Skip to content

Audemars Piguet & Omega Just Reinvented Modern Classics – And You Should Be Excited

Published on Mon, 29 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

From new takes on the Royal Oak Offshore Diver & Chronograph to a thorough refresh of the Seamaster 300, two watchmaking titans are updating the tried and true.

Synopsis

In this episode of Hodinkee Radio, hosts Stephen Pulvirent, James Stacey, and John Mayer discuss the 2021 watch releases from Audemars Piguet and Omega. The conversation focuses on how both brands have taken a refinement approach rather than revolutionary changes to their collections.

For Audemars Piguet, the team examines the new Royal Oak Offshore Diver with updated dial designs featuring mega tapisserie patterns and a new quick-change strap system, though the case size remains at 42mm. They discuss the surprising platinum Royal Oak "Jumbo" 15202 with a green non-tapisserie dial, debating whether the absence of the signature tapisserie pattern is a bold statement or a departure from tradition. The new Royal Oak chronographs featuring AP's in-house movement based on the Code 11.59 caliber represent a significant technical upgrade that enthusiasts have long requested. The hosts note AP's willingness to occasionally subvert purist expectations while maintaining their core identity, particularly with colorway choices like the green-on-gold chronograph that evokes Rolex comparisons.

Turning to Omega, the discussion covers the updated Seamaster 300 collection, which introduces sandwich dials and maintains the 41mm case size, signaling Omega's view of these as modern consumer watches rather than strict vintage reissues. The Seamaster Diver 300M "Black Black" generates mixed reactions—while the execution is praised as remarkable, particularly the frosted bezel and wave dial texture, the concept of making a functional dive watch intentionally difficult to read seems contrary to the tool watch ethos. The hosts compare it to a streetwear drop, something for existing Omega collectors rather than practical divers. They conclude by noting the new NASA-branded Velcro straps for the Speedmaster, seeing them as another example of Omega's strong engagement with the enthusiast community, even if the heavy branding isn't for everyone.

Transcript

Speaker
James Stacey I think that there is a little bit of AP that that like often just kind of ruffle the feathers of of purists. And I don't think the brand's afraid to do that occasionally. They're in not in any way that would threaten their core, of course. Um, but I think with something like this, they're kind of saying like, hey, we we say what the Royal Oak is
Stephen Pulvirent Hey everybody, I'm your host Stephen Pulverin and this is Hodinky Radio. Over the last week, both Autumn RPGay and Omega have dropped their 2021 collections, or at least the starts of those collections, and we have a lot of thoughts on the matter. So I grabbed John and James and we're gonna talk about what these collections tell us about the brands overall, as well as all of our nitty-gritty thoughts on the specifics of each of the individual models. We've got new Seamasters, we've got new offshores, there's a ton to cover. So without further ado, let's do this. Hey guys, how's it going? Hey, pretty good. How's it going guys? Good. It's uh things are heating up, aren't they? Watches and wonders on the horizon, and uh what we're here to discuss this week is we got uh both AP and Omega dropped their 2021 releases in a span of like what three or four days, something like that. Uh I mean just to me, like the top line with AP is that this year feels like they've taken stuff they do well and they've just refined it. Like they've taken all the hits and just made them a little bit better rather than trying to introduce some like new crazy over the top thing, right? Do you guys agree
James Stacey ? Yeah, I would agree. It's you know it seems you know they they they made this big play for green dials in kind of across the core Royal Oak range. And then uh and then we've got a you know an update to the Royal Oak offshore diver. Um which I think is uh like I I I would be I want to see it in person to compare to what I know of the cur the previous generation. But uh it is it is more of an evolution. I mean it's the same size, it's a it's a new movement, but that's something that like I don't know for time and date, does that matter to a lot of people? It's always good to have the the current movement, that makes sense, right? But I you know, the the I pr'm sure the previous movement in uh in the other Royal Oak offshore diver was also pretty lovely
John Mayer . Yeah, I I would agree. It feels feels very much like refinement. You have you know a slightly different case size in the um in the uh offshore chronograph and then you have uh kind of neat um uh quick strap system which you know n I don't think any of us have had a chance to go hands on with it but it looks
James Stacey pretty uh looks pretty amazing. Yeah I I do think the strap change thing is kind of an interesting you, know, that that's now that's become kind of a thing in certain classes of luxury sport watches. You know, Vacheron does it. Um and and you even see it have seen more and more brands switch to those little quick release bars.. Yeah The bars that have the little tab. And I don't really care for those systems because it's uh depending on the shape of your wrist, sometimes you can see the little tabs through the lug gap when the watch is on your wrist, which it doesn't feel luxurious. You know, it's it's kind of like uh like uh you know seeing seeing part of the interior of a car that's meant to be covered by a piece of leather or or or whatever. Um uh but I do I do really like the idea that not only and I like that it comes with more than one strap. I mean you buy a twenty-five thousand dollar dive watch and and I think there you know there were probably people who bought the original and then had to wait a year or two for other strap options to start to show up or or get them custom made, you know, because it is a a it's you no not unique, but it's a uh a non standard way of kind of attaching the strap to the case, the way that the Royal Oaks do it. Uh so I I think this is super smart. It also means that they get to shore up people spending another I don't know, what do you think a a leather strap from AP costs? I d I don't even want to know. With the hardware, a few thousand dollars, I would assume, right? Yeah, probably. Um and then I'd maybe because I don't think the hardware is necessarily swappable.. They didn't say that Like the pit-it's not a pin buckle. It's going to be some sort of a folding clasp and the rest of it. So I'm I I think it makes a lot of sense. I like that the watch uh you know they went with three kind of um less than or more than just black dial versions. You know, they have a gray dial, uh kind of a navy grayish blue dial, and then this khaki adventure one. Uh and I I think they look really good. And uh and I do I just dig that you know you get it and you'd have two straps right away, which is something I always liked about the overseas collection where if you buy the one with the bracelet, you get the leather and the rubber as well. So you you're kind of done to a certain extent anyways. Yeah. And I mean while we're while we're on the offs
Stephen Pulvirent hore divers, right? Like those to me were one of the standouts because they also got redesigned, right? Like it's not just like they added uh this strap system. They didn't change the case size, um, which I'm a little surprised by. I kind of would have expected maybe them to go to like 41, maybe, but um the big changes is in addition to the new colors, we got a new dial design, right? Like the the dial, the tapissery pattern is slightly different, the markers are slightly different. Um what did what did you
James Stacey guys make of these changes? I I think it's like I'm not I I it depends on how deep you're into tracking these sorts of things. I think that a casual a casual person, even a an AP fan might not notice. For me, I think that the swap from the full brand signature, you know, that says Autumn RP gay to just a gold AP, um, that's very royal oak, right? That's a like a bit of a a a nod back to the jumbo in some ways. And then the the mega tapissary, I think, I think is just kind of what what you've come to expect um from uh uh the offshore. You know, it's kind of a bigger, more bold feel. And and I think the new markers look great. I I really like uh the the original, I've picked it in drafts before and and that sort of thing. It's one of my favorite luxury watches. Um one I'd love to own, but I I do think that they're the way that they've massaged the the markers and such was smart. Uh I think it's uh it looks a little bit more refined, it looks a little bit more now. Sometimes it's just that like you know what like with cars, they'll do a mid-cycle refresh where they change the headlights and the bumper a little bit. And sometimes that's all you need to be like, oh well, I mean this doesn't feel old. There's nothing wrong with the old one, but now there's now there's a new one. Um so I I think that makes sense, especially with what next year represents for the brand, the 50th anniversary of uh of the Royal Oak. Uh so I think this year is a I'm I I don't want to call it a holding pattern 'cause they launched a bunch of stuff. But uh nothing, yeah, nothing like revolutionary. Um exciting to see another, you know, another fifteen two oh two in platinum. And weird to see a fifteen two oh two without a tapissary dial.
Stephen Pulvirent Yeah, I mean before we move on to that watch, because I definitely want to talk about that watch, I I think it's interesting that you you like the the refinements on the dial, the reduction to the AP, the megatapissery, the sort of like shorter, wider markers. Um I I agree with you that it feels more now. I'm not sure I like it better. I think I might like the old dial. It feels a little more refined. Um this almost feels like you like took the old dial and like drew it and then made that like it's it's like one step like artistically removed from the the old version. Um I don't know. I'd be I'd be curious to see them side by side because my my feeling with AP generally, is that like their press images are good, sure, they're as good as anybody else's, but uh I don't think they do the watches justice generally. I think the finishing, the fastening on everything, the color treatments, like you really have to see them in person. So I don't know. My my gut is that I think I like the old version better, but I'm gonna withhold final judgment till I can do like a little side by side one in each hand situation.
James Stacey Yeah, I think for me it still goes to one of the colorful boutique editions. Um is still where I where I would where I would land. Probably the orange, the yellow is really killer. But I I you know the original with the black dial is kind of perfect. Um so that's also fine. But I mean you can't you can't always just keep making the same like people expect at a certain point. And I I don't I definitely don't think they messed it up. And uh you know, in the presentation we got they they had a bunch of um points about little tiny like sub-millimeter changes they've made to the case shape and and some of the architecture. And it'd be really interesting someday, who knows when, especially for me up in Canada, but like when you if you could get a chance to see both next to each other and actually take in the differences. Um because I I think that's where that's where a lot of what we have is just on a screen and you just you kind of have to operate from that with these with the scenario these days. Uh but my guess is hands-on they're probably super similar and uh and one is just gonna feel yeah maybe a little more refined. I think they've changed some of the case curvature so it might sit a little better. It might also just depend on your wrist. Yeah. I mean, I don't go wrong.
Stephen Pulvirent Fair. Uh let's let's go to the watch that you mentioned a moment ago. We'll come back to the offshore in a minute to talk about the chronographs, but I want to talk about all the chronographs together because they kind of share something important uh in the new movement. But uh platinum jumbo green non-tepissery dial. Uh John, maybe you want to start us off there? Like what what are you thinking about this watch? It's a it's a pretty we
John Mayer ird uh Royal O. I mean I thought it was it's really cool. I think any time like a you know a limited uh fifteen two oh two drops uh you know in platinum everyone is gonna be like whoa. I mean it I I think it's it is the standout watch in my mind uh of everything that AP dropped out or you know dro,pped uh uh so far this year. Uh you know, having said that though, and I think this is something you alluded to earlier, the absence of the tapissery is a little bit maybe I don't want to say offsetting, but it's um uh in a 15-2 maybe a little bit little bit jarring. Um the uh you know, I I I think about it compared to other, you know, recent 15202s. I think I think the green is cool, but uh I there was something about the, you know, to kind of quote James the the salmon adjacent uh color of the dial from a couple of years ago. Uh in white yeah in white gold that that somehow I don't know that resonated with me a little bit more than this one. Um but I still think it's like a super cool a super cool watch that obviously there's gonna be tremendous interest in
James Stacey . Yeah, I I think it's gorgeous. It wouldn't be my first pick. Um I would want the tapissary dial probably. I mean, if we're really saying first pick, it'd be gold. Um, but I do like um I do think it looks really good and and and I think that there is a little bit of AP that that like often just kind of like well this is pretty but it will also kind of ruffle the feathers of of purists. Yeah. I don't think the brand's afraid to do that occasionally. They're in not in any way that would threaten their core, of course. Um, but I think with something like this, they're kind of saying, like, hey, we we say what the royal oak is. Um and and and in the history of the Royal Oak, there are a lot of weird dials. Like a lot. You know, if you're bored, open up another t browser tab and just look up um the Tuscan dials for the QP. Yeah. Really weird, like bright pinks, reds, uh MOPs, you know, weird glassy sort of like uh almost like that platinum Rolex Daytona from 2017 or whatever. Uh like a lot of different versions and and some of them you have to remember like AP operates differently now than they did in the eighties or nineties. If you had money, they'd make you any dial, especially if you're talking about a QP because you're gonna have to wait for it most likely. Uh so there's not I think we'll we'll learn a lot about how much weird AP stuff is actually out there from before the years where they were doing press releases like this in auctions in the next 20 years or so when we see stuff and people go, I think that's fake, and they're like, Nope, it's real. Here's all the paperwork. We just it's one of one. We we had the extra thirty grand or whatever to to you know commission a dial color or whatever it is. So
Stephen Pulvirent yeah. I think the green's cool though. Yeah, I think I think the green's cool. I think for me, you know, similarly to how John, you know, prefers the BC, I think uh for me it's the titanium and platinum uh with the gradient blue dial, um, from I guess what 2018. Two-tone all white metal, uh, that really amazing sunburst. It's actually like a very similar sunburst effect, just this does have the tapissery. Um, but like I agree with you. I I think this shows that like okay anyone who thinks that the AP Royal Oak hype is like reached its zenith, uh AP is like, nah, like get get out of here. Get out get out of here with that. You know? We're gonna drop a limited edition non-tepissery platinum royal oak with a bright green dial, and it's gonna cost a hundred and five thousand dollars, and
James Stacey you're gonna be begging to buy one. Uh yeah, I'm uh for me this this kind in in my world like 'cause I understand when purists see something that that is different. I think the concern isn't so much about this watch. It's the concern that AP will stop making them with the tapissery dial. Right. It's like when people see a carbon doxa, they go, but does that mean I can't buy a a steel one in a couple years? Is this a like a new direction? And I think it's not a new direction, it's just a a little spur. Like it's uh yeah. Look at this.. Cool This that way. Yeah. Um, I think the the the core path is this is unchanged
Stephen Pulvirent . I I agree. And I mean you alluded to it. This is part of a collection of five watches that all have green dials. Funnily enough, this is the only one that's not a tapissery dial. It's strange, right? Very intentional. Uh very intentional. Very weird. Uh but the others are it's three flying turbions, uh, one in titanium with a green tapissery dial, one in rose gold uh pink gold with a green tapissery dial, uh, and then there's one in titanium with a uh an emerald set bezel and green dial. So like those three we can kind of like I think set aside. Uh the other one that I think most people listening will will be interested in is the Royal look chronograph in yellow with the green dial, which uh it's cool looking. Uh I don't know about you guys. I saw it and my immediate thought was Rolex. Yeah
James Stacey . It has a Rolex feel for sure, the green on gold. Yeah, that's that's very reminiscent of a certain Daytona for sure. And and even just like even not just that Daytona, John, to your point, I think that Rolex just owns green. Yeah. Not not officially in any way, but just like in your brain a little bit. The green box, the green leather, the green this and yeah. Mm.
Stephen Pulvirent Green and yellow gold feels and and I don't know. I mean maybe it's intentional, you know, maybe it's the team at AP kinda like poking fun at it or or putting their own little spin on it. Maybe it's just a nice combination. Like I do think it's just aesthetically pleasing. Uh but I it looks good, but I couldn't help like when I looked at it, be like, am I am I looking at the right PDF here? I mean that that gets us to our next collection here, which is actually, I think we can talk about them side by side. Uh there's four new uh Royal Oak chronograph models, uh all in pink gold, blue dial, and brown dial, uh, strap and bracelet. So it's four variations on the same watch. Uh, and then there's uh five new offshore chronograph models, and all of them use the new AP in-house movement, uh, the one based on the movement developed for the code 1159 chronograph. Uh and this to me, I mean, James, as you as you talk about like subverting enthusiast expectations, this is the thing everybody's wanted for years and years and years and years and years. And like I'm, I mean, I'm not an offshore chronograph guy, but like as a watch enthusiast, I am happy to finally see these watches have like fully integrated in-house chronograph movements in them
James Stacey . Yeah, no, I agree. I mean there's not I like with this one, there's not a lot more to say. If if you know what a Royal Oak offshore chrono looks like, you're you're already ninety-five percent of the way there. The movement is definitely the story here. And then of course we're looking at like modernized colorways. So we're seeing the green and and the darker metal, we're seeing the the brighter blues, uh that sort of thing. I think aesthetically if it's a it's a roll oak offshore, I mean they're they're they're very, very cool things. They're a little bit um too modern for maybe my taste. Um, but of course that m I say that right alongside absolutely adoring the diver. It could just be the chronograph uh sort of scenario. They're a little bit on the bigger side at 44. Um, but I do think that they look they look how they have to look. They they still look like a royal oak offshore. But unlike the um the diver, which we covered previously, these are more of a a departure from the established aesthetic. Um feel super modern, uh definitely like uh a luxurious sort of overbuilt lot of tech, lot of various, you know, sort of finishing and contrasts and and materials and that sort of thing. I I think they look uh I think they look killer. And and and if you're kind of like a Royal Oak offshore guy, you know, I think the divers kind of sit to the side of of what the the offshore has been for a long time. And and I think if you've got the if you've got the wrist for them, they're pretty sweet. And the new movement's not going to hurt at all. That's a pretty sweet thing. They definitely do have that like supercar quality, right? Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's a complicated sort of balance of of yeah, textures and tech and color and font and it it definitely has like a sporty modern feel.
John Mayer Yeah, I mean I think in twenty twenty twenty one, you know, it it totally makes sense for AP to have its chronographs, you know, be in-house. Uh nothing at all against the the FPGA though. I mean, that's obviously one of the best. It's been used by so many high-end brands, and it's like uh one of the great automatic chronographs there is.
Stephen Pulvirent Yeah. Cool. Well, I mean, I think this gives us a pretty good handle on AP. Like I said, there's a couple other things. We'll have coverage of of everything across the site. But uh yeah, there's some diamonds at Royal Oaks, there's some new Code 1159 pieces with ceramic. Um but I think the the Royal Oak, Royal Oak chronograph and uh offshore stuff is is really the the stars or are really the stars this year. Um cool. Well, let's move on to Omega because I want to make sure we give Omega plenty of time as well. Um, I think in a funny way, like Omega strategy and uh AP strategy don't seem that divergent. You know, it's it's refining and reshaping existing models rather than going crazy. And granted with Omega, we got like brand new moon watches a couple weeks ago so I don't want to get too greedy there but um yeah how would how would you guys kind of describe the broad strokes of what we got from Omega uh earlier this
James Stacey week yeah if it feels like a lineup uh kind of adjustment, like kind of filling in a few blanks. Uh I think I think it's been a little while since they since they gave uh you know a a strong kind of rethinking to the three hundred. Um that that naming I find very annoying because they have other watches called the three hundred, right? So we we're talking about the vintage inspired three hundred straight lugs, uh the deep dial, the sandwich effect dial, uh, you know, the not not the 300 Pro or the 300 M or the SM300. Like it they've made it difficult uh with it from a naming convention, but this is more that classic uh vintage throwback rather than your well, I mean one of the three that that we could be talking about is the other uh which is the professional side which uh you know but I I think from the from the the two that they that they kind of broke out with this I I think they look really good. I think they're smart refinements. The the thing I really want to see because I'm very picky when it comes to this specific line of watches is I've always found the dial depth on these watches to be kind of deep. So the delta the it like think the dial is kind of lower in the case than you expect. So there's always a big shadow from the edge of the case. And it's something I only notice because I you know, I always have to take pictures of these and they would rank among the most difficult watches I've ever photographed. Um because the it's so difficult to light that dial and not blow out all the other details because the dial's so deep and I don't know if in refining because I believe these are a little bit thinner so maybe some of the um architecture you, know su,pporting those those uh sizes uh have been massaged. I'm I'm not really sure. That was always the my my kind of impression of it. Otherwise I mean like a a really beautiful watch and I guess now we're getting the lollipop hand, which we only saw on the 0007 edition from three, four years ago. Five five years ago, a while ago at this point. The last Bond, the last Bond movie, I believe. Um I I think they look good. I mean they've they've always been good looking watches, the reference material was a great was great looking watches. So that makes sense. What do you think, John?
John Mayer Yeah, I mean I to me it in general I would agree with the you know with Steven's original sentiment that it uh it feels like a year of refinement also for Omega. Important not to forget that they've already done some big things, you know, in the last couple of years and then earlier this year where they took the moon watch and they and they made a radical change to the moon watch, which is something that I think in the in the last year or two or uh we all kind of saw as inevitable, but if you go back a little bit further back, I mean that's something that I never would have predicted seeing happen, taking, you know, taking the um you know the 1861, a movement that had been certified by NASA in replacing it, like why why why bother? Would have So in doing that, which is you know part of this year's release, it's kind of it's already made um you know 2021 a b a big year for them, you know, and it also kind of in a in a symbolic way too. It's like Omega is no longer just um I feel like you can't really talk about Omega without like MetaS certification in the coaxial now. I feel like those I feel like those kind of are synonymous with Omega at this point. Um whereas you could whereas when the moon watch was still hanging on to like a kind of like an an older style of movement, I don't think you really could say that given how important the moon watch is. So yeah
James Stacey . What do you guys think of this um the the bronze gold? If it's a very brown watch
Stephen Pulvirent . It's a very brown watch. Uh it's not my favorite of the collection, but I actually think it's probably going to be one of the more successful, if I had a
James Stacey guess. Yeah. I think if they if they put the the dial from the titanium one, the blue dial, yeah with that bronze gold, I think that I'm I'm really not uh I'm not a brown guy when it comes to tropic dials or root beers or the rest of it, so it doesn't speak to me, but I can see the potential with uh with some blue on that on that bronze gold, which I think could be could be interesting. I think the sizing is still really strong at forty one, like they're they're sticking to what they know. I you know, we don't have a price for this uh br uh bronze gold one so I'm not really sure where it will land. I I did a post two years ago at this point, the last year where we had a a reality where I was in New York, we did a post with the three precious metal three hundreds. Oh yeah. Um and uh and so I've I've experienced all of those. I do wonder where this lands in terms of pricing compared to the solid gold uh or platinum or or or white gold and whatnot. And uh uh yeah, we' well'll or uh uh pink gold and uh we'll see. It it's a very yeah, like I said, it's uh I'm just struck by how b how very brown it is
Stephen Pulvirent . Yeah, I I agree. Um I I think you touched on the fact that there's still 41 millimeters. And I think that's an important thing about this watch. Like one of the things that I learned from this release, right? Assuming they started at square one, is that Omega doesn't think of this watch in the same way that say, like Tudor thinks of the Black Bay 58. You know, like this is not a vintage reissue. This is not a watch for vintage collectors to buy. This is a modern watch in modern scale, uh, it just happens to be inspired by and have some of the design traits of vintage pieces. Uh and I think that's an interesting positioning. Uh, I think it's much more consumer friendly for the most part. Uh, and I think it tells us that like Omega thinks of these as consumer watches. Like these are watches they want to sell a lot of and that they want to be sort of a flagship alongside things like the Speedmaster or the uh Seamaster Diver 300. Um and I I think that's a a
James Stacey not insignificant statement from them. Yeah I mean I like I I don't I don't know how much I necessarily buy all of that because it's so willfully a vintage effect. Uh you know, look you look at the new one if we if we pull away from the the uh the bronze gold one and look at the the the new three hundreds is we have a blue one with very much tan sort of loom. I I think it's gorgeous, but I don't think that you could say that they're not in some way trading on the heritage of that design. Um because it's not this is you know they've made they've made a lot of decisions here that are not about making a modern a strictly modern watch. Uh which I think is highlighted by look look at the other uh three hundred uh pro that they released. That on the other hand feels like very much a watch that is not talking necessarily about its past or Omega's past, maybe just the just the past of the wave dial, skeleton hand, two five three eight, stuff like that. I you know I think I think it's it's they it's up to them how they want to position it, but it's also kind of up to the market to decide its context. And uh and and this is a vintage inspired watch regardless
Stephen Pulvirent . Yeah. And we'll we'll touch I wanna I wanna get to the the d diver three hundred black black in a minute, uh, which like we can also talk about that name. But uh yeah, but uh one thing I don't want to get away from is is the C Master 300, the new iteration introduced a sandwich dial to the mix, which we didn't have on the earlier versions. Uh similarly to my thought with AP and doing a green on goals chronograph feeling very Rolex, like how do you release a dive watch with a 12369 sandwich dial and not expect people to think about Panorai? Or do you expect that and not care
John Mayer ? And then hey, like I would just add to that, like, you know, Paneraye also has it was they were also one of the first brands to do bronze w watches, actually, if you think about it. True. Ye
Stephen Pulvirent ah. Yep. Let's, you know what, let's let's talk about the other side of CMaster that we got uh this week, which is the watch James you mentioned before the the Seamaster Diver 300. Uh because of course there have to be two C Master 300. Three 300 M versus 300, I guess, is what we're doing now. Yeah. Uh and this is the black black, uh, which is exactly I mean it does what it says on the tin, right? Like it's a C Master Diver 300 where every component is black. This obviously draws on some like you know more recent heritage, if we can call it heritage. You know, Omega's been doing these these black ceramic dial uh divers for a couple of years now. They've been doing the dark side of the moon watches. Um this kind of like material experimentation has been a big part of Omega, I would say over the last let's say 10 years, you know, seven years, something like that. Um but this is sort of like this idea taken to its like full logical conclusion. Uh what do you what do you guys think of it? Like just give me your your honest first impressions. Like what do you think about this watch? I think it's I think it's cool. I think it's
John Mayer like if uh if Omega made like a streetwear drop, like if this was like a like a sneaker drop of watches, this is by Omega, this is what it would look like. I think that's kind of um it's definitely not a watch that, you know, I'm not not that I am a diver. I think you know, James is, maybe we can get his views on this, but it doesn't seem like the kind of tool that I would want to have to rely on uh or that I would wanna necessarily it wouldn't be the first dive watch that I'd reach for to go like on a uh you know a a 14-day trip diving in like you know in Mexico or something. Um but it's but it's like super cool. You know, I was thinking about this earlier like uh if um out of all the omegas like the one that I kind of like I want to own would be like you know the the the watch we were just talking about, you know. Um but if there was like one watch that I could grab and like bring to a meetup and show people like look how cool this is, it would probab
James Stacey ly be the the black black. You know, the idea of the kind of shadow diver or shadow dial uh watch has been around for a long time. There was kind of a trend ten, fifteen years ago in the microwatch industry where everybody was making uh phantom dials that had, you know, black luminous plots that would barely glow. But it was kind of like a thing. There was it was like a little two year trend or whatever. And for this, like I I don't I don't get it really. Um I you know the the other they make another version of of a similar watch than i at this forty three point five millimeter which is kind of a t in titanium and it's kind of like a tech version of the watch and and I think it to John's point would be a little bit more useful diving. Um obviously the legibility on this isn't the point of the design. I I'm not gonna bash them for it. There it's very the look is super intentional, and I really adore that bezel, that um whatever sort of frosted finish they've put on the bezel. Yeah, and if you go to the bezel amazing, yeah, if you go to the posts and check out the check out the like the ma the big macro image um where you can see the waves on the dial are kind of created using I think this is how they do it with all of them, but it's very pronounced in matte black where the kind of alternation of the waves is polished, brushed, or polished kind of sandpaper, polished sandpaper, and that's how you get the effect. And it's such um the I don't the design like the brief does nothing for me, but the way they executed it is remarkable. They did a great job pulling it off.
Stephen Pulvirent Yeah, I'm James, I'm with you on this. Like, this is a watch that the concept does nothing for me. And in fact, like I find the concept slightly annoying. You know, the idea of like, oh, let's take a dive watch, which is like at its core a functional object and make it look awesome but function like arguably poorly. Um however, uh they just knocked it out of the park. Like they they like turned turned lead
James Stacey into gold here. Uh and and I think John's perspective on comparing it to kind of being a special drop in the in a in a streetwear community, like a a a shoe or something, I think that's the right way of looking at it. I think this is again meant for omega heads, people who are very much into this, and and probably already own a C Master or 3 and a Speedy. And then they see this and they go like, all right, well, this could be my big, bold kind of summer watch, bright sunlight, who can It might take you a split second longer to read it, but that's not a legitimate issue. It would be weird to dive with for sure. Uh but you're also diving with a dive computer. You would only use the watch uh for fun or or if your computer failed, in which case I'm sure this would be just fine. I still have I'm the biggest issue is they they just don't need the uh HEV. We don't have to get into that. Uh because that's a whole other podcast, James. Um but that that bugs me more than more than the full phantom treatment.
Stephen Pulvirent Okay. Well the la the last thing I want to call it specifically is actually not a watch. It's a collection of straps, uh, which are these moonwatch uh Velcro straps for the speedy uh with the NASA logos on them. Um They're like a little heavily branded for my taste, uh but they're cool. And like NASA swag is never a thing I'm gonna argue with. Uh and I think a lot of Speedmaster customers are gonna want these. So like they're cool. It's cool to see NASA uh to see NASA get on board. It's cool to see Omega like do something like this, you know, to you know, talk to the enthusiast community, which is I think something, and again, this is probably a whole other show, but uh it's something Omega's like kicked ass at over the last couple of years, uh over the last decade plus probably. Um is is keeping enthusiasts excited. And this just seems like the latest latest in that
John Mayer . It seems like the kind I don't I don't have a moon watch, but it seems like the kind of thing where if I did have a moon watch, I'd as long as we're you know it's a reasonable price, I I could see myself definitely definitely wanting to have one of these
James Stacey . I for me it's a little it's a little bit like the like the wearing the jacket with all the the like logos on it. And I think there's a time and a place for that. Like if you're at the racetrack or if you're if you're you know doing space stuff or whatever, it makes more sense to me. But then the other thing is like there's like a pretty long history of people wanting to have the astronaut strap for their speedy. I mean if you don't like if you guys don't know Carl runs Gas Gas Bones out of the UK, like that that was largely his bread and butter for years was he made an exact replica. Like I mean exact. He has the the it's exact. An exact replica of the strap that that you would use on the outside of your spacesuit. And then you could get it sized to actually wear on your wrist, but it had the little patch with the with the the numbers or and and the rest of it. I'm not as big a space nerd. Uh I don't know if if some of that's tied to you know NASA's an American thing and and and the rest of it. Uh I I follow along and and I certainly find it interesting and and in the period fascinating. Um these days, you know, it it feels like we're we're making a lot of references to something that we don't do anymore collectively as as humans. Uh you know, space travel. Um but I I think the straps certainly look cool and like if it fits the general kind of aesthetic that you operate in. Like if you I think if you paired it up with a nice MA1, you know, like the bomber jacket, yeah, and and and leaned in just a bit, but not enough where like you're also wearing the NASA t-shirt. Um then I you know you just have to find that balance. I I think they look good. Omega like their straps are super high quality. They're they make a great NATO if you're willing to spend that kind of money on a NATO. So they're they're not gonna mess around. Um and and there's probably a a world in which this is something of a collector item where people are buying them and not wearing them. Yeah, agre
Stephen Pulvirent ed. Yeah guys, I mean AP Omega, we got Watches and Wonders coming up. Uh we're we're in the thick of it. Yeah, buckle up. Buckle up. Uh thanks. Thanks for doing this, guys. And uh I'm I'm sure the three of us will be back talking about another collection of new watches very, very soon. Cool. A pleasure. Thanks, guys.