Reply With QuoteI don't find any of those appealing at all. I'd say they've truly lost there way with the AT.
Omega have been sawing legs off the Aqua Terra table for a while now, changing sizes and dials in an attempt to perfect what should be their answer to the Datejust. No matter what they did, something always needed tweaking. They got very close to perfect with the blue dialled Skyfall 38mm version, though it was too thick, and also with some appealing enamel dials. They then successfully made them thinner but moved the date to 6 and introduced unfortunate polished centre links, and this year they’ve surprisingly gone for sub-seconds, which looks better on some than others.
The 38mm is now squarely a ladies model. This is surprising as James Bond himself wore the 38mm and if you’d said it was for ladies you’d be in danger of being shot. It’s a pity as for me personally the old 38 wore better than either the Rolex DJ41 or 39mm Explorer and most likely the new 36mm Explorer too. It just needed an onyx dial, a date in the right place and a properly brushed bracelet. It got the plain black dial this time around (correction - dark green, it just looks black in the photo), but sadly not the rest. They can call it unisex but it clearly isn’t. I’d like to think they’ll make a perfect AT one day, there’s always 2022…
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/th...dial-live-pics
https://www.fratellowatches.com/hand...small-seconds/
Last edited by Itsguy; 24th June 2021 at 17:30.
I don't find any of those appealing at all. I'd say they've truly lost there way with the AT.
Always thought the AT was a really good looking watch. Unfortunately, much of what you have said is the eternal problem with Omega, too busy trying to compare themselves and catch up with Rolex. It had never even occurred to me to compare the AT to the date just or the Explorer but now you mention it that may explain why they are bumping the price up to equal those 2 watches.
Would be nice if Omega concentrated on just being well, Omega and making nice watches.
The white dial one is really nice.
I agree, those small seconds don’t look right at all - almost like a dress watch face on a more casual sports watch.
I don't like small seconds anyway but they're hideous.
In fact the direct competition was probably the Oyster Perpetual in reality, especially the clean black and white faced 39s which seemed the more appealing choice - so of course Rolex discontinued them. But IMO the old AT38 wore better, so of course Omega turned it into a ladies modelOriginally Posted by robert75
Sometimes I’m mystified by the inability of these megabrands to even hit the dart board, but I guess they know their market.
Skyfall is 38.5?
Yes, though the extra 0.5mm partly came from the crown guard that made it slightly lopsided. They made them symmetrical when they changed the direction of the stripes so they became 38mm, but the dial is probably the same size, they wear about the same.
PS - thinking about it, I guess the whole thrust has been about making it ever more nautical to stress the ‘sea and land’ credentials, and differentiate it for watches like the Datejust etc - which is probably why I like it less and less. It certainly feels… boaty, if you like that sort of thing.
Last edited by Itsguy; 19th June 2021 at 20:11.
Did someone say Skyfall? Time for a picture ..
38.x works quite well on my 6 3/4" wrist
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 19th June 2021 at 22:49.
“ Ford... you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.” HHGTTG
Omega could have done much, much better.In fact the direct competition was probably the Oyster Perpetual in reality, especially the clean black and white faced 39s which seemed the more appealing choice - so of course Rolex discontinued them. But IMO the old AT38 wore better, so of course Omega turned it into a ladies model
I’m hoping they will redeem themselves with more dial variations in both sizes in the not too distant.
The 38.5mm, 8500 calibre, with the framed date window, longer lugs and brushed centre links (as per Martyn’s skyfall pics) was the best-looking iteration. I’d break my budget rule for a black dial one. Sadly the black dials seem to be mostly in Japan as opposed to grey dials which are more common.
In my opinion, this update is very poorly judged. It takes it from a dressy sports watch to a design mess with no clear identity. The subseconds clutters up the dial unnecessarily.
Good luck to them.
Yup. Two much change anew new models for the sake of new models.
While we’re on the subject, here’s another one that wasn’t broke and didn’t need much fixing - the 38.5mm quartz with applied indices, later replaced with a printed dial version. Yes, I do have a girly wrist but it’s painful to see the 38mm get turned into a ladies model!
Lovely Skyfall pic MartynJC - certainly proves the point!
Last edited by Itsguy; 20th June 2021 at 11:32.
Yeah that’s the nicest one in my opinion. I’ve a 7.25 inch wrist so it was a bit on the small side on my wrist but wanted to match the reference from the movie
Did someone say Skyfall? Time for a picture ..
38.x works quite well on my 6 3/4" wrist
Those are much better looking watches than the new ones shown above.Did someone say Skyfall? Time for a picture ..
38.x works quite well on my 6 3/4" wrist
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My wife’s Aquaterra (ladies) is lovely. Great proportions and looks pretty timeless. Those in the OP are awful.
But the problem with Omega (and Breitling) trying to compare themselves to Rolex is that their watches ‘date’. Rolexes tend to look pretty timeless but Omegas (and Breitlings even more so) can look pretty dated after a while - Speedmaster excepted. I put that down to too much fiddling with designs.
I see AT as the Omega Explorer.
Waterproof to 200m
A DateJust isn’t that.
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Good post, OP - those Skyfall Omegas are wonderful, and I love the quartz version, too. I think I had one - hang on...
Here - I always thought it was a little small for me, but a great watch.
Seeing the Skyfall pictures has uncharacteristically make a second post
Own goal for Omega
No need for them to reinvent the wheel with the Skyfall as inspiration.
So what do they do?
As already said here no clear identity - just a mish mash
No fanfare on their website either
I suppose this one is not too bad. 38mm on rubber
“ Ford... you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.” HHGTTG
If this dial had been available in 38.5 that's what I would have gone for but the short lug to lug makes this 41 eminently wearable imo. Very difficult to do this dial justice with my poor skills.
This model seems to have been discontinued.
Last edited by markbannister; 24th June 2021 at 13:09.
Not sure what they have done to the poor AT.
I have a "Skyfall" but in 41mm, it never leaves the wrist, it does everything very well, smart enough for a suit but also does the casual thing.
The cynic in me assumes Omega are applying more unnecessary features/detail in the pursuit of justifying price rises.
I've had a couple of Aqua Terra's over the years and they've always drawn me in for being uncluttered and understated. Can't say these new versions give me the same feeling.
The new small seconds seems to have added about £300 to the price - still just a tad cheaper than the equivalent Datejust.
https://www.omegawatches.com/en-gb/w...22013412106001If this dial had been available in 38.5 that's what I would have gone for but the short lug to lug makes this 41 eminently wearable imo. Very difficult to do this dial justice with my poor skills.
This model seems to have been discontinued.
Still around, I like this model but maybe more on the rubber.
The new small seconds models have appeared on Omega’s website and I’m glad to see that this is in addition to the current ones, and doesn’t replace them. So a few additional small seconds models is less of an issue - the all white one actually looks pretty good, the blue and white is fine if you want to look like you just stepped off a yacht.
I’m relieved that the men’s 38mm still exists and hasn’t been turned into a ladies model, apart from in this small seconds collection. With black, white or blue dial they remain an excellent ‘one watch’, if only they would offer an option without the blasted polished centre links, surely it wouldn’t be that hard to offer a brushed bracelet as an option?
Last edited by Itsguy; 24th June 2021 at 17:48.
I agree, that one actually looks ok probably the simplicity of a white and silver dial means the small seconds doesn’t feel like ‘too much’.The new small seconds models have appeared on Omega’s website and I’m glad to see that this is in addition to the current ones, and doesn’t replace them. So a few additional small seconds models is less of an issue - the all white one actually looks pretty good, the blue and white is fine if you want to look like you just stepped off a yacht.
I’m relieved that the men’s 38mm still exists and hasn’t been turned into a ladies model, apart from in this small seconds collection. With black, white or blue dial they remain an excellent ‘one watch’, if only they would offer an option without the blasted polished centre links, surely it wouldn’t be that hard to offer a brushed bracelet as an option?
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