Watches are all about the fine details. One detail that immediately makes me fall in (or out) of love is the hands. Sure, the dial gets all the attention, and rightly so, but the hands that glide over it…their shape, form, and ability to catch the light…are an inseparable part of that allure. Omega has taken two of their model families recently, and enriched them with a new subsidiary seconds display. A big deal? Not really, but the switch from a central seconds to an elegant little hand at 6 o’clock makes a surprising difference in the way these watches present their information, and show their personalities.
Let’s kick things off with the sports elegance option: Omega’s ever popular Aqua Terra. A great option for everyday wear in any form, its been blessed with additional virtue thanks to the new series of METAS certified Omega calibers. The new variants, such as this fetching 38mm green version shown here, take on a slightly different appearance—a bit more weighted to elegance than sport–with the subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock. This is a watch that can live in a watery setting with just as much aplomb as its central seconds siblings, but just gains something a little something special with that little leaf shaped hand, and the somewhat ovoid markers that dispense entirely with a minute track. A mite harder to tell the time? Yeah, slightly. But it gives this Aqua Terra a totally different level of versatility.
The teak style dials are certainly not gone, and look as great as ever, maybe even more so since these new models give a completely unimpeded view of those beautiful textures. With an array of metal choices, from steel, to steel/Sedna gold, and the sybaritic full gold model which is just stunning, women and men alike get some incredible options! Refined and luxurious, it’s almost easy to forget the technology they pack under the hood in the form of two different but equally adept Master Co-Axial calibers. To be clear, the central seconds models are every bit as gorgeous as they’ve always been, but the cleanliness of these new dials gives some refreshing character to a big staple in the Omega catalog.
Even closer to my heart is the other model I’m thinking of regarding this modest little tweak: the De Ville Tresor. As an owner of the blue dial central seconds model that introduced the stainless steel option to the line, I love the Tresor model range, and their extremely cool manually wound Co-Axial calibers. Where else can you find such a distinguished, yet horologically high performance dress(y) watch for such reasonable outlay? That said, the new references with subsidiary seconds and subsidiary seconds with power reserve indications exceed the originals, in my opinion. Movement wise, they are equal, but the added refinement of the second hand shifted south really elevates the dress aspect of the Tresor form. Those wanting something more casually elegant may certainly prefer the original sweep seconds versions, and they would be totally justified in feeling that way, but for me…make mine a sub seconds (on the next go-round anyway)! Even better, make it the model with power reserve, which really gains an incredible degree of harmony and balance with that useful little complication mirroring the sub seconds. The grey dial seen below at right is particularly delicious eye candy, at least to my tastes. As before, a range of 18K golds or stainless steel lets you have the stylish Omega Tresor refinement however you like it best.
The best news is, Omega is continuing to produce all the original, sweeping seconds versions of these watches, so no one loses out. It’s very pleasing to see one of my favorite large manufacturers giving their customers that many more tantalizing choices in already excellent and extensive product lines. And… you’ll even get treated well when you go visit them to buy one! 😉