Omega

Hi !
I am considering to buy the watch for my daughter who likes 38mm model with white dial.

But I have a few questions.
Am I correct that SMP is a competitor to Rolex Sub and Aqua terra to Datejust series ?
(I used to have TT SMP and my son now has SMP in midsize, 36mm)

Also: AT seems to come in many different sizes: 36, 38, 41. Is the 38mm only the latest size ?

Any experience with this watch ?
I think, I'll buy her a quartz version- better for an active girls, more shock resistant.
How easy is to change metal bracelet for a strap ?  At home ?

Any information will be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Gary.

. . . with a mechanical movement. A few of our regular forum participants have taken the plunge, and their impressions were wholly positive. I reviewed the annual calendar version last year:

omega.watchprosite.com

The current ladies quartz version is considerable smaller, so if she's already mentioned the men's model, my guess is that the ladies version won't quite cut it for her. The display back that shows off the movement . . .

. . . might be of interest to her, too. Cordially, Art

www.omega.ch or www.omegawatches.com.  I have an older SMAT (39.2mm) with the caliber 2500C movement and it is very consistent, gains about +3 seconds per day but seems to do that whether fully wound or not, any position.  So I imagine the newer caliber 8500 movement is even more accurate and precise, depending on how well it has been adjusted.  I believe the newer AT comes in 38.5 and 41.5mm sizes, as well as 36mm, but check the Omega website or your local AD.  Of course, Rolex, etc., are options to an Omega.  Depends on your budget and taste.  I recommend a quartz if your daughter is more apt to enjoy a 'hands-off' watch, low to no maintenance except when the battery needs to be replaced.   =:^D

Hi Gary,

"Dr. No" drew my attention to your post as I bought an Omega SM AT last October, partly due to his detailed review of the annual calendar on this site.

As "competitors" are concerned, there were some replies made by other forum members. We usually recommend here not to be guided by such criteria, but rather by personal like or dislike of a special watch. Of course most forumners are very fond of mechanical movements, but if a quartz one should be better for your daughter´s purposes, that´s fair enough.

The details concerning the watch sizes and dials are displayed on Omega´s homepage and I would recommend to see the watches in question "in the flesh", i.e. go and inspect them at an authorized dealer´s place.

I can confirm the accuracy of the 8500 movement, it´s really amazing!

As to changing the strap I can only tell you, that I did the same on my Seamaster Professional GMT one day. Getting the bracelet off and fix a NATO strap was easy. But the reverse (getting the original bracelet back to the case) I could not do! A watchmaker helped me out, but he had no trivial job as well. He was no Omega AD, but nevertheless the bracelet business might prove to be a bit tricky for "home work" ! Also the job of shortening the bracelet should be performed by a professional.

Hope this helps,

anaesdoc

 

Wristshot of my AT 38,5 mm with the gray dial.

the AT will be a great watch for an active 'young adult' and as bigger watches are very popular with women the 38mm would seem to be the perfect choice. i'm assuming she has tried one on in an AD so knows what she wants.

as far as what movement to have, the question is, how often will she be wearing it? if she's going to wear it every day for most of the day and evening then i personally would say the mechanical is the better choice as it will maintain its power reserve because she is wearing it. the movements are extremely robust with shock resistance and very accurate. if worn daily she may have to alter the time by a minute perhaps once a month which should be no hassle especially as she would have to change the date several months of the year anyway. if she's only going to wear it for special occasions then quartz might be better so she doesnt have the hassle of setting the time and date. another thing to note is that a mechanical watch, if maintained correctly, will last for more years than we can imagine, but it is unlikely that a quartz movement will last as long. i dont know why, it just seems to be the way of things.

as for removing the bracelet, if you are a regular changer of watchstraps you'll not find it a problem if your careful. if not then get the AD to do it to avoid scratches to the lugs. you may find that she likes it on a bracelet. it will certainly look good. i believe that you can buy it on leather so you dont have the problem with the bracelet, but these original straps are usually high quality croc that may not give the 'look' she is looking for. also, if she is as active as i think she might be, a bracelet will stand up to sweat, dirt and water far better than a leather strap. she can wear it swimming, playing any sport you can imagine and it will just wash clean under a tap. the 150m water resistance is more than enough to cope with anything she can put it through.

its a great choice of watch for a young adult and i know she will enjoy it.

best

Graham 

 

I just want to propose the Constellation as a viable alternative to the ladies Aqua Terra. It is certainly not as sporty but one can wear it to work, dressed up functions and such while the AT is more like for work and casual wear.

Ruckdee

is a school pupil and is not working yet.

She likes skiing, jet-skiing, but considers SMP (which has her older brother) a little too sporty- next she found Aqua terra...
So we are looking at this watch.

Regards,
Gary.

Now I think you are heading in the right direction. Yes, I agree with you now that an Aqua Terra is more fitting, all intended activities considered. May I suggest this recent addition to the Aqua Terra line for ladies? It's a 30 mm quartz I believe.



Photo credit: www.omega.ch h

Watch reference number: 231.10.30.61.06.001

But of course if she finds the teck dial in any way overwhelming or too gentlemanly then there's this older model in a slightly smaller case size at 29.2 mm



Photo credit: www.omega.ch h

Watch reference number: 2577.30.00

I'm not 100% if the bracelet/case construction on these two models are the same. It is likely that the one with teck dial has an improved bracelet already. Other members with first-hand experience of the new ladies model should be able to elaborate on this point.

Good luck!

Ruckdee