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Barqy
·Some background - I have spent days...scratch that, weeks of my life researching watches. Dress watches, sports watches, high horology, Rolex, Omega...you name it, I've tried to absorb as much information as possible over the past 5 years or so. Why you ask? Because I was on the hunt for my first luxury timepiece. I have always appreciated watches and have worn a wristwatch since I was about 12 years of age.
It's taken me a long time to pull the trigger for largely financial and emotional readiness reasons, but I did it! Spoiler alert, it's in the thread title. There was also a large part of me that was overwhelmed by the choices out there. My budget was up to $10,000 - which provides a very wide range of watches to consider. So, how was I going to narrow down my options? I had to literally create and write down at a "needs analysis" to help me render a decision. I'll share some of those considerations below:
1) Daily wearer. It needs to be at home in the boardroom and with jeans and a t-shirt. I have an office job and am typically and in nice pants and a collared shirt, so it needs to fit in there. Also, because I was gearing up for my first luxury watch, I wanted to get good mileage out of it (i.e. - tons of wrist time). I don't (yet) have the privilege of a robust luxury watch collection, but maybe one day.
2) Legibility. If I can't easily tell the time, it doesn't go on my wrist.
3) Ruggedness. I am very careful with the material things I own. With that said, I don't want to feel like I have to baby the watch, at all. Although I'm a sucker for precious metals like gold, stainless steel was going to be the material of choice here, no doubt about it.
4) Technology. Here I was looking for great anti-magnetism, good power reserve and accuracy in time keeping. The Caliber 8900 delivers in spades.
With the above out of the way, I had a plethora of options out there. I've had my eye on the Aqua Terra for years; however, the pre 2018 version lacked ideal case symmetry for me with the 'crown guards' protruding from the crown-side of the case which destroyed the case design for me. Insert the current version we now have - SYMMETRY!!! Oh...and my favourite colour is green...it's getting better... My concern prior to seeing the wrist in the metal was the green dial and the watch's ability to fit comfortably under a dress cuff. I'm happy to report that, in my opinion, both were outstanding. Now, let's dive deeper on some of the aspects of the watch.
Some key dimensions:
- Case diameter: 41mm
- Case thickness: 13.4mm
- Lug to lug: ~47.8mm
- Lug width: 20mm
Dial:
This is probably the most polarizing aspect to this watch and I'll start by saying it looks way better in the metal than most of the photographs or renderings on the internet. When I first saw the images, I was turned off even. Really Omega, that's what you put on the website? Absolutely dreadful. No wonder why most folks were trashing the green watch dial without seeing it in the flesh...I must admit I was the same. That all changed when I called up my AD and they sent me real life pictures and a short video with the dial dancing in some lighting. Oh boy, the hook was set. I journeyed to the AD to see it on wrist and I was in love. Now, it is definitely muted in most lighting conditions. It appears a dark green / olive 80% of the time, sometimes coming across as near black. The remaining 20% is an emerald type of green, which is very mesmerizing to stare at - time almost seems to stand still in those moments.
The domed sapphire crystal that protects that lovely dial has AR coating on both sides making it appear as though there is no crystal at all - the dial is very legible. I love the date window at the 6 o'clock position (did someone say symmetry?!). The hour markers, the hands, the text, the lazer-etched horizontal lines of various thickness, all so crisp and precise. It's very well executed here.
Where can Omega improve here? I think the lume is a let down. It's not very vibrant at all and the lume plots are not very large on the hour markers. It would make more sense to me to also have lume on the minute hand throughout, as on a quick glance you're not sure if its the minute or second hand in the dark as they both have an arrow head design. You almost have to wait to see which one is sweeping away at 25,200 vibrations per hour. Ah yes, 2 seconds later you can quit squinting and make out the correct time
Overall the dial is a huge winner in by books.
Case design:
At 41mm it's not small by any means, but it's not massive either. Ideally I think it could have been 40mm, but I'm splitting hairs here. It's also a touch on the thick side in my opinion at 13.4mm. I would have loved to see them in the 11 to 12mm range. Again, oh well. The twisted lugs are so fantastic and it's off the beaten path in that regard, which is a draw for me. The lugs are not the norm when compared to other watch brands and they have an elegance to them with the combination of brushed and polished steel. Wait, but isn't this a sports watch? Yes, yes it is...It's a classy sports watch.
It's the small details that also intrigued me like the crown design. The conical delight works perfectly with the curves of this watch, as opposed to a (more) traditional cylinder shaped crown. As aesthetically pleasing as it is, I do admittedly find it difficult to screw down to ensure my 150 meters of water resistance. My average sized man mitts sometimes struggle to get a good purchase on it to snug it against the case properly.
Bracelet:
It's a nice bracelet, but nothing special. Sure it's machined well and there's a lot of debate on polished center links (PCL) vs. brushed. I'm happy to report that this indeed has PCL and brushed outer links - a nice pairing in my eyes. Sure the PCL are scratch magnets, but who cares!
The bracelet also tappers, although it's hardly noticeable to my eye and runs from 20mm at the lug spacing to 18mm at the clasp. Speaking of clasp, this twin trigger deployant is nothing to write home about. It works fine, but leaves me feeling so-so about it. That said, it does have a very slim profile, helping my slide this watch under my dress cuff.
More importantly is the lack of quick/micro adjustment system on this bracelet. Again, come on Omega! This has been a frequent critique of these watches. Let's put this in production, it's not rocket science here.
The screwed links are a definitely plus here and help provide a security around fixing those bad boys in place. Pins are, well, cheap.
Of note and as I was researching this watch, others had mentioned that the bracelet edges felt sharp. I have to agree here. Originally when I first picked up the watch and the links weren't 'broken in' per se, it was a touch uncomfortable, or perhaps my non-luxury adorned wrist wasn't used to such quality. After a couple days it noticeably improved with the way it slid up and down my wrist. Even to my touch now, the 90 degree edge is almost, as best I can describe, sharp. It's not immensely off-putting, but it's something worth bringing up.
Movement:
Omega's caliber 8900 that powers this beauty is nothing short of fantastic. Let me hit you with the quick facts:
- 60 hours of power reserve;
- Automatic (and hand wind);
- Regulated at 0 to +5 seconds per day from the factory;
- Shock resistant;
- Antimagnetic up to 15,000 gauss; and
- You can hack the balance.
I appreciate all the features above and feel like Omega is punching well above its weight here in terms of giving the consumer some great technology in their movement offering.
It doesn't have a quickset date function which I thought I'd miss to be honest; however, I tried the functionality of having the hour hand being able to independently 'jump' forward and back, what Omega calls the 'time zone function', to adjust the date wheel, and I must admit, I quite enjoyed it. If you're a frequent traveler between time zones, you'll really appreciate this feature. When using the time zone function the watch continues to send power to the escapement and therefore is still running so you don't miss a beat
Having the sapphire glass adorning the underside of the case is also a treat for you to behold. You can peer right through and see where some of your hard earned coin is going. Although not an entirely hand-finished movement, it has an industrial beauty to it. It's something I enjoy starring at and I like to visually remind myself of its 2 barrels, 39 jewels, the full balance bridge for that shock protection, and the rotor to name a few.
Final Thoughts:
Over the past 2 months of ownership, I am extremely happy with this timepiece. I would highly recommend the 41mm Seamaster Aqua Terra to anyone looking for a great all-rounder. It can easily be your everyday, every adventure watch. The pros far outweigh the cons for me and my preferences. Happy hunting.
Photos:
Disclaimer - I am not a professional photographer, as you'll clearly see below. Just everyday use shown.
Note: I have an approximately 7.25 inch wrist in circumference.
It's taken me a long time to pull the trigger for largely financial and emotional readiness reasons, but I did it! Spoiler alert, it's in the thread title. There was also a large part of me that was overwhelmed by the choices out there. My budget was up to $10,000 - which provides a very wide range of watches to consider. So, how was I going to narrow down my options? I had to literally create and write down at a "needs analysis" to help me render a decision. I'll share some of those considerations below:
1) Daily wearer. It needs to be at home in the boardroom and with jeans and a t-shirt. I have an office job and am typically and in nice pants and a collared shirt, so it needs to fit in there. Also, because I was gearing up for my first luxury watch, I wanted to get good mileage out of it (i.e. - tons of wrist time). I don't (yet) have the privilege of a robust luxury watch collection, but maybe one day.
2) Legibility. If I can't easily tell the time, it doesn't go on my wrist.
3) Ruggedness. I am very careful with the material things I own. With that said, I don't want to feel like I have to baby the watch, at all. Although I'm a sucker for precious metals like gold, stainless steel was going to be the material of choice here, no doubt about it.
4) Technology. Here I was looking for great anti-magnetism, good power reserve and accuracy in time keeping. The Caliber 8900 delivers in spades.
With the above out of the way, I had a plethora of options out there. I've had my eye on the Aqua Terra for years; however, the pre 2018 version lacked ideal case symmetry for me with the 'crown guards' protruding from the crown-side of the case which destroyed the case design for me. Insert the current version we now have - SYMMETRY!!! Oh...and my favourite colour is green...it's getting better... My concern prior to seeing the wrist in the metal was the green dial and the watch's ability to fit comfortably under a dress cuff. I'm happy to report that, in my opinion, both were outstanding. Now, let's dive deeper on some of the aspects of the watch.
Some key dimensions:
- Case diameter: 41mm
- Case thickness: 13.4mm
- Lug to lug: ~47.8mm
- Lug width: 20mm
Dial:
This is probably the most polarizing aspect to this watch and I'll start by saying it looks way better in the metal than most of the photographs or renderings on the internet. When I first saw the images, I was turned off even. Really Omega, that's what you put on the website? Absolutely dreadful. No wonder why most folks were trashing the green watch dial without seeing it in the flesh...I must admit I was the same. That all changed when I called up my AD and they sent me real life pictures and a short video with the dial dancing in some lighting. Oh boy, the hook was set. I journeyed to the AD to see it on wrist and I was in love. Now, it is definitely muted in most lighting conditions. It appears a dark green / olive 80% of the time, sometimes coming across as near black. The remaining 20% is an emerald type of green, which is very mesmerizing to stare at - time almost seems to stand still in those moments.
The domed sapphire crystal that protects that lovely dial has AR coating on both sides making it appear as though there is no crystal at all - the dial is very legible. I love the date window at the 6 o'clock position (did someone say symmetry?!). The hour markers, the hands, the text, the lazer-etched horizontal lines of various thickness, all so crisp and precise. It's very well executed here.
Where can Omega improve here? I think the lume is a let down. It's not very vibrant at all and the lume plots are not very large on the hour markers. It would make more sense to me to also have lume on the minute hand throughout, as on a quick glance you're not sure if its the minute or second hand in the dark as they both have an arrow head design. You almost have to wait to see which one is sweeping away at 25,200 vibrations per hour. Ah yes, 2 seconds later you can quit squinting and make out the correct time
Overall the dial is a huge winner in by books.
Case design:
At 41mm it's not small by any means, but it's not massive either. Ideally I think it could have been 40mm, but I'm splitting hairs here. It's also a touch on the thick side in my opinion at 13.4mm. I would have loved to see them in the 11 to 12mm range. Again, oh well. The twisted lugs are so fantastic and it's off the beaten path in that regard, which is a draw for me. The lugs are not the norm when compared to other watch brands and they have an elegance to them with the combination of brushed and polished steel. Wait, but isn't this a sports watch? Yes, yes it is...It's a classy sports watch.
It's the small details that also intrigued me like the crown design. The conical delight works perfectly with the curves of this watch, as opposed to a (more) traditional cylinder shaped crown. As aesthetically pleasing as it is, I do admittedly find it difficult to screw down to ensure my 150 meters of water resistance. My average sized man mitts sometimes struggle to get a good purchase on it to snug it against the case properly.
Bracelet:
It's a nice bracelet, but nothing special. Sure it's machined well and there's a lot of debate on polished center links (PCL) vs. brushed. I'm happy to report that this indeed has PCL and brushed outer links - a nice pairing in my eyes. Sure the PCL are scratch magnets, but who cares!
The bracelet also tappers, although it's hardly noticeable to my eye and runs from 20mm at the lug spacing to 18mm at the clasp. Speaking of clasp, this twin trigger deployant is nothing to write home about. It works fine, but leaves me feeling so-so about it. That said, it does have a very slim profile, helping my slide this watch under my dress cuff.
More importantly is the lack of quick/micro adjustment system on this bracelet. Again, come on Omega! This has been a frequent critique of these watches. Let's put this in production, it's not rocket science here.
The screwed links are a definitely plus here and help provide a security around fixing those bad boys in place. Pins are, well, cheap.
Of note and as I was researching this watch, others had mentioned that the bracelet edges felt sharp. I have to agree here. Originally when I first picked up the watch and the links weren't 'broken in' per se, it was a touch uncomfortable, or perhaps my non-luxury adorned wrist wasn't used to such quality. After a couple days it noticeably improved with the way it slid up and down my wrist. Even to my touch now, the 90 degree edge is almost, as best I can describe, sharp. It's not immensely off-putting, but it's something worth bringing up.
Movement:
Omega's caliber 8900 that powers this beauty is nothing short of fantastic. Let me hit you with the quick facts:
- 60 hours of power reserve;
- Automatic (and hand wind);
- Regulated at 0 to +5 seconds per day from the factory;
- Shock resistant;
- Antimagnetic up to 15,000 gauss; and
- You can hack the balance.
I appreciate all the features above and feel like Omega is punching well above its weight here in terms of giving the consumer some great technology in their movement offering.
It doesn't have a quickset date function which I thought I'd miss to be honest; however, I tried the functionality of having the hour hand being able to independently 'jump' forward and back, what Omega calls the 'time zone function', to adjust the date wheel, and I must admit, I quite enjoyed it. If you're a frequent traveler between time zones, you'll really appreciate this feature. When using the time zone function the watch continues to send power to the escapement and therefore is still running so you don't miss a beat
Having the sapphire glass adorning the underside of the case is also a treat for you to behold. You can peer right through and see where some of your hard earned coin is going. Although not an entirely hand-finished movement, it has an industrial beauty to it. It's something I enjoy starring at and I like to visually remind myself of its 2 barrels, 39 jewels, the full balance bridge for that shock protection, and the rotor to name a few.
Final Thoughts:
Over the past 2 months of ownership, I am extremely happy with this timepiece. I would highly recommend the 41mm Seamaster Aqua Terra to anyone looking for a great all-rounder. It can easily be your everyday, every adventure watch. The pros far outweigh the cons for me and my preferences. Happy hunting.
Photos:
Disclaimer - I am not a professional photographer, as you'll clearly see below. Just everyday use shown.
Note: I have an approximately 7.25 inch wrist in circumference.
