Memory Lane: A posthumous review of my Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 41

Since I have now reached collection stasis, I don't and won't have any new watches to review. Cue the melancholy piano solo. However, since I really enjoy creating these short reviews, I'm going to continue posting them for pieces that I have either previously owned, like this Aqua Terra, or pieces that I am stalking online. Don't look at me like that. A) It's not a crime; and B) if it was, this whole site would be locked up.

I came to acquire this Omega Aqua Terra 150m in black in early 2022 after I decided that my 1863 Speedmaster wasn't setting my soul ablaze. While deliberating whether or not to sell the 1863, I walked into an Omega boutique in Frankfurt and tried on the Aqua Terra 41 in black. Despite not even having the piece on my radar, once it was on my wrist, I can tell you that I experienced "the moment".

By this I'm referring to those very rare moments in the AD or boutique when you look down at your wrist and quietly mouth "wow" to yourself. Often, such pieces somehow look even better in person than in online reviews despite the beautiful macro photography.

Starting with the 1863 as a baseline, its easy to see why the Aqua Terra was so impressive. While the 1863 Speedy has a matte dial with printed indices, the Aqua Terra has a textured glossy dial with applied indices. Where the Speedy Pro of that generation had rather disappointing accuracy and no hacking seconds, the Aqua Terra runs the METAS certified movement with its jumping hour hand, anti-magnetism and excellent accuracy. Finally, where the Speedy was not suitable for water play, the Aqua Terra lives up to its name with 150 meters of resistance.

I would be remiss not to mention how solid the AT feels in the hand. The build quality is truly fantastic and stands shoulder to shoulder with Rolex on any day.

The combination of the heightened visual elements, the METAS movement and the exceptional build quality were enough to make me puller the trigger on the trade.

While I enjoyed the AT for about 9 months, I eventually sold it for the following reasons. One, I'm not a fan of Omega's lyre lugs. In my view, any piece they make with traditional lugs, such as the Speedy FOIS or the Seamaster 300 Heritage, look much cleaner and less busy. Its high time they move off of that design. Two, the polished center links of the bracelet got pretty beat up from desk diving. While I like polished elements on a case and bracelet, they must be as small as possible to avoid large scratches becoming visible from a distance. Unfortunately, the AT center links are even bigger than the center lugs on Rolex oyster bracelets so they really don't age well. Finally, there was no micro-adjust on the clasp. It still boggles my mind that some pieces within brands have micro-adjustment while others don't.

You might say that, in the grand scheme of things, these complaints seem rather minor. And you're right, to the well adjusted normie, this is painstakingly choosy. But we are not normal, are we? We are proud Watch Idiot Savants and in this corner of our lives, there can be no room for compromise!

This brings me to my new collecting philosophy: the collection must remain small; and, the pieces have to perfect (to me). Failing that, I just can't justify parting with these sums for something that I am not 100 percent thrilled with.

In conclusion, the AT is a fantastic GADA piece that has many design and performance elements that I really value. If you are in the market for GADA watch, I would really recommend trying on an AT as I think you too might experience that mystical, evasive "moment" when a piece really delivers in the metal. But heed my words Crunchers: "the moment" is often followed by a significantly less comfortable one when you must reach for your wallet. You have been warned.