The Debate Is Over: Omega Makes the Best Everyday Watch

Although opinions differ, it’s generally accepted in the watch community that a great everyday watch should be both durable enough and versatile enough to wear in all occasions.

It should be dressy enough to function as a dress watch, while also being sporty enough to look great with casual wear. It should have significant resistance to water and magnetism — hazards we encounter each and every day — and it should be able to function as the only watch we need when traveling.

In recent years, the larger debate on the market’s best everyday watch has largely centered on offerings from two of the industry’s biggest heavy hitters: Rolex, with either its Oyster Perpetual or Datejust (depending on if you want a date or not), and Omega, with its base-level Seamaster Aqua Terra.

With Omega’s latest addition to the Aqua Terra line, I believe the brand has secured the title of the best everyday watch on the market — at least for the time being. Here’s why.

The biggest knock against the Aqua Terra is now moot

Omega

When squaring off the Aqua Terra against Rolex’s dual everyday offerings, perhaps the biggest knock against Omega was the eccentricity of its dial.

A signature feature of the Aqua Terra is its “Teak” dial, which features engraved horizontal grooves in the sunburst dial. The effect is meant to mimic the wooden decks of luxury yachts, and while I personally love the design, some find it too busy for an everyday watch and prefer the sterility of an Oyster Perpetual or Datejust.

Omega heard those complaints and has launched a new version of the Aqua Terra that omits the teak dial in favor of a glossy black lacquered dial. The deep, dark dial is classy and subtle and is now available on three sizes of the Aqua Terra: 34mm, 38mm and 41mm.

Omega

Omega vs Rolex: The tale of the tape

With the black lacquer dial, especially on the 41mm version of the Aqua Terra, the Omega is now even more of a head to head competitor against the Rolex Oyster Perpetual and Datejust. So how do the two brands compare?

Honestly, they’re very close. For this comparison, I’ll be looking at the new 41mm Aqua Terra with the black lacquer dial, the 41mm Oyster Perpetual with the black dial and the 41mm Datejust in Oystersteel on the Oyster bracelet with the smooth bezel and black dial.

All three watches are powered by in-house automatic movements that go above and beyond COSC certification for their chronometric precision. Rolex has a slight edge in accuracy, with its Cal. 3230 (no-date) and Cal. 3235 (date) movements earning a rating of +/- 2 seconds per day vs Omega’s Cal. 8900’s promise of +5/-0 seconds per day.

Rolex also takes the edge in power reserve, with both movements boasting 70 hours of runtime between wears. The Aqua Terra, meanwhile, lags a bit behind at 60 hours.

Rolex

But outside of those two areas of the movements, the Omega sweeps basically every other category. The Aqua Terra is 50 percent more water resistant than the Rolexes, with a depth rating of 150m compared to 100m. The drawback here is that the Omega clocks in 1.5mm thicker at 13.5mm thick as opposed to 12mm for either Rolex.

The Omega is also vastly superior in terms of its resistance to magnetic fields, with an industry-leading 15,000 gauss magnetic resistance rating. Rolex doesn’t disclose its magnetic resistance rating, but we can assume it’s not as high or else they’d be shouting it from the rooftops.

Magnetic fields are produced in many modern-day electronics and can really mess with your watch’s accuracy, so this stat is quite important for an everyday watch.

Omega

The Cal. 8900 inside the 41mm Aqua Terra (the 38mm and 34mm versions use different movements) also has a parlor trick that makes it great for traveling. Pull the crown out to the first position and you can adjust the hour hand independently without interrupting the timekeeping, just as you would on a “true” GMT. This makes the watch ideal for quickly and easily changing time zones when traveling.

The Aqua Terra features a display caseback that offers a stellar view of the beautifully machine-decorated co-axial movement. This is a nice, luxurious touch you won’t find on any Rolex, except the 1908 dress watch and a couple of Daytona references—all exclusively in expensive precious metal.

Omega has also improved the Aqua Terra bracelet for this new release, making it more competitive with Rolex’s much-loved Oyster bracelet.

Omega

The new AT bracelet now includes a quick-adjust “comfort setting” on its butterfly clasp, offering the wearer 2mm of travel to make adjustments on the fly as their wrist changes size throughout the day.

The Oyster bracelet on both of the Rolexes features the “Easylink” system that allows you to lengthen or shorten the bracelet by 5mm. Neither system is as good as, say, Rolex’s Glidelock clasp found on its Submariner diver, but it’s nice to see Omega finally add some micro-adjustability to the Aqua Terra clasp.

What’s more, you have the X-factor of the Aqua Terra design. Even with the more sterile black lacquer dial, the Omega is still more visually interesting than either Rolex offering thanks to its shark-tooth indices and arrow handset, along with its more dynamic case featuring Omega’s trademark lyre lugs.

Its framed date window at six o’clock is also a more symmetrical and visually pleasing way to incorporate a date than the 3 o’clock cyclops found on the Datejust. Finally, the Omega doesn’t look like a Rolex, making it less of a target for unsavory characters.

Omega

Pricing and Availability

The new Aqua Terra is priced at $6,300, which is just $100 less than the Oyster Perpetual. The Datejust, meanwhile, is priced considerably higher at $8,050, which seems like a big jump when the only difference between it and the Oyster Perpetual is a date window and polished center links on the bracelet (the Aqua Terra has both features).

Then there’s the question of availability. Modern Rolexes, especially stainless steel models, are notoriously difficult to purchase at retail and often sell for a premium on the secondary market.

Although neither of the references discussed here are among the Crown’s most sought-after models, you’re still a lot less likely to find them at SRP (or under) compared to the Omega.

Omega

Omega Aqua Terra Black Lacquer

Omega’s best everyday watch became even more versatile with this release thanks to the addition of a glossy black lacquer dial and an improved bracelet featuring better integration and an adjustable clasp.

Specs

Case Size	41mm
Movement	Omega Cal. 8900 automatic
Water Resistance	150m

Pros

• Glossy lacquer dial increases versatility
• New adjustable clasp

Cons

• On the thick side at 13.5mm
• No rubber strap option for this style

• $6,300 at Omega

Omega has the edge, for now

Given its more robust magnetic resistance and higher depth rating, its more luxurious look and feel, and its more unique and compelling design, I have to give a slight edge to the new lacquer-dial Omega Aqua Terra over both the Rolex Oyster Perpetual and Datejust as the best everyday watch one can buy right now.

It’s an extremely close matchup though, and I’m sure many would still choose one of the Rolexes. But regardless of which you prefer, the brands’ rivalry means we’ll continue to see improvements made to all of these watches for years to come. And that’s good for everyone.

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