Maybe the Perfect Summer Watch?

I have found that my engagement level with this hobby goes through peaks and valleys. Right now, I am definitely on a peak. Leading up to the District Time Watch Show, I took a hard look at my 16-watch collection and tried to think about where to go from here. I had roughly sorted my collection into 3 tiers and was mustering up the motivation to move some pieces from the bottom tier. So I went to my favorite drug dealer... errr I mean watch shop, and I traded in a Grand Seiko SGBA415 (Winter), a Bremont Solo White, and a Tudor Black Bay Heritage.

With the proceeds, I bought the Omega Aqua Terra 41mm "Summer Blue" edition. I was considering a replacement Bremont, a Longines Spirit, or a Breitling B09 Pistachio. An Aqua Terra was on the short list too, but the Summer Blue was no where on my radar, so it was definitely a bit of an impulse buy to go with it in the end.

This may honestly be the perfect summer watch. The Omega AT already ranks highly as a GADA watch, and this shade of blue is perfectly engineered for anything from a formal gala to island hopping in Greece (I hope to test that application in a few weeks). Not to mention that it's pretty much market proven after many other brands have found success with a similar color.

I haven't seen the 38mm version, but I think I actually like the extra size on a watch like this, and at 48 mm lug to lug, it still looks good on my 16cm wrist. Most of the time, I prefer an open caseback, but if there's one company that can win me over with a steel caseback, it's Omega. The Poseidon engraving is even better than their usual fare.

Anti-magnetic, 150M WR, Master Chronometer Certified, Time Zone Function all add to the Summer Blue AT's GADA and Summer Watch bona fides. I think if I have one quibble, it's that I'm not 100% sold that a color matched date wheel was the way to go here. 99 times out of 100, give me a color matched date wheel, but here the black text on blue background isn't very legible, and it's not actually a straight color match because of the dial pattern. My other little annoyance is that the crown is very hard to grip.

But these are minor issues really. Even though I wasn't really looking for it, I am super happy to add this watch to my collection, and I'm excited to also be left with room in my watchbox for something else!

Between this and my Balt Pilot Worldtimer, that's 4 watches out and 2 watches in over the last week! Time for a break.

Note: Apologies that the photos don't really capture the magic of the dial. Cloudy, dreary day here in DC.