The nice fake Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra XXL Small Seconds manual-wind watch, which is clearly inspired by the Swiss brand`s pocket timepieces from the 1930s, will be issued as a very limited edition of 176 pieces: half of them in white gold and the other half in 18-carat rose gold. Equipped with a Unitas-based pocket watch caliber, the timekeeper boasts an extra-large body almost 50 whopping millimeters in diameter! Frankly speaking, I cannot clearly understand why Omega decided to present this model as a member of the Aqua Terra XXL family.
The watch comes packed in a huge 49.2 mm case, which is outsourced from the current Railmaster XXL series and has a similar dial layout with two big hands and a small seconds display positioned at 6 o’clock.
According to the Swiss brand, the watch is powered by the new Omega caliber 2211 COSC-certified chronometer movement, which is probably a version of their fairly recent 2201 caliber that powers the Ralimaster XXL (and, in its own turn, is based on the ETA Unitas 6498-2 hand-wound movement).
Also, the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra XXL Small Seconds uses a very similar movement.
The Omega Aqua Terra XXL Small Seconds watch replica, on the contrary, features a white enamel dial with a guilloched small seconds subdial, which is made of sterling silver and applied on top of it. It is not clearly visible on the promo photo, but in real life the small dial looks very contrast to its bright white background.
With its vintage style, the new model is also ideologically closer to the Railmaster than to the rest of the utterly modern-looking Aqua Terra family, with their broad arrow-shaped hands and bold-looking dials.
Of course, the main attraction here is the pair of laser-cut hour and minute hands that are made of blued steel and each incorporate the Omega logo. The irony (or is it a friendly joke?) here is that this type of hands is usually referred to as “Breguet hands”, so one would not readily anticipate them to be shaped not as the usual pomme (French for “apple”) but the trademarked Ω sign.
Although Omega claims that the Ω-shaped hands were patented back in 1924, it is the first time I see this design on an actual watch. However, searching for the prove on the Internet, I have found a French-speaking horology forum featuring a scan from a very old-looking catalog where the “Omega-shaped” hand is listed as “form No. 8.”
See also: Oris Williams F1 Team Day Date Automatic (ref. 735 7634 4765 RS)
Photos: Omega
Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra XXL Small Seconds hand-wound watch specification:
Price range: Around $25,000
Movement: Omega caliber 2211, manual-wind, Swiss Made
Complications: Small seconds
Power reserve: 53 hours
Case material: White gold or Rose gold
Bezel material: White gold or Rose gold
Bezel shape: Round
Case size: 49.2 mm
Case height: No data
Dial: White enamel
Numerals: Arabic
Hands: Blued steel, Breguet-type
Water resistance: 150 meters
Strap: Black leather alligator strap
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective
Case back: Transparent, Sapphire
Anyway, it could be a beautiful and a highly desirable vintage watch, if not for its gargantuan size. Maybe that is why the Swiss watchmaking brand has decided to limit the Omega replica watch’s production to only 176 units: a niche product, indeed.