The phrase “less is more” has been prescient in watchmaking. The ongoing quest for horological weightlessness is as fanatical as it is in aerospace, with new materials, manufacturing techniques and a general obsession leading to some watches that weigh less than a K in a gram.
Generally speaking, it’s always been Richard Miller’s sphere of influence, but now there’s a surprising watchmaker involved: Omega. Well, at least there’s the aerospace connection there, but after conquering a deeper Mariana Trench than Rolex ever did, I would have thought their R&D department would need a break. Apparently not, if the Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light is anything to go by.
Designed and developed in collaboration with the legendary Rory McIlroy, the new Aqua Terra is designed to be worn during competitive golf matches. Again, like Richard Miller.
Omega has achieved this with a new case material: gamma titanium. No chance of being clunky, of course. Despite the pompous name, it’s just a titanium alloy, namely titanium aluminide. It’s used in the blades of jet engines, among other things. The dial is also titanium, the usual grade 5 material, but most impressively, so is the movement.
The Cal. 8928 is made from ultra-light metals wherever possible, and the larger components – bridges, baseplate, etc. – are also coated in ceramic. Add to that a silicon balance spring and a non-magnetic escapement, and you have an incredibly light, durable, and generally stunning manual-winding movement.
This combination of 41mm titanium case, dial, and movement means the new Aqua Terra weighs a total of 55 grams. That’s impressive, and I think it’s also much prettier than most ultra-light watches out there.
Available in three variants with red, green, or blue highlights, the Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light is, surprisingly, not a limited edition. Remember what I said about less being more, though? Despite its light weight on the wrist, the new watch isn’t quite as forgiving on the wallet, with the time-only watch coming in at €45,800. That’s a heavyweight if there ever was one.
Pris och specifikationer:
Model name: Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light
Ref: 220.92.41.21.06.001 (red); 220.92.41.21.06.002 (blue); 220.92.41.21.06.003 (green)
Case/dial: 41 mm diameter, brushed gamma titanium
Water resistance: 150 m (15 bar)
Movement: 8928 calibre, in-house, Master Chronometer certified
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Frequency: 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 72 hours
Strap: Rubber, red, green or blue stitching, titanium folding clasp and additional fabric strap
Price: 45,800 EUR, available December 2019