zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: Dear John, George and all the other
: watch-addicts. I fell in love with two
: watches and I simply cannot decide which one
: to buy. It will be my first +300$ watch and
: I don't want to buy both. I passionately
: love the sporty and still decent dressy
: style of the similarly looking and
: appealing: - Rolex Explorer I
: - Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Mid Size (with
: black dial)

: Since my wrist is rather slim, both models with
: steal bracelet look fantastic with me.
: However, decision is extremely hard!

: Any inspirations (hopefully without initiating
: another Rolex-Omega-battle)? I have read a
: lot of older articles about the
: coax-movement (e.g. Walt Odets or Philip
: Woodward), however couldn't find any updated
: information since then. I also read Walt
: Odet's old article about the previous
: Explorer I, however the 3135 movement seems
: to be much improved since then too.

: As you know, facts are: - Explorer is higher
: priced than Seamaster
: - Explorer doesn't have date indication
: - Rolex have own movements (no ETAs) but are
: still mass-produced
: - Coax-construcion lacks long-term experience

: The problem is, that these few facts don't
: simplify my decision-making process at all.
: I still equally love both of them!

: Thanks for your comments.
: Regards,
: Vorollo

Well, I think that Georges and I can both agree that the Omega gives you more watch for the money, especially after you factor in the great discount you can get from an Omega AD compared to virtually no discount on the Rolex. With the Rolex, you are really paying only for the movement and the Rolex name. Aesthetically, I think the Aqua Terra looks much nicer and, as you said, it also has a date function.

I agree with you, Georges, and everyone else who says that the co-axial hasn't been around as long as Rolex movements and, as such, it doesn't yet have a long track record. However, during the 6 years it has been in mass production by Omega, it has proven to be extraordinarily reliable and accurate. I have yet to read of one incident on any of the watch forums where a defective co-axial escapement was the cause of any problems. There was one incident reported here on this forum where a gentleman returned his Planet Ocean for warranty repair, and the cause was found to be an improperly lubricated escapement. It wasn't the escapement itself that was defective, but rather a QC oversight in not lubricating it properly before it left the factory.

I know that Georges will mention the "sudden stop" problems that were encountered with some Omega 1120 caliber watches, and caliber 1120 uses the same ETA 2892-A2 base movement used in the Aqua Terra's caliber 2500. However, none of the sudden stop issues that were reported were reported on caliber 2500 as far as I can recall. Also, all new Aqua Terras have caliber 2500C, which has a longer power reserve and a re-engineered lift angle to make the watch perform closer to the specifications set forth by George Daniels (the creator of the co-axial escapement).

So, in a nutshell, I think that Omega gives you a much better value for the money, and a nicer looking watch. In fact, the Aqua Terra line is the least expensive co-axial line in the Omega catalog. The date function and the 150 meters of water resistance with a screw down crown are also advantages of the Aqua Terra. You can also get this watch for half of what you'd pay for the Rolex. Is the in-house movement alone really worth thousands more? That decision is one that only you can make, but I do want to emphasize that I have been very impressed with the co-axial's track record so far. If it remains as reliable as it has over the past six years, Omega will have made a very wise decision in deciding to mass produce it.

Just my 2 cents...