Is Omega aiming to become Richard Mille? "Seamaster Aqua Terra 'Ultra Light'"

Omega's ultra-lightweight watch is crafted from high-tech titanium

　On Wednesday, August 28, 2019, Omega announced the Seamaster Aqua Terra "Ultralight," an ultra-lightweight sports watch weighing just 57g. It was based on the basic model, the Aqua Terra 150m. To reduce weight, the case material has been changed to gamma titanium (γ-TiAl), and the movement plate and bridges have been changed from brass to ceramized titanium.

　Gamma titanium, an alloy of titanium and aluminum, is lightweight and has a high surface hardness. Unlike ceramics, this material will not crack even when subjected to strong impacts. It is widely used in aerospace engineering, but this is likely the first time it has been used in the world of watches. It's only a guess, but the inside of the case may also be hollow.

Manual-winding movement Cal.8928 TI

　The movement is the hand-wound Cal. 8928 TI. While detailed specifications have not been revealed, it is likely based on the Cal. 8929/8910 hand-wound movement for the De Ville, which was announced at Time to Move in June of this year. This is an improved version of an existing movement, with a thinner barrel stem to accommodate a longer mainspring and extend the power reserve to approximately 72 hours.

　The Cal. 8929 TI likely replaces the plate and bridges of this movement with ceramized titanium. The reason for this is unknown, but in theory, it is more resistant to scratches, which should reduce resistance between the crown wheel and bridge. There may be another reason. As a result of changing the crown to a push-in type, it is likely that the crown is held in place by the movement itself rather than a tube. This would increase the load on the part supporting the winding stem, so if that's the case, then hard ceramized titanium would be preferable, rather than soft brass or titanium.

　This model was developed in collaboration with golfer Rory McIlroy, an Omega ambassador. The aim was to create a mechanical watch that could withstand the strong impacts that occur when playing golf. In theory, a high frequency, a free-sprung balance without a regulator, and a silicon balance spring would ensure that accuracy would not be significantly affected even when subjected to a strong impact.

　Fortunately, Omega's Master Chronometer, with its free-sprung and silicon balance spring, already fully met the requirement for high shock resistance. This is why the Aqua Terra also has a "Golf" model. However, while that model had the shock resistance to withstand the impacts of a golf course, it was essentially just a different color of the Aqua Terra. Now, Omega has taken that performance to the next level.

　In addition, Omega has adopted a manual winding version without a date display for this model. The reason is not to make it thinner, but to further improve shock resistance. As proof of this, even though it uses a manual winding movement, the case is by no means thin.

リュウズ

　A novel feature of this model is the use of a built-in crown. When pushed in, the crown retracts into the case, not only not interfering with play but also making it less susceptible to external shocks. The 29mm diameter Cal. 8900 series has a large balance wheel, which theoretically provides excellent portable accuracy, but if housed in a 41mm diameter case, there would be no space to store the crown. Omega, however, has managed to secure the necessary space by raising the crown guard. It is possible that a spacer is inserted between the case and the movement to absorb shock, but this is unknown at this time.

Dial

　The dial is made of grade 5 (Ti-6AL-4V) titanium alloy. The reason they didn't choose grade 2, or pure titanium, is likely due to the difficulty of cutting it. Judging from the photos, the indices are applied. Considering shock resistance, it would be preferable for them to be molded integrally with the base, but Omega may have used a special method to hold the indices in place.

　The reason for not making the dial skeletonized is to improve visibility, and from a purely functional standpoint, this is a wise choice. Additionally, the back of the dial has been hollowed out to reduce weight. The method of holding the dial is likely to be different from existing models, but there is no information available at this time.

　Omega's incredibly ambitious Seamaster Aqua Terra "Ultra Light" is a very attractive watch, but its price tag of 522 yen (excluding tax) leaves some questions. Why did Omega create this model, and why did they offer it at this price? Chronos Japan and webChronos will continue to cover this new sports watch.