New Aqua Terras?!?

[Annapolis]

jcdevoe26

Not a dumb question....I wonder the same thing all the time, I personally struggle to see the difference beyond the weight. I will admit that when the light hits it, I do see a slight difference between the Rolex 904L and the standard 316L steel. The 904L gives off a different hue....but the polished bits on 904 micro scratch way faster then 316L

The differences can be very subtle, and esp with white gold, different brands use different alloys. If someone wants to wear a watch that announces itself as precious metal, wg and plat aren’t the way to go. I’ve definitely read posts and seen videos by people who regretted getting watches in those metals because, in the end, they just didn’t feel special enough. Like, why did I pay 5x the cost of a steel watch to get something that is mistaken for steel by almost 100% of people?

I like that it’s under the radar—don’t want the attention—and the premium feel it gives. You have to get it for a realistic price (not what some of these brands think they should charge), but when you do, it can help to emotionally justify the cost of one of these silly watches of ours. If finances permit, I’ll take a full pm watch that has several ounces of gold for $18k over a $10k watch that’s made from a few bucks of stainless steel. I know I’m getting fleeced either way, but somehow it feels less egregious.

Edited: Jun 22, 2024

 

[artorias]

ErichPryde

Nice. looks like they fixed the minute hand lume; now if only they'd fix the date window by deleting it.

What did they fix? i've had a look at renders on the website for the 34, 38, 41 of these ones and the old ones, and I can't see anything new. If they would've included a bit of lume within the body of the minute hand to be able to tell it apart more easily in the dark it would've been a fix.

 

[DougPhx]

ErichPryde

Nice. looks like they fixed the minute hand lume; now if only they'd fix the date window by deleting it.

 

[ErichPryde]

artorias

What did they fix? i've had a look at renders on the website for the 34, 38, 41 of these ones and the old ones, and I can't see anything new. If they would've included a bit of lume within the body of the minute hand to be able to tell it apart more easily in the dark it would've been a fix.

I probably looked at the picture wrong, I thought that was a line of lume on the minute hand. Whoops.

 

[artorias]

ErichPryde

I probably looked at the picture wrong, I thought that was a line of lume on the minute hand. Whoops.

One can only hope they'll do that at one point, but I doubt it, as it's been a "feature" of the Aquaterra's since day 1 and among the things I really dislike on mine as well.

 

[Spqr]

Annapolis

Awesome development with an already amazing clasp.

Will have to test it out in person, but if it’s really a meaningful microadjust that doesn’t add thickness to the concealed clasp, I’ll be very impressed. Only a few brands (IWC and Vacheron come to mind) have pulled this off well.

It is the same system that Omega have used since 2019 on the Constellation Manhattan Co-axial watch bracelets but not on the quartz bracelets.

 

[Spqr]

Peach Gobbler

There are lots more than 38mm, the 41mm looks awesome.

Biggest news though might be the fact that it appears Omega has come up with a way to integrate a micro adjustment into the butterfly clasp. They refer to it as having a "Foldover butterfly clasp with comfort setting".

Pretty slick.

 

[Spqr]

It is the same system that Omega have used since 2019 on the Constellation Manhattan Co-axial watch bracelets but not on the quartz bracelets. It is not a new system just a five year old one applied to the Aqua Terra.

 

[Spqr]

jcdevoe26

Not a dumb question....I wonder the same thing all the time, I personally struggle to see the difference beyond the weight. I will admit that when the light hits it, I do see a slight difference between the Rolex 904L and the standard 316L steel. The 904L gives off a different hue....but the polished bits on 904 micro scratch way faster then 316L

904 L steel is a “standard” form of steel. It is softer than 316L steel by around 15% hence the reason it scratches easily. The only “advantage” 904L steel has over 316L steel is a slightly better resistance to water corrosion, however you would only notice a real difference if you kept your watches submerged in saltwater for several years. The main reason brands like Rolex use 904L steel is aesthetic as it polishes up to a good sheen but it is essentially a gimmick.

 

[Annapolis]

Spqr

It is the same system that Omega have used since 2019 on the Constellation Manhattan Co-axial watch bracelets but not on the quartz bracelets. It is not a new system just a five year old one applied to the Aqua Terra.

I had no idea.

 

[gbesq]

I think that the AT, along with the Globemaster, is probably Omega’s most underrated model. The AT is a great all rounder and an excellent choice for a one watch collection. Lots of dial variations also. My 2013 Skyfall AT is one of my favorites. It’s the perfect size at 38.5mm.

Edited: Jun 25, 2024

 

[jjjones]

Found this on Reddit. The clasp with the micro-adjustment extended.... Lol, so bad.

 

[pspagano2099]

Yea I mean that doesn't look great, but to be fair, you're kind of limited with a butterfly style clasp. Not sure how else they could prevent a gap when extended.

Only other option would be to start using deployant clasps on ATs I guess.

 

[Annapolis]

There are ways, but they're certainly more expensive to design and mass-produce. Vacheron, on the Overseas, for example (skip to 1:44). When the sides are extended, you can barely tell. That said, I think you only get maybe 3mm of extension total, but that's probably enough for most people, once the bracelet is properly sized. The Overseas (brand-insecurity aside---I get it, your logo is the Maltese cross!) has to be part of any serious discussion about best bracelet system in the industry.

The AT extension image posted above is... not reassuring. I do wish they could design something better. But, then, I wear an AT nearly every day and get by just fine without microadjust. If need be, I just reposition the watch on my wrist. Just me, but I'd much rather have a concealed clasp with no microadjust than a big bulky dive-style clasp with one. (On the AT, I mean---fine with dive clasps on dive watches.)

 

[Vinz Clortho]

Tried the Black 41 on yesterday and it was sharp looking. It's really a deep, deep black and pops off the wrist. Really nailed the color on it. The clasp is exactly like the pic when extended. Nice if you're in a climate with the summer heat, but could've been executed better so it's not as noticeable.

 

[Bugbait]

Annapolis

There are ways, but they're certainly more expensive to design and mass-produce. Vacheron, on the Overseas, for example (skip to 1:44). When the sides are extended, you can barely tell. That said, I think you only get maybe 3mm of extension total, but that's probably enough for most people, once the bracelet is properly sized. The Overseas (brand-insecurity aside---I get it, your logo is the Maltese cross!) has to be part of any serious discussion about best bracelet system in the industry

Definitely cleaner but given how smooth the bracelet link connections are on the band you would still notice and it would likely still bother the pedantic people, even more so if you only extended one side. Oh, the horror of lack of symmetry.

Wonder if the AT bracelet has multiple stops or is it just closed and extended?

 

[Annapolis]

Bugbait

Definitely cleaner but given how smooth the bracelet link connections are on the band you would still notice and it would likely still bother the pedantic people, even more so if you only extended one side. Oh, the horror of lack of symmetry.

Wonder if the AT bracelet has multiple stops or is it just closed and extended?

I mean, to be fair, even the (really terrific) Seamaster diver microadjust is sorta visible when it's extended past a certain point. The Submariner is a little better in this regard, but even there... No such thing as a free lunch, as the saying goes.

Edited: Jun 29, 2024

 

[twizit]

Hate saying it on this forum, and especially given I have 5 Omegas and one other brand watch…. But the micro adjust on my Tudor Black Bay 58 is way better than any of my Omegas.

 

[DoctorEvil]

 

[ErichPryde]

twizit

Hate saying it on this forum, and especially given I have 5 Omegas and one other brand watch…. But the micro adjust on my Tudor Black Bay 58 is way better than any of my Omegas.

I really don't see this as an issue. Tudor also offers one of the worst bracelets around. Omega offers both very good and very bad bracelets in terms of adjustment.

DoctorEvil

"It's the very best it's the very worst"



It's like if you asked chat GPT to write the video script for you, this is how it would come out.