Hi there! First time posting, just now graduating from the world of cheap quartz into the high-end market.

I've been researching my first purchase for about a week now, and nothing has grabbed my attention like the blue Hour Vision (though the blue AT comes in a very close second). However, I'm not looking to start a collection - with this amount of money required, I only want to buy one and use it for pretty much everything.

The question, then, becomes whether this particular watch is suitable for everyday wear. Though it's largely seen as a dress watch, I think it would look fantastic with jeans and a two-button shirt, which is my standard fare. It looks fantastic when it's new, but I'm a little less inclined to put the money down if it's very prone to looking not-so-fantastic in a year. I understand that servicing can restore the watch to like-new condition, but if I'm having to do that every year to just to keep it looking pretty, I'll be a bit frustrated.

I'm just as curious about the aesthetic durability as I am the internal toughness. I hit the gun range rather frequently, and my preference would be to keep it on when I do. I understand this watch has the 8500 movement, mirroring its bigger sport watch brethren. I'd assume, then, that the internal durability would be essentially the same. Is that correct?

Many thanks in advance!

 

Having "some" experience on the range, you may consider taking off your watch before capping-off a few rounds. Especially if you shoot 45 ACP or larger magnum rounds. Why subject this beautiful movement to unnecessary shock? For sure less service issues this way. Just my 2c's ;-)

 

I'm madly in love with my hour vision, but the huge, mirror finished lugs are a nightmare to keep scratch free. I'd recommend the watch whole heartedly, but you need to me okay with marking the case if it's a daily wearer. My first eight days of wearing, mine gained one second total, but as it's worn in I'm having to tolerate it gaining three seconds a week. Incredible watch, incredible case, incredible movement.

 

Having been down this road, I have simple advice -- go with your heart. If you love the Hour Vision Orbis as much as you say you do, get it, and don't buy something else because it is more "practical" or a better "daily" watch. That's what I did, and it was a mistake. I wanted the HV in blue but bought an Aqua Terra 8500 in "Skyfall" blue because I thought the Hour Vision wasn't sufficiently practical. I flipped the AT8500 (at a significant loss) about a year later.

Now I have the HV, which is what I should have bought from the beginning. As far as scratches, it seems on par with other Omega steel watches. The sides are sapphire which seems very resistant to scratches, so there's actually less chance of scratching if you place the watch on its side. The sapphire also makes the watch face feel lighter than an Aqua Terra of comparable size.

But at this price, you cannot be compromising. But what you love and give up the idea of an "everything" watch. Get the Hour Vision, wear it to work everyday and anywhere else it's appropriate. If you're worried, buy a second inexpensive watch (like a Seiko automatic) for a few hundred bucks as a beater or weekend watch for those times when the risk of scratches or damage is greater.