These futuristic-looking watches are quite popular in Japan. One watch from the line especially caught people’s attention – The Seiko sports 100 digiborg. We’ve talked about it and much more below.
This isn’t one watch but a whole line. The company didn’t come up with its name, however. It came about due to its popularity and It isn’t hard to see why – the timepieces look futuristic, almost robotic.
They are digital watches with 4 buttons on the sides. Their face is partitioned and named. For example, the timer is above the alarm, which is below the dual time feature. Words can’t explain how ‘digiborg-like’ they look – you need to see pictures.
Something that makes the collection look futuristic is the icon on the side of their displays – they look like chipsets. Normally, stainless steel straps are in place, but depending on the model you pick up, you could get rubber.
So, what are the devices called? They’re Seiko G757 pieces. The acclaimed Sports 100 used in the James Bond movie is the 5020- Sports 100.
The timepieces in the G757 collection look similar. You’ll easily mistake the James Bond Octopussy watch for its brother. We almost did so with the 5030. Let’s talk about 007’s watch below.
It’s made from quality stainless steel. Seiko did a good job with its build as denting it is hard. The silver on it is shiny, which is what anyone would want. Although the model has a deployant clasp, the movie shows the timepiece with a black clasp. Seiko never explained this. It is presumed that it was covered in black tape or paint during filming.
You’ll be able easily to access its modes due to the named features on the upper right corner. However, its display isn’t the easiest to read – by 2020’s standards at least. You’re getting a dim LCD front.
There is a chronograph on it. If you don’t know what the feature is, it is a stopwatch. You’ll be working the pushers on its sides to activate it.
As the Octopussy movie was made in the 1980s, it’s not surprising that you get a quartz movement. The specific quartz in it is Japanese, so it was made created with a very automated process. There is a myriad of quartz mechanisms out there. We, unfortunately, don’t know the specific one the watch uses. We do know that it’s very accurate, though.
The buttons on its sides are bulky. This makes them a breeze to reach, but they can poke at your wrist.
Something in the movie that is not in the timepiece is the Fabergé egg tracker. The Digiborg detects the bug in it through radio waves.
When watches are used in movies, we often don’t see them at all. This happened in Men in Black 3 with Hamilton’s Venturas. Scenes move fast and watches are small after all. Surprisingly, you see a lot of the Seiko piece in the film. We get a good close-up of it when Bond is in Germany – he looks at the watch to check how much time he has left until the bomb goes off.
Why wouldn’t you be interested in it? It’s part of movie history. Sadly, it will be hard to grab – it is notably rare. If you do find it, you’ll be spending thousands of dollars. It was once on eBay going for USD 2000. As the item is so sought after, stores sell pieces from the G757 line that look a lot like the Sports 100, which are priced similarly.
As the watch is so hard to grab, we ran through a cheaper alternative that is worth your time.
This watch is made of quality stainless steel. It’s shiny, so it’ll look good in low light. The HD-1A is highly water-resistant – it can handle up to 330 feet (100 meters). If you’re thinking of diving with it, we’ve got some bad news; it is not ISO 6425 certified. You can snorkel with it at the most.
Although its body is metal, its case is made from plastic. This isn’t a bad thing as the plastic is durable. It also blends well with the shiny stainless-steel strap.
There are 4 large pushers to work its features. They are placed exactly where you’d find them on the Seiko Digiborg. Everything is displayed on an LCD screen. However, there is an LED backlight. The features it offers are not too bad – you get access to 31 different time zones, 5 alarms, a world map (that looks very bond-esque), and a countdown timer.
It is a Japanese quartz device. We, unfortunately, don’t know the name of the specific movement used. That being said, it’s accurate and reliable.
The watch isn’t too big. It’s petite, like its more expensive counterpart, and has a 1.55 inch (39.5 mm) case.
The battery on it can last a while. According to Casio, it’ll be around for 5 years.
The timepiece looks stunning. Having it on your wrist would truly grab everyone’s attention. If you’re a watch collector, the device is a must-have – it is rare and was worn on 007’s wrist. The G757 line, on the whole, looks cool – its pieces are exquisite. But we’re disappointed that sellers sell similar pieces in the collection for the G757-5020 – and many people have gotten scammed.
As the James bond watch is so popular, there are many replicas and homage pieces available. The Casio AE1200WHD-1A is definitely worth your attention.
