Omega Days 2022 Thoughts
Hello Watch Crunch!
Some of you might not be aware however today is Omega Days 2022! They've released a bunch of watches or updates to existing watches.
Here is a link: https://www.omegawatches.com/omegadays
Just wanted to know what are you initial thoughts?
I looked through all of them, and have thoughts about all of them, but to kick off the discussion I will talk about the new Speedmaster '57s.
I love all the new dials, I could see myself wearing any of them in different situations. If hard-pressed to choose one I might go with the Blue because it's more versatile, however with my personal style the Burgundy is a close second.
I have been looking at the '57 range for a while now, primarily because of their 100M water resistance rating and still being a Speedmaster. I saw them as a real GADA Speedmaster. The new ones are now at 13MM thickness (the prior being at 16MM) however there is reduced water resistance of 50M and it is now a manual wind movement and no longer automatic. The case is 1MM smaller from 41.5 to 40.5 and uses the flat link bracelet which I like.
It's a mixed bag for me since there are some things I like a lot about the new ones, but will miss from the old ones. All in all I think it's the best move for Omega, these Speedmasters are much more "Speedmaster" like now, than before.
EDIT: Forgot to mention, that Moonshine Gold and Green Speedmaster is absolutely stunning. I will never own one or see one, but gorgeous.
EDIT 2: Added pictures to post
Been into watches for around 10 years. Still trying out different watch styles and building my collection. No real biases on my end.
That blue looks stunning! 332.10.41.51.03.001
A green dial and bezel diver like the Hulk and colorful dials Aqua Terra… I love Omega but they‘re trying too hard to be Rolex. Understanding for smaller brands but not for a big name like Omega.
Agreed on Omega trying to stretch for the Rolex thing with the AT's. That's very easy to see when you look at the dial colors. They are nothing like Rolex's but with five of them, its very easy to see what they were going for there. That said, I do like the red given that it uses a very unique technology to generate that red color. It's a chemical process called CVD and that's the only dial that uses it, so that's cool. I just wish they had color matching date wheels and teak patterns on the dial. As an AT owner already, I feel that's an objective critique. I've already spoken with my money.
The white dialed, blue bezel Planet Ocean 6000M is stunning.
Not much of a chrono guy and I don't like the Speedmaster '57 design language, so no opinion there. If that's your thing, they do look like interesting watches.
Not exactly an announcement to get the heart racing.
I have a Speedmaster 57 (331.10.42.51.01.001), and the thickness of the watch is the biggest negative, so the reduced thickness of the new manually wound version is a welcomed change.
I'd have to agree with @jmulot that some of the other announcements come across as trying to emulate Rolex, but as far as I'm concerned, they failed.
I will say this, the white dial blue accented Constellation is awesome looking. Nobody talks about these watches, probably because they are too dressy to be sporty and too sporty to be dressy (and too thick), but I think if you are looking for something that's a bit different and stands out, that's a good choice. I have periods when I ogle these watches from afar but I don't know if I will ever have the balls to buy one. I just don't know when I would choose to wear it over others in the collection.
Not exactly an announcement to get the heart racing.
I have a Speedmaster 57 (331.10.42.51.01.001), and the thickness of the watch is the biggest negative, so the reduced thickness of the new manually wound version is a welcomed change.
I'd have to agree with @jmulot that some of the other announcements come across as trying to emulate Rolex, but as far as I'm concerned, they failed.
Yeah, I agree with you and @jmulot regarding the Seamaster Stuff. I do find the Aqua Terra and SMP300 to be derivative of stuff done by Rolex.
Agreed on Omega trying to stretch for the Rolex thing with the AT's. That's very easy to see when you look at the dial colors. They are nothing like Rolex's but with five of them, its very easy to see what they were going for there. That said, I do like the red given that it uses a very unique technology to generate that red color. It's a chemical process called CVD and that's the only dial that uses it, so that's cool. I just wish they had color matching date wheels and teak patterns on the dial. As an AT owner already, I feel that's an objective critique. I've already spoken with my money.
The white dialed, blue bezel Planet Ocean 6000M is stunning.
Not much of a chrono guy and I don't like the Speedmaster '57 design language, so no opinion there. If that's your thing, they do look like interesting watches.
I much prefer the color palette chosen for the 34MM Aqua Terra than the 38MM ones. The red would be my favorite of the 38MM, but if I would have to choose an Aqua Terra none of these would be it. Maybe in the metal, they would be more impressive.
The new Speedmaster '57 is on my wishlist now.
I had purchased the original '57, only to discover that the 16.5mm thickness and the solid protruding end links made it entirely unwearable for me. As a result, I ended up trading in the watch after a very short period of time - it's the one trade-in that still bothers me to this day, because I absolutely loved the look and the design.
But, now, at less than 13mm thickness, micro-adjust clasp, manual wind... this watch is at the top of my list!
Agreed on Omega trying to stretch for the Rolex thing with the AT's. That's very easy to see when you look at the dial colors. They are nothing like Rolex's but with five of them, its very easy to see what they were going for there. That said, I do like the red given that it uses a very unique technology to generate that red color. It's a chemical process called CVD and that's the only dial that uses it, so that's cool. I just wish they had color matching date wheels and teak patterns on the dial. As an AT owner already, I feel that's an objective critique. I've already spoken with my money.
The white dialed, blue bezel Planet Ocean 6000M is stunning.
Not much of a chrono guy and I don't like the Speedmaster '57 design language, so no opinion there. If that's your thing, they do look like interesting watches.
@GoingTopShelf, interesting about the red, but where do you see that about CDV? All I see is, "The terracotta dial, fashioned from brass, is lacquered and sun-brushed from the centre." If I were to choose one of those, it would be the 38mm in red. But then, if I get an Aqua Terra (it's on "the list"), it will probably be the traditional blue teak. I'd want the Aqua Terra to look like an Aqua Terra. I'll be curious to see if the colorful dials achieve any level of hype.
The new Speedmaster '57 is on my wishlist now.
I had purchased the original '57, only to discover that the 16.5mm thickness and the solid protruding end links made it entirely unwearable for me. As a result, I ended up trading in the watch after a very short period of time - it's the one trade-in that still bothers me to this day, because I absolutely loved the look and the design.
But, now, at less than 13mm thickness, micro-adjust clasp, manual wind... this watch is at the top of my list!
The solid protruding end links on the original '57 are indeed another problem, made worse by the thickness. I couldn't see anything about updated lug-to-lug dimensions, so this could potentially still be an issue with these new models, however it should be less of an issue if the watch doesn't sit as high off the wrist as the original does.
I think the green diver 300 looks great!
I know some people are going to say they are copying the hulk but i dont think Rolex have copyright on the color green?
By the way, not a Rolex hater.
They make som excellent watches.
The solid protruding end links on the original '57 are indeed another problem, made worse by the thickness. I couldn't see anything about updated lug-to-lug dimensions, so this could potentially still be an issue with these new models, however it should be less of an issue if the watch doesn't sit as high off the wrist as the original does.
I watched all of Watch Advisor's videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2s0ogqu4mU
Supposedly 50MM lug to lug (49.6)
@GoingTopShelf, interesting about the red, but where do you see that about CDV? All I see is, "The terracotta dial, fashioned from brass, is lacquered and sun-brushed from the centre." If I were to choose one of those, it would be the 38mm in red. But then, if I get an Aqua Terra (it's on "the list"), it will probably be the traditional blue teak. I'd want the Aqua Terra to look like an Aqua Terra. I'll be curious to see if the colorful dials achieve any level of hype.
It's in the Hodinkee article that discusses today's launch. The other 9 dial colors are PVD, the red one is CDV.
The solid protruding end links on the original '57 are indeed another problem, made worse by the thickness. I couldn't see anything about updated lug-to-lug dimensions, so this could potentially still be an issue with these new models, however it should be less of an issue if the watch doesn't sit as high off the wrist as the original does.
I just took a look at photos of the 2015 and 2022 models side-by-side, and the 2022 has a female end link, so the bracelet can drape down immediately; meanwhile, the 2015 has the male end link.
The green-dialed 300m diver on the rubber strap would be a really nice and versatile watch
The new Speedmaster '57 is on my wishlist now.
I had purchased the original '57, only to discover that the 16.5mm thickness and the solid protruding end links made it entirely unwearable for me. As a result, I ended up trading in the watch after a very short period of time - it's the one trade-in that still bothers me to this day, because I absolutely loved the look and the design.
But, now, at less than 13mm thickness, micro-adjust clasp, manual wind... this watch is at the top of my list!
Watching a video on the new 57 I was getting excited until I noticed just how polished it is. Did you find yours scratched like crazy?
Really liking the 38mm and 34mm AT models. Just having the differently shaped date windows/dial colours is a good way to instantly recognise the size without a reference watch next to it. The updates have gone a bit dressier which kind of goes against their purpose and the whole line does seem reminiscent of the Rolex OP /DJ refresh from last year though
Uninspired... I am really not a brand hater, but the more I look at Omega, the more only two watches in the current line-up make sense for me :
1) MOONWATCH PROFESSIONALCHRONOGRAPHE CO‑AXIAL MASTER CHRONOMETER
2) AQUA TERRA 150MCO‑AXIAL MASTER CHRONOMETER PETITE SECONDE
these new colourful Aqua Terras looks very fashioney, they really don't speak to me at all
Sorry, Raynald.
I admire both Omega and Rolex, Im not a fanboy of Rolex. I own a vintage Rolex but I would also love to own certain Omegas (Speedy, Ploprof, etc.), but when I saw the new releases from 2022, this is what I thought about (I could be wrong, but this was my first thought):
But, I love the new PO Ultra Deep 😍
What a watch! Wow! They nailed it!
They just put up some videos on the Omega youtube channel.
OMEGA - YouTube
Just dropping in and saying the 57 is nice and nicer still is not having to deal with certain watch site’s terribly entitled comment section trolls 😂😂
but in all seriousness, definitely wanna see the 57 in the metal, but the chronoscope is still top of my list right now.
Watching a video on the new 57 I was getting excited until I noticed just how polished it is. Did you find yours scratched like crazy?
No, didn't really notice much in the way of scratches. But, then again, I'm the kind of person who just doesn't really care about scratched up watches. The bracelets on my watches always get super scratched up, but as the young kids say these days, YOLO! Beyond that, the '57 has brushed center links. And, finally, the Speedmaster is a strap monster, so you can always simply stick it on leather.
Anybody know when we'll see these watches in Boutiques/ADs? I'm a few months away from getting a Speedy Pro... but now I want to at least look at the '57 before making my purchase.
Approximately three years ago compaines like DOXA and Zodiac showed us that colour was the new 'thing' to play with. Last year that was obvious with brands like Rolex and Breitling jumping on the train. It was so obvious I did a video on trends saying that in future most big watch releases were going to include a variety of colours - black, white, blue, green and (most probably in 2022) red. As it turns out I was right and that's what just about everyone has been doing.
In short, if you look at the new omegas and think they are copying rolex you need to pay more attention to the industry.
I'm sure the new colours will find an audience and the UD will appeal to hardcore divers, but I think the new releases have ended up net negative in terms of their impact. It does feel that Omega ran out of ideas on this front and settled on colours to turn over the numbers. And that's a shame, given their back catalogue is stacked with novelties they could have taken some inspiration from.
I'd dearly love some modern interpretations of the 165.024 Seamaster or the 166.0250 Baby Ploprof or the 166.073 Deep Blue. A modern Flightmaster???
This is what I think brands like Zenith do well. They're not afraid to look at the past, for inspiration and bring back designs that worked for them.
I won't lie I am crushing pretty hard on that green dial Seamaster...it almost looks elegant??
I like the look of the green seamaster too.
Nothing wrong with Omega having a green diver in it‘s range. Yes it’s following a trend, but options are good.
I particularly like the new '57s, especially the red dial. Maybe will be next on my list.
I think the comparison between Omega and Rolex is laughable - like saying the Chopard Alpine Eagle is trying to be a Bell and Ross BR05 and forgetting the dozens of watches before that. Brands like DOXA, Zodiac and others made colour a thing around 5 years ago - every watch brand doing a range refresh is doing the same thing - this was Omegas. If you think Rolex set this trend you need to be paying more attention.
If these new dials had the small seconds I’d be all over them. Love the AT small seconds.