I got these from a guy in the U.K. off of Etsy. They look just like the ones at the AD but were only about $55. Problem is, I can't get them on the watch. The pins almost, but not quite, line up with the holes. It's a tight fit. Someone else PM'd me saying that he had the same problem, although others seemed to make it work. I don't know if they are real, authentic genuine Omega products or a knock-off, and if real, if that's normal for it to be so darn difficult.

Comments, suggestions, observations, ideas?

Thanks,
Michael

 

Judging by price and bad fit I think its safe to assume these aren't genuine. Probably originate from China.

 

I am shocked, dumbfounded and amazed that you would accuse a Chinese vendor of selling fakes.

(where's that little sarcastic emoticon?)

 

Possibly try curved spring bars.

 

This is not the best suggestion since the difference in fit happens at the middle of the bar where the curve is, and not the ends of the bar where the lug holes are. Also depending on the springbar hole size you might not be able to even get a curved springbar all the way through.

To the OP, this is 100000000000% a fake and a bad one at that. Look at the finishing of the clasp and the metal end links - this is even shoddy work for someone who's using a dremel to finish metals.

If the strap was presented as genuine then I'd get your money back, as any money you saved could end up costing you in the long run from damage to the watch when the strap and/or clasp fails. And it will fail.

 

Thanks for the comments, all. After reading the curved spring bar suggestion (which won't work) I thought, maybe I could just enlarge the holes that the spring bars sit in.

But yes, there is always the concern that the strap will fail and I'll lose or damage the watch.

The seller did not represent it as "authentic" but he did imply that it would fit properly, which it will not.

 

What watch are you trying to fit the strap to? I bought a genuine Omega rubber strap like that from an OB to fit to my 2017 AT and could not get the strap to fit. The local jeweler could not either, but his watchmaker was able to fit it. Comparing that strap to mine (I'm wearing it right now), it's a pretty impressive fake.

 

The new seamaster.

 

Isn't the strap a knock-off Aqua Terra rubber one? Even if the lugs are the same width I wouldn't expect them to fit. Does an AT steel bracelet fit on the Seamaster?

 

There are some photos of the new SMP with the same AT rubber strap, so it probably fits.

 

Like I said (somewhere) I saw that same strap at the AD, and thought it looked great. Didn't want to spend $250 or $300 or whatever Omega charges for a piece of rubber.

 

Try skinny spring bars. It is obvious the strap is not the real deal and if you can not judge so by looking at the quality, the price made it obvious enough.
Better still, buy Omega OEM straps and parts and you won't have this problem. Not now and not for many years to come. It's worth the money in the long run.

 

Fake indicator: the solder joint is rough, not as smooth as genuine one.

 

Good catch, Mercy.

In my defense, I did not think I was buying a knock-off, rather I thought I was buying a strap made in the style of the Omega. I thought (in my naivete) that Etsy was about hand made or custom items, not fake Chinese crap.

 

Don’t skimp on the spring bars . I bought one of these a while back and just ran a drill bit down the hole. Was fine afterwards. I have to say the strap looked good, but it smelled very strong of vanilla due to the cheap rubber used. Also the clasp was pretty ropey (poorly plated with sharp edges) and didn’t have a satisfying clink home. This was a £40 purchase off Etsy that I put up with to assess if I liked my PO on rubber. Ultimately I went to an AD and bought genuine. Yes it’s expensive, but the difference is night and day.

 

Thanks Akendo. I didn't think about the smell test...

 

The rubber is clearly marked with Omega on it, so you either had to think you were buying a knock off or the genuine article.

 

Your naivete could be excusable if the item wasn't clearly marked as OMEGA everywhere. That's NOT handmade, or artisan-produced, or "made in the style of Omega." That's 100% pure replica, rip-off B.S.

And saying you'd rather risk long-term damage to your watch to save a couple hundred bucks over purchasing authentic items designed to work with said timepiece is rather curious as well.

 

In my defense, again, this is the ad description:

Item details
Handmade item

Materials
rubber, stainless steel

This is a replacement 20mm strap for the Omega Aquaterra 2018 model, but this will fit older Aqua terras to give your watch a fresh new look, and it will also fot[sic] the seamaster 300m both old and new versions (20mm lug) ... Made of very good quality soft rubber which is very comfortable, the comes with a good quality aftermarket stainless steel deployant clasp. The strap will be supplied with good quality 1.6mm spring bars. ... This is an aftermarket part, made for Omega, not made by Omega

and this was the actual ad:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/646648691/omega-2018-aquaterra-20mm-rubber-strap

Nowhere does it claim to be an actual Omega bracelet or replica, nor do the pictures show the Omega branding. So, now that I think about it, the description was misleading and a misrepresentation of the product.

 

After reviewing the ad and description, I've sent off a nasty note to the seller. I should get a refund and not have to pay to ship the stupid thing back to the U.K. We'll see what he says.