Yet another one of those releases from Omega that didn't make much waves at Baselworld 2017 and a watch that you can hardly find any information about it. The new Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer is fitted with a platinum case measuring 43 mm in diameter and available in a limited edition of only 57 pieces with a quite hefty price tag. This watch that intends to continue to perpetuate the unsuccessful Aqua Terra collection is not bad looking at all but one that clearly falls short in our book.
Things You Need to Know
Trying to evoke the look of the Patek Philippe World Time ref. 5131 —reviewed here— with its 'Cloisonné' enamel center with a view of the earth as seen from the North Pole, the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer just pretends to look like it. Unfortunately, the center of the Aqua Terra's platinum dial is not made of 'cloissonné' enamel but simply painted as far as we were told by the brand. While the watch we reviewed was just a prototype, we really doubt that the final product will be that much different in terms of quality and finishes.
The dial, made of solid platinum 950 features applied markers and hands in 18K Sedna gold that bring a nice contrast to the off white colored of the dial. Even though the dial is made of platinum its finish seems a little bit to rough. The dial features date aperture at 6 o'clock, a day/night 24-hour ring around the map at the center of the dial and 24 time zones —out of the 37 time zones that exist— with 'Bienne' —home of Omega— being one of them. Additionally, the dial also features a small 'Pt950' engraving between 4 and 5 o'clock to confirm that the dial is indeed made out of this precious metal.
Something else that is worth mentioning, is the fact that we don't understand why certain cities appear in blue and others in black without following a clear rational design pattern. The only one that makes sense is London as it appears in red because is the reference for GMT —Greenwich Mean Time.
The new Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer features a newly redesigned conical crown that unfortunately is not fully flushed with the caseband but that at least controls all the functions of the watch including the 24-hour ring.
The Movement
The beating heart inside the new Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer is the METAS certified 39-jewel Master Co-Axial Chronometer calibre 8939. This automatic movement is equipped with Sedna gold rotor and with two barrels to provide a power reserve of 60 hours when fully wound. The movement is fully visible via the display case back and is finished just like all other Omega calibres.
On the Wrist & Pricing
On the wrist, the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer wears slightly smaller than its actual size and more like a 41 or 42 mm watch. While as far as looks, the watch is nice, we really don't feel that the price tag is in line with what you are getting. Without a doubt this is a nice looking watch; however, the fact that the center of the dial is not even made out of 'cloisonné' enamel and the overall finishes of the watch are not in line with its steep price tag, make this watch definitely fall short in our book. For the price, you are already within Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin territory, and those three, compose the 'holy trinity of watchmaking'.
Sticker Price $48,600 USD. For more info on Omega click here.
