Appearance and substance are important! A review of Omega's new Seamaster Aqua Terra for women

In June 2025, Omega released the small-sized Seamaster Aqua Terra with a 30mm case. It features a newly developed automatic movement that's Master Chronometer certified. This year, Bulgari also released a small automatic movement, further deepening the popularity of watches with this movement targeted at women. How does this new Seamaster Aqua Terra perform? Chieko Tsuruoka, the only female editor of the watch magazine Chronos Japan and webChronos, will wear the watch for a week and review it.

The small automatic Seamaster Aqua Terra

　In June 2025, Omega announced the release of 12 models of the Seamaster Aqua Terra with a 30mm case. Previously, the Seamaster Aqua Terra was available in smaller cases of 28mm and 34mm. The former was a quartz movement, while the latter was an automatic model with the same movement as the Seamaster and Constellation, which are around 40mm in diameter.

　The big topic of this newly added model is that it is equipped with a new movement, Cal. 8750 (Cal. 8751 for the 18K gold model), developed for smaller models. As mentioned at the beginning, Bvlgari also released the Cal. BVS100 Lady Solotempo this year, a small automatic movement measuring 19mm in diameter and just 3.9mm thick. These new models can be said to be leading the way in the current era in which the genre of automatic watches for women is flourishing and moving towards further development.

　Of course, automatic watches for women have existed for some time. However, compared to men's models, they often had significantly lower specs and used quartz movements rather than automatics. However, with various manufacturers successfully developing smaller movements and the trend toward smaller case sizes, automatic watches for women are becoming more sophisticated. Omega's newly introduced Cal. 8750 is a cutting-edge movement, achieving a significant reduction in size while remaining comparable in both performance and aesthetics to conventional models.

　However, there are many women, myself included, who place importance on the design of accessories rather than the movement. Also, considering the retail price of this watch, 1,001,000 yen (tax included), we definitely want a sense of luxury and satisfaction from owning it. Will this watch satisfy us both in terms of its contents and appearance? We tried wearing it for about a week.

Good accuracy and excellent practicality

　When I first started wearing the watch, I used the crown to wind the mainspring and set the time. The crown is small to match the elegant case, and as with other Seamaster Aqua Terra models, it's a little hard to grip, and it took some getting used to. Because it's not a screw-down crown, I, who have nail polish, had difficulty pulling it out. However, I never had to operate the crown during the time I wore it. The mainspring wound well, and even after three days, the time was only off by less than +2 seconds (although the lack of a minute circle makes it difficult to tell the exact time), so I didn't have to operate the crown at all.

　I wore this watch every day while I borrowed it. If I took it off my wrist for a while, the hands would stop and I would need to use the crown to set the time. However, the power reserve is approximately 55 hours, so even if I took it off over the weekend, it would still be running by Monday morning. While power reserves often become shorter when the diameter is smaller, this watch's power reserve is on par with that of men's watches (the aforementioned Cal. 8800 also has a power reserve of approximately 55 hours), which shows that Omega is a pioneer in the field of "automatic watches for women."

　Another notable feature is that the watch has Master Chronometer certification. Master Chronometer is a certification system established by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), and Omega and Tudor currently produce certified watches. To earn Master Chronometer status, a watch must first be certified by COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute). After that, the watch must pass eight METAS-specified tests. These tests include rigorous testing of the watch's required precision and performance, such as water resistance and power reserve, but they are particularly renowned for their industry-leading magnetic resistance. Master Chronometer-certified watches are resistant to magnetic fields of over 15,000 gauss. Magnetic fields are a common cause of watch malfunctions, and for women who frequently carry magnetic handbags, this high level of magnetic resistance is a welcome addition.

　The case size, 30mm in diameter and 10.55mm thick, is comfortable to wear. Both the case and bracelet are made of stainless steel, but because of its small size it's lightweight (though I forgot to measure the exact weight...), and I hardly felt any fatigue while wearing it. While the case isn't particularly thin for a women's watch, its round shape is charming, and it peeks out slightly from the cuffs of a blouse, emanating a presence without compromising comfort.

　When I wore it this time, I removed the links of the bracelet to fit my 14.7cm wrist, but it was a little tight, perhaps because I'd gained weight. However, the buckle has a comfort setting function that allows for fine adjustments without having to tighten the links, so I was able to loosen it using this (just between you and me, even after loosening it with the buckle, it became tight again when I drank alcohol and my body swelled up). Buckles equipped with a fine adjustment mechanism tend to be thick, but Omega's comfort setting function is installed with almost no change in volume compared to conventional models (although I haven't actually measured it and compared it to conventional models), so I didn't find it to be a nuisance while working at my desk.

Simple yet gorgeous exterior

I mentioned earlier, "How good is this new Seamaster Aqua Terra?" However, as an editor of a watch magazine, despite my inexperience, I have seen dozens of Omega watches and have written two impressions in the past, so I can tell without even seeing the actual watch that the exterior quality is extremely good. And when I actually saw it, I was impressed by the meticulous craftsmanship.

　Of the 12 models released in this collection, I borrowed the most basic one, so I thought it might be a bit plain. However, what caught my eye first was the sheen of the polished black lacquer dial. The polished finish on the indexes, hands, date window at 6 o'clock, case sides, and bracelet center links all had a lustrous shine, and while it wasn't as flashy as jewelry, its dazzling quality caught my eye every time I looked at the watch. Of course, there was no sagging or distortion to be found on these mirrored surfaces, and as an aside, I got into a lively conversation with Masahiro Okamura, the photographer who took the top image, about how "even in such a close-up shot, the details are beautiful, as you'd expect from Omega."

　Incidentally, the collection also includes a luxurious model with an 18K gold exterior. The wide variety of designs and ample options to suit your tastes are another great advantage of Omega.

A new automatic watch that looks great and is great inside

　We reviewed the Seamaster Aqua Terra, an automatic watch for women that Omega announced in June 2025.

　With the ever-evolving nature of manufacturing technology, including machine tools, it's rare to find a "luxury" watch with a mediocre exterior. However, there aren't many brands that can develop the movements inside for their target audience and optimize them for their lifestyles. Omega is one of those rare brands, and after a week of impressions, I strongly felt that this work proves that they maintain that attitude, especially in the "automatic watches for women" genre.

　This model looks great and the inside is of course impeccable, so if you're a woman who's having trouble choosing a watch, why not try it on?