A veteran watch enthusiast received an Omega genuine NATO strap at the webChronos year-end party. However, the lug width was a rather unusual 21mm. As expected, there was no corresponding size in his Omega collection, which he owns several times... Having declared in front of many acquaintances that "if I don't have a watch that fits this strap, I'll buy a new one," he decided to buy a new Omega watch.
[Article published on January 15, 2025]
Get a NATO strap at the webChronos end-of-year party
Omega sometimes has a rare ambassador. One of them is undoubtedly Chuck Maddox, a legendary collector of Omega and chronographs in the early 2000s. Chuck passed away suddenly in 2008, but his website from that time is still maintained by collectors who were close to him.https://chronomaddox.com/).
He is an active contributor to many forums and web pages, offering advice and writing about Omega. He is also the man who coined the term "Holy Grail." A photo of him with two astronauts at an Omega event can be seen below (https://www.fratellowatches.com/it-has-been-three-years-since-chuck-maddox-in-memoriam/#gref).
When I look at Kujira (@HikousenKuzira), the famous "person behind the scenes" on many social media platforms, including webChronos, I sometimes see him resemble Chuck Maddox.
http://www.webchronos.net/features/110156/
He knows everything about Omega. He is honest about everything and answers to the best of his ability. I don't know how many people have become new Omega owners thanks to Kujira-san's advice, but it's no exaggeration to say that he has a tremendous influence in Japan.
Thanks to Kujira-san's clever "marketing strategy," I too have been given the opportunity to debut as a current Omega owner. In this article, I would like to share the details of that experience and conclude with a brief review of how I use the watch.
It all started with a game of bingo. Every year, webChronos holds an official media year-end party on its social media. Although it is "official," it is a completely volunteer-run offline get-together. It is perhaps more accurate to call it a fan meeting hosted by World Time, with Editor-in-Chief Hirota as the main character.
Previously, the event had only gathered around 10 people, but this time, for the first time, the number of participants exceeded 30, and an entire hotel banquet hall was rented out for the event. It was a luxurious event, with attendees from the Kronos Japan editorial department, including Editor-in-Chief Hirota, as well as editorial staff members Hosoda and Tsuruoka, and guests Tobita Naoya of NAOYA HIDA & Co. and metal engraver Kanagawa Keiji.
At the webChronos "official" year-end party, a bingo game is held as an annual tradition. The prizes for the game are also brought by the participants. Some are provided by the editorial department, but the rest are all brought by the participants themselves, resulting in a huge collection of prizes.
This time, the items on offer included an original DVD from the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, an Audemars Piguet watch case, an original Chronotheory watch case, a Breguet pouch, a Panerai sweater, and even alcoholic beverages such as champagne and wine.
This is where this story begins. I consider myself a collector of early models, a fan of Genta designs, and a fan of chronographs. Of course, Omega is one of my favorite brands, and the manual-wound Speedmaster is one of my favorite models.
http://www.webchronos.net/features/119870/
When I heard that Omega had reissued the legendary Caliber 321, I clapped with both hands and was so impressed by the fact that someone could come up with such a crazy idea and that Omega's technological capabilities had made it a reality that I ended up purchasing the earliest model. I own quite a few Omega watches, including the Speedmaster, Seamaster, Constellation, and other major models, as well as vintage models.
When I won the bingo at the official webChronos year-end party, I chose the 21mm NATO strap provided by Kujira-san. Even though the 21mm strap was a bit out of the standard, I thought I could manage it since I own a lot of Omega watches.
Falling right into the whale's clever trick
Then, in front of everyone, he declared, "If I can't find one that fits my watch, I'll buy a watch body that fits a 21mm strap." Looking back, that was Kujira-san's far-sightedness.
I had too much faith in myself. Someone who won bingo before me was reluctant to ask, saying, "Oh, 21mm... that's difficult," and I wish I had been more careful.
But either way, I ended up with the 21mm NATO strap. Now I need to find a watch case to go with it. I'm a fairly well-known collector myself. I only have two wrists, but I own more watches than I need.
However, making a 21mm strap proved to be a much bigger challenge than I had imagined. The most common lug width for men's watches is probably 18mm. The next most common is 20mm, and then 22mm. It's only 1mm different from 21mm, but it's a challenge.
While some other brands may have a watch in that size, 21mm is extremely difficult for an Omega. This was the reality I had discovered. Of course, Kujira-san must have known this reality. And yet, he had prepared a 21mm NATO strap. In other words, I had fallen right into his trap.
Start looking for Omega models with a 21mm lug width
Since I had already declared this in front of many collectors at the end-of-year party, I had no choice but to buy the watch itself. As a watch collector myself, I am not shy about buying watches. However, choosing the model after that was another challenge. The top model in the collection, with a lug width of an astounding 21mm, was the ceramic Speedmaster.
The ceramic-cased Speedmaster is certainly cool. But the price is also cool. I think, "I should have at least one," but as an ordinary office worker, the price is so cool that it's hard to justify it.
It's also a matter of preference: when it comes to chronographs, I prefer third-eye chronographs like the Speedmaster Professional (now Speedmaster Moonwatch) and the Breitling Navitimer. And one more thing: I prefer bracelet models.
Unless these two conditions are met, a watch will not rise in the rankings of my watch collection. I don't know whether it's fortunate or unfortunate, but the ceramic model of the Omega Speedmaster did not meet my preferred criteria.
If the Speedmaster wasn't an option, the next choice would be the Seamaster. However, after some research, I couldn't find any standard Seamaster models with a lug width of 21mm. So I asked World Time, a leading Omega collector in Japan, for advice. I got an immediate response.
You might find something you like in the Seamaster category
He said, "For the Seamaster, there's the Seamaster Aqua Terra, which has a case diameter of 43mm, and the Seamaster 300 (with a lug width of 21mm)." True collectors are well versed in the lug width of each model. Incidentally, the Seamaster Diver 300 is apparently 20mm. Now that I've decided on a candidate, I need to continue testing to see if it suits my taste.
1. Bracelet option. This is a must. Watches with leather straps tend to get less wear. Also, as a vintage watch collector, I prefer bracelets with a tapered finish, like vintage watches.
2. Case thickness. It's not a strict standard, but it should be at least 15mm or less. More than 15mm is fine, but in that case it will inevitably be used less frequently.
3. If possible, go for a solid back. Transparent back models are also good, but in terms of practical use, a solid back is easier to use, especially for waterproof watches. I prefer to wear the bracelet a little tighter. When I sweat in the summer, a transparent watch feels like it sticks to my wrist.
4. Preferably a watch without a date display. A date display is fine, but I own quite a few watches, so it's a pain to have to set them every time. I also travel overseas on business trips, and if a watch has a date display, it's even more of a hassle to set it.
Of the models that World Time recommended, the Aqua Terra has a transparent case back and a date display. This is how I narrowed my sights to the Seamaster 300.
However, what followed was a difficult one. I am a vintage collector and have no problem buying used watches as long as they are in good condition. So I looked into the history of Seamaster 300 models over the past decade or so. I discovered that there have been a number of subtle changes.
For example, let's compare the 2014 Ref. 233.30.41.21.01.001 with the 21 Ref. 234.30.41.21.01.001. The former is equipped with the Cal. 8400 movement, while the latter is equipped with the Cal. 8912. Perhaps as a result, the case thickness of the former is 15mm, while the latter is thinner at 13.9mm.
The Ref. 233.30.41.21.01.001 has an arrow second hand, a ceramic bezel, and a bracelet with a slightly tapered center polish.
Comparing these two previous models, the 21 model is by far the best. It's waterproof to 300m and is less than 14mm thin, which is a big plus. It should make a big difference in how it feels when worn.
The shape of the second hand, the material of the bezel, and the design of the bracelet are also different, as shown below.
The Ref. 234.30.41.21.01.001 has a lollipop second hand, an aluminum bezel, and a bracelet with tapered, heavily polished sides.
As you can see, the caterpillar bracelet has also been improved. It now has a stronger taper and the sides are polished, which is the original caterpillar bracelet finish. On the other hand, the 21 model has returned to aluminum, even the bezel, for a more vintage look. This is also a matter of preference, but ceramic is more durable than aluminum.
With that in mind, I looked into it again and discovered that the latest Summer Blue model has a ceramic bezel again.
At this point, the current Summer Blue model is the most likely candidate. Personally, I think the Summer Blue model is great because it has a solid back over a ceramic bezel. On the other hand, the Summer Blue dial is a bit flashy. While the dial is excellent, a watch that is a little too flashy or assertive can be a bit difficult to use.
However, it's not made of gold, but rather has a blue gradient dial. I haven't actually seen it in person, so it's a gamble, but Omega itself isn't a brand that likes flashy designs, so I'll trust Omega here.
Now the question remains as to where to buy it. This model is currently in production and there are several options: second-hand, parallel, and genuine. As a collector, I would prefer the genuine product if possible, but if the difference in price between the genuine product and parallel or second-hand is too great, then of course there is also the option of choosing a more reasonable source. It is not a cheap purchase. It is quite possible to make a small purchase with the difference in price, so where to buy it is a very serious issue.
In the case of this Summer Blue model, the difference in price was within my expectations. I called the boutique and, fortunately, they had it in stock and said they would put it on hold for me. So, three weeks after the webChronos year-end party, I was able to get my hands on this authentic watch.
The Seamaster 300 Summer Blue is incredibly easy to use
Finally, the feel of use.
I've been using it for about a week now, and my impression is simply, "Wow, this is incredibly easy to use." The time is almost perfectly accurate (currently about ±1 second per day), and to me it's practically a quartz movement.
Automatic movement (Cal. 8912). 38 jewels. 25,200 vph. Power reserve approximately 60 hours. Stainless steel case (diameter 41mm, thickness 13.9mm). Water resistant to 300m. Price: 1,298,000 yen (tax included).
The bracelet is also excellent. When a watch is water resistant to 300m, the watch body becomes sturdy and the bracelet is often made to be sturdy and heavy, but this watch's solid bracelet, which is a good homage to the vintage Caterpillar bracelet, fits flexibly to the wrist and is very comfortable to wear.
Furthermore, I learned after purchasing it that this movement allows for independent adjustment of the hour hand, a very convenient feature that comes in handy when adjusting the time when traveling abroad. Furthermore, this watch is Master Chronometer certified, meaning there is no need to worry about magnetization. This is a feature that collectors will find very welcome, even if it was unexpected.
When I carry multiple watches, I sometimes put two or three of them in carrying cases and carry them in my bag. I didn't think much of it until now, but I was unconsciously trying to keep my PC and smartphone as far away as possible.
However, with this watch, there's no need to worry about any of this. You can just put the watch case in your bag. As someone who has always been careful about mechanical watches becoming magnetized, I was surprised to see how far the latest Omega has come.
So, I have been living with this watch ever since I got it. As a collector, this is a very new experience for me. Until now, it was normal to change my watch every day, and to change my watch between morning and afternoon, and I always kept a spare watch in my bag.
However, since I got this watch, it's the only one I've been using so far. It's as if I've been reminded of the fresh feeling I had when I first bought my luxury mechanical watch, feeling like I was jumping off the stage at Kiyomizu Temple.
I'm not sure if it's time to pay my taxes or if my interest in watches has gone downhill, but whatever the case may be, this is a good trend, and I think it's a good omen. The best thing to have is a friend. I'm very grateful to Kujira-san and World Time.
