham London is worth checking out, just like their time pieces.

Visit Graham London by clicking here.

It seems that every major brand has a white watch in their collection, especially for the ladies who love nice watches as well. Or for the men who love to give their wife or girlfriend a nice watch. Linde Werdelin just sent out a press release introducing their White Watch, based on the famous 3-Timer model.

Although it is a women’s watch, its dimensions are 46mm (w) & 42mm (bezel diameter) by 49mm (l) by 12mm (h). According to Linde Werdelin, it wears like a 42mm watch though. As you can see, it has been given a softer and more elegant touch while a new strap has been fitted to accommodate smaller feminine wrists.

The White Watch is limited to 51 pieces worldwide and will be soon available at LindeWerdelin.com and authorised retailers and will retail at €4,680.

For specifications, please read my 3-Timer review here.

From the press release by NAWCC:

On September 10 2010, the National Watch and Clock Museum will unveil for the first time a complete collection of all eight James Bond wristwatch models provided by Seiko UK! These eight watches have been identified for the “Bond Watches, James Bond Watches” exhibit by Mark Mills (former Technical Support Manager with Seiko UK).  Mills was Eon Productions’ contact person at Seiko from 1977 through 1985.

Dell Deaton of JamesBondWatches.com and Guest Curator for “Bond Watches, James Bond Watches,” was given unprecedented access to documentation and Mark Mills’ personal recollections with the support of Seiko Watch Corporation in Tokyo, Japan. Prior to Deaton’s initiative here, no one had ever conducted original research with the supplier to definitively identify model numbers, correct case references, and exact configurations for timekeepers worn in the 007 films.

Image courtesy of and copyright by Dell Deaton.

Actor Roger Moore wore a Seiko 150 meter, duo-display diver’s watch, model SPW001, case H558-5000 as James Bond 007 in the Eon Productions film “A View to a Kill” (1985).

——- end of press release excerpt..

Although I don’t have anything against Seiko (on the contrary), I do think that people responsible for product placement should have done their home work a bit better and should have realised that a Seiko isn’t very Bond, James Bond at all. Same goes for Bond’s cars though. James Bond shouldn’t wear a Seiko or an Omega and shouldn’t be driving in a BMW as well. Nothing wrong with these brands or products, but it just didn’t (and still doesn’t) fit.

Launched in 1992, Bell & Ross was founded by Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo. The first Bell & Ross models were very similar to those of Sinn Spezialuhren and officially, this collaboration lasted till 2002 (although Bell & Ross made their own models long before that year). Most people who started their interest in watches just recently, probably know the BR Instrument watches best.

In 2005, the first BR instrument was introduced and Bell & Ross clearly have been inspired ever since. They have been introducing various models based on the famous flight panel instruments, including the BR 03-92 that’s now being featured on Fratellowatches. A 42mm glass bead blasted steel case with black carbon powder coating and amazing orange coloured hour markers, logo and hands. The matching Bell & Ross strap with a black carbon powdered steel buckle matches the dial perfectly.

Inside the black case, an ETA2892-A2 movement is ticking away your precious time with 28.800 beats per hour. This movement could be considered commodity, as it is being used by numerous brands who don’t manufacture their own movements. It is a perfect movement, that has proven itself over time (since 1982, when the first version of this movement was introduced). A watch maker can get this movement to run as accurate as it gets with respect to mechanical watches. I didn’t have the time or the equipment at hand to test the accuracy of this particular Bell & Ross movement.

As I wrote above, the strap and clasp are a perfect fit to the case and dial. As you can see, the buckle is quite large but certainly not uncomfortable when wearing or using. The modest BR logo is engraved in the black carbon powdered clasp. The tan coloured strap with white stitches and fabulous & logo will probably become a bit darker when wearing, but just like good Santoni shoes, it will age nicely.

The case back is a bit confusing with all the engraving in it. Especially the screw that you shouldn’t unscrew is very tempting to use your screwdriver on. This screw is to be able to remove the crown, but this should only be done by a watchmaker who knows what he is doing. The engraving further bears some very true but yet irrelevant information, like the fact that it is a stainless steel case, that it has a mechanical automatic movement inside and that it is made in Switzerland. The one thing engraved that is useful, is the water resistance level of this watch. You can use this watch with a Bell & Ross rubber strap as well, and that would make it perfectly useful for a swim.

This rectangular shaped watch is very comfortable on the wrist. Although I could probably handle its bigger brother, the BR 01-92 (which is 46mm), this one sits perfectly on my (large) wrist. The thick luminous hour markers and logo are a joy to glance at when wearing this Instrument watch. The 4 screws in the dial (for attaching/de-attaching the movement) are part of the ‘flight panel’-look and do not disturb me whatsoever. The small round date window is located between 4 o’clock and 5 o’clock and keeps the dial very clean.

With a list price of 2800 Euro, it is a very attractive time piece and you probably won’t see another guy wearing it in your office. The price is justified by the craftsmanship of the case, strap and dial. It is all done very well, feels solid and the finish of the various parts is of a high quality. As for comfort, you probably have to try one before you buy it, as not everyone likes a ‘flat’ and rectangular watch on his or her wrist.

Thanks to Watch-Site for lending me this watch. Watch-Site is a reputable on-line watch dealer and has this BR 03-92 (BNIB) for sale for 2155 Euro.