Omega, the official timekeeper of the Paris 2024 and 30 Olympic Video games earlier than that, celebrated this 12 months’s occasion with a number of Olympic-themed watches, just like the Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope Paris 2024 and the Omega Paris 2024 Bronze Gold Version. Amongst different new fashions that caught everybody’s – properly, virtually everybody’s consideration, was the particular version of the chrome steel 41mm Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M, paying tribute to Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, a Swedish-American pole vaulter, maybe one of many best of all time. Throughout our transient go to to the Olympics final week, we received to spend a while with the timepiece worthy of a champion; listed below are our impressions.
The 24-year-old Mondo Duplantis received a number of World and European Championships titles; now he’s a double Olympic champion (delayed Tokyo 2020, 6.02m and Paris 2024, 6.25m) and Omega Ambassador since 2020. His spectacular efficiency in Paris was marked by the clear win with a leap of 6.00m after the American Sam Kendricks couldn´t clear greater than 5.95 m. Duplantis then took the 6.10 m top, thus breaking the Olympic report set on the 2016 Olympics and eventually, on his third try, he conquered 6.25 m, setting a brand new world report – you’re certain to know all this, however the story is such an awesome one, it’s price repeating – all whereas carrying a brand new, very quietly launched titanium Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Extremely-Mild. Quietly refers back to the model’s communications solely, for the spectators greeted the successful leap – and, by default, the watch Duplantis was carrying – with loads of noise.
At lower than 60 grams (approx. 57), the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Titanium “Armand Duplantis” is impressively light-weight. The 41mm case is crafted from Gamma Titanium, an alloy tougher and lighter than the Grade 5 Titanium generally used within the trade. The case, caseback, and virtually absolutely recessed crown adorned with a yellow brand all function a matte sand-blasted end, which enhances the titanium simply as successfully because the satin and polished surfaces seen on the June-released chrome steel Aqua Terra 150M mannequin related to the champion. The watch gives distinctive wrist consolation with a thickness of 13.5mm and a lug-to-lug measurement of barely over 49mm. That is due not solely to its minimal weight but in addition to the particular yellow and blue rubber strap, which integrates seamlessly into the unique lug design and enhances the general expertise of the timepiece.
The design of the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Titanium “Armand Duplantis” is dominated by Duplantis’ house nation’s yellow and blue colors. The blue anodized titanium dial, that includes horizontal grooves, is accented with a number of yellow highlights. Essentially the most placing of those is the cylindrical central seconds hand, completed in vivid yellow varnish with a white tip impressed by Duplantis’ pole vault. The Seamaster brand and the minute markers at 15, 30, 45, and 60 are additionally in yellow, in line with the design of the chrome steel Aqua Terra 150M version impressed by Duplantis.
The blackened, utilized triangular indices level towards the centre and are stuffed with white Tremendous-LumiNova, matching the end of the hour and minute arms. The omission of the date window retains the dial clear and centered, emphasizing legibility. A refined but intelligent contact is the discreetly engraved and “painted over” Ti under the same old Co-Axial and Grasp Chronometer mentions, subtly highlighting the titanium building. The Omega brand is rendered in black, harmonizing with the general aesthetic, and the dial’s execution is impeccable.
The sapphire crystal caseback of the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Titanium showcases the ceramised titanium bridges of the Grasp Chronometer calibre 8928 Ti. This handbook wound motion options twin barrels, every seen by means of small openings labelled “Barrel One” and “Barrel Two,” and gives a 72-hour energy reserve. The motion is anti-magnetic, geared up with a free-sprung stability and a silicon stability spring, working at a frequency of 25,200 vibrations per hour.
A helpful function, although not instantly obvious, is the time zone operate. With the crown pulled out to place 2, the hour hand will be adjusted forwards or backwards in one-hour increments, making it straightforward to regulate to totally different time zones.
Whereas the brand new Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Extremely Mild “Armand Duplantis” isn’t a groundbreaking launch, because it primarily introduces a contemporary color scheme to the Extremely Mild sequence we’ve recognized since 2019, it stays undeniably spectacular. The light-weight design, the tucked-in crown, snug strap, high-performing motion, and total craftsmanship make any Aqua Terra 150M Extremely Mild a extremely fascinating timepiece. The one draw back is the steep price ticket of EUR 56,900, which places it out of attain for a lot of. Nonetheless, it’s an awesome watch to honour an awesome athlete and the successful spirit.
