Although the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, postponed due to the pandemic, took place just a few months ago, the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing are rapidly approaching. As the official timekeeper of the Olympics, Omega has a rich history of creating commemorative Olympic-related watches, and in 2022, its goal is to evoke the image of the Winter Olympics, defined by their special feature - freshly fallen snow.
The new Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Beijing 2022 watch combines classic coloring with detailed, striking dial finishing, allowing for a bright and stylish reinterpretation of one of the brand's most versatile lines.
The 41mm stainless steel case of the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Beijing 2022 echoes the classic lines of the standard Omega model, with signature twisted lyre-shaped lugs accented by a smooth, sloped polished bezel and an unprotected three o'clock crown. The familiar combination of satin-finished surfaces with smooth, tapered polished lug chamfers also returns, keeping this design completely in line with the brand's DNA in images. Omega has chosen a solid case back for this variant, featuring a relief and polished abstract logo of the 2022 Beijing Olympics against a grained matte background. Like the rest of the Aqua Terra line, Omega rates this model's water resistance at 150 meters.
Although the dial of the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Beijing 2022 is a new stylistic endeavor for the Swiss brand, enthusiasts will likely compare it to similar competitor designs. In some ways, the intricate snowy texture of this cool white dial is a creative nod towards Grand Seiko and its fan-favorite Spring Drive SBGA211 “Snowflake” design, but Omega takes an entirely different approach in practice. While the Japanese giant uses a dial stamping process with translucent paint to achieve a wavy snowdrift texture, Omega instead employs laser engraving on a ceramic-based zirconium oxide dial to create its effect.
Omega's interpretation of snow is sharper and more layered than its counterpart, with hints of ice and frost in the bright shimmering highlights in the first images. In line with this bold and frosty base texture, Omega equipped the Seamaster Aqua Terra Beijing 2022 with blued triangular indices and matching hands, featuring the line's signature dauphine and arrow hands. The use of bright red for the traditional “Seamaster” emblem at the 12 o'clock position and accents on the outer minute track adds even more expressiveness to the design, without resorting to the multicolored Olympic rings that were characteristic of many past Omega anniversary watches. Overall, this is a sharper and more aggressive approach to the “snowy dial” concept compared to previous versions, with a more sociable and dynamic character in the images.
Like the standard Aqua Terra model, Omega equips the Seamaster Aqua Terra Beijing 2022 with its in-house automatic Calibre 8900. The Calibre 8900, featuring an innovative coaxial escapement and resistant to magnetic fields up to 15,000 Gauss, boasts impressive capabilities and a modern movement that has undergone strict METAS Master Chronometer certification for timekeeping accuracy. The power reserve is also excellent, offering 60 hours at a frequency of 25,200 vibrations per second. Omega pairs the watch with a broad three-link stainless steel bracelet with wide mirror-polished center links, giving the watch a bright and dressy appearance.
The Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Beijing 2022 watch, with its new icy look and intricate custom finishing, is one of the most appealing and intriguing additions to the Aqua Terra line. The Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Beijing 2022 is now available through authorized dealers at a price of 6,200 USD. For more information, visit the brand's website.