Feature: The watches of The Day of the Jackal
Besides being a cold-blooded killer, a crack shot and having a chameleon-like knack for changing appearance, we’d wager that impeccable timing is also one of the requirements for being a successful hitman. Which makes a reliable watch an essential bit of kit.
In The Day of the Jackal Eddie Redmayne, playing the titular assassin with several aliases, wears not one but three contemporary Omega models as he’s pursued across Europe by a British intelligence officer.
We doubt a real assassin would be faithful to a single watchmaker, but with Redmayne being an Omega ambassador, we’re left with the assumption that Omega’s chequebook had something to do with this being a monobrand series.
But seriously, three watches and not a single one of them a chronograph? And wouldn’t a stealthy all-black ceramic Seamaster Diver 300 have been more up the Jackal’s street?
Frederick Forsyth, the author of the book from which this series is adapted, never specified what brand (or brands) of watch the Jackal wore. But we do know that Forsyth himself wore a yellow-gold Rolex Day-Date, appearing in a 1970s Rolex magazine advert where he professed to wearing it while shooting pigeons. The Jackal would definitely approve of that.
Below, we look at the three Omega watches featured in the series.
The Globemaster
Easily the dressiest of the Jackal’s Omegas is his 18k rose-gold Globemaster. With its 39mm case, pie-pan dial and fluted bezel, it’s understated yet not without aesthetic flair. The Globemaster also offers extreme resistance to magnetic fields (far more than Rolex’s Milgauss) and a respectable 60-hour power reserve.
When he's not stalking his targets, the Jackal dons a Globemaster
Fully wound, this means that if the Jackal takes it off and wears one of his other watches for two and half days, he can return to his Globemaster and it should still be ticking. The Jackal might want to consider trading up to the platinum version after his next big pay cheque.
The Railmaster
Invoking the glamour of the Orient Express—or perhaps a duffel-coated geek on a train station platform jotting down engine numbers—the Railmaster hardly sounds like an assassin’s watch. But look closely at the centre of the dial and you’ll find what looks like the crosshairs of a rifle scope.
Fittingly, the crosshairs at the centre of the Railmaster's dial resemble a rifle scope
The Railmaster, first launched alongside the Speedmaster and Seamaster 300 in 1957, may be a simple time-only steel sports watch but it’s tough, highly legible and we love the subtle nod to the Jackal’s profession.
The Aqua Terra
Although it’s part of the Seamaster family and sounds just as dive-worthy, the Aqua Terra is actually Omega’s answer to a Rolex Datejust. It’s steel, it’s moderately sized and it features nothing but a date window beyond the standard time. The Jackal’s version is the one with a sun-brushed sandstone dial, but the Aqua Terra comes in various sizes, materials and dial colours.
The Jackal wears a steel Aqua Terra, but might want to consider an upgrade
A recent 41mm model with turquoise gradient dial is especially striking, while the ground-breaking Ultra Light version is made from titanium, including the movement. Yes, steel is more versatile, but surely a man constantly on the move like the Jackal would favour a watch that weighs little more than a bullet.
