u/oddaffinity

Have to show my Albany River Rat pride on my Sunday morning walk.

For those who don’t know, the famous magazine WIRED recently published a story about r/RepTime, how people buy “replicas” (a polite way of saying fakes/counterfeit) watches, and the community around them. And the whole subreddit has virtually gone into panic mode.

They’re acting like an open subreddit with over 300,000 weekly visitors (I'm sure that number was lower before the article was published, but even before that, it was at LEAST tens of thousands) was practically a secret underground society that got exposed by the authorities. Like…IT’S A PUBLIC FORUM! ON SOCIAL MEDIA! WHERE YOU'RE BUYING ILLEGAL SHIT!

Their subs are begging the mods to close the subreddit or at least making it private for a while until the “storm” blows over. It’s hilarious.

Ya know, if these people bought real watches, they wouldn’t have these issues in the first place…

Whoops!

I’ll go first; I owned a Tudor Ranger and a Grand Seiko SBGX059.

Both of them, on paper, are objectively great watches. Incredible specs, luxury-level finishing, and insanely accurate. Yet I sold both of them. The Ranger’s dial felt bland, massive, and empty, while the GS was as exciting as watching paint dry.

The Grand Seiko, in my opinion, is what a generic “watch” looks like. Again; objectively fantastic watch with supreme finishing, but it bored me to bits. Similar vibes with the Tudor.

I now own a quartz Aqua Terra with a teak deck dial as my daily driver and it’s fantastic. Super interesting silvery white dial.

What about you, folks? What watch seemed to be great in pictures, but once you owned it, you got bored with it fast?

I picked up this 2010 Aqua Terra, reference 231.10.39.61.02.001, just about one month ago (damn near on a whim) from r/watchexchange for about $1,900 without box or papers and have worn it every single day for the past 30 days. Looking to find out how it is to live with? Stick around and read this in-depth review.

CASE
Omega’s classic “lyre-style” Aqua Terra case is a true treat to wear. Even though 38.5mm sounds giant on smaller wrists, it wears MUCH better than that due to the compact 44.5mm lug-to-lug length. For comparison, I had a Monta Noble with the same case diameter but a 47mm lug-to-lug, and it felt like a broad dinner plate on my 6.5 inch wrist. The case feels like a true cross between a slab-sided Tudor and an elegant, curvy Rolex Oyster case. I love the differing polished and brushed elements.

It’s not too thick, either. It’s slimmer than the co-axial versions of the watch, and with 150m of water resistance, I ain’t complaining.

BRACELET & CLASP
I went into this watch thinking that the bracelet and clasp would be a total disaster, based on all the YouTube reviews moaning about how the clasp isn’t as good as a Rolex due to the lack of micro adjust on the butterfly closure. Yet I disagree; I love how discreet the clasp is. The lack of micro adjust doesn’t bother me.

I’ve never found the bracelet uncomfortable, and the links are smooth as butter. Be warned that they have “twin screws” on each side of the link, so adjusting the bracelet is a proper PITA.

Also, it takes some practice to put the watch on if you’re used to Rolex/traditional diver clasps. But even for a bracelet snob like me, this feels much more rigid than even Grand Seiko’s current 9F watch clasps.

Annoyingly, my end links are loose; they wiggle up and down if I flex my wrist enough. The tabs at the bottom of the end links that sit against the underside of the lugs are likely worn down after 16 years and need to be replaced. This is a common problem with older Aqua Terra end links. Maybe all my watch needs is new spring bars, but I’ll let the Omega Service Center figure that out.

DIAL
This dial is gorgeous and visually interesting. It’s a shimmering silvery-white that plays well with the teak deck lines running vertically along the dial. The white gold indices have a subtle but stunning rainbow shimmer effect in the sunlight that doesn’t show up well on camera. I’m not kidding when I say that this dial looks infinitely more interesting than my Rolex Datejust that I used to own. And for a fraction of the price…

The green lume on the hands and dial are quite strong, as well. The date window, while unframed, has a nice bevel cut out into the dial, and the date font is very futuristic.

Omega must have had narrow profit margins with this dial; the pre-facelift second-gen Aqua Terra quartz variants (this one) featured applied white gold indices and a metallic Omega logo, while the post-facelift versions have more cost-effective fully printed dials, akin to a Railmaster.

My dial also has a little quirk: it has a “scar” (tiny metallic scratch) on the edge of the “teak deck” near the 58-minute mark, as well as a minor mark or two on the applied Omega logo. These are only visible in certain lighting conditions at specific angles. Whether it left the factory like that 16 years ago or it was accidentally marked by a watchmaker during a service/battery replacement, I will never know. I was admittedly upset when I first discovered them. But considering a replacement dial costs $1,100 and this pre-owned/pre-loved watch is technically old enough to drive a car, I’m making my peace with the scars. No watch is absolutely perfect, and the scars (or maybe “birthmarks”?) make it unique to me.

The double-sided AR coating is awesome and works extremely well. Yes, the exterior AR coating DOES scratch (mine has a fair bit of them), but it’s not enough to warrant a crystal replacement and I have no issues telling the time despite them.

MOVEMENT
This was the last generation of Aqua Terras to offer a quartz movement. Quartz was only available on the 38.5mm sizes and not the 41mm options. Omega axed the quartz movement for the model’s 2017 redesign, likely due to a lack of demand. I selected quartz over a co-axial automatic because I highly value accuracy in my watches. In my experience, this Omega 1538 movement runs just under 0.5 seconds fast per day, or maybe about 1/3 of a second fast per day. Absolutely excellent timekeeping.

This movement doesn’t have a quickset date, but it has an even cooler feature; a jumping hour hand! This means you can change time zones with the watch still running, which makes this a great travel watch (or for the occasional DST transition, if you live in the US). To change the date, you have to cycle the hour hand around the dial twice, which is tedious, but you hopefully won’t have to do it often.

(FYI: The 2015-ish “facelift” version of the quartz Aqua Terra with the printed dial uses the Omega 4564 caliber, which features a quickset date but no jumping hour hand.)

The seconds hand hits the markers most of the time, or at least comes somewhat close to them. I got lucky in this regard; while I don’t expect GS-levels of precision with quartz Omega seconds hands, I’m happy that it’s “close enough.”

What’s unusual about this movement is its date change. It’s extremely gradual, starting at 8pm and ending just after midnight. While it is nice that the new date shows up promptly on the next day, it’s odd looking down at my watch at 10:00pm and seeing the date stuck between today and tomorrow.

OVERALL
This is a phenomenal daily driver. It’s luxurious, gorgeous, accurate, comfortable and can be worn in every scenario; I’ve worn it while presenting to managers at work and while bumming it in sweatpants on early morning flights, and it never looks out of place. I plan on keeping this watch for a long time, hopefully forever. Maybe it needs a quartz SMP300 to compliment it…

I owned a Grand Seiko SBGX059 and this Aqua Terra feels more premium in every way. Yes, the GS has a more accurate movement with arguably slightly better finishing on the hands/indices, but this Omega feels more interesting in every other way. It looks like it has a personality and that Omega wasn’t cutting corners, even for their quartz watches.

I plan on sending it to Omega for a complete service in early 2027 (I’d do it now, but I want to make more memories with it/spend time with it before sending it off to a service center for three months). If you have $2k to spend on a luxury watch and either love/don’t mind quartz movements, I highly recommend this watch.

If you have any questions about this watch, let me know; I’m happy to answer them! Thanks for reading.

I recently acquired a 16-year-old Aqua Terra quartz for a good price. I paid just under $2k for it. This is my second ever Omega and I adore it.

Upon close inspection, the dial has a slight scratch at the 58 minute mark, and the applied Omega logo also appears to have been scratched. These are only visible under certain lighting conditions. I assume these marks were made at the hand of a clumsy independent watchmaker, but I will never know. They admittedly bother me, but I also know this watch is old enough to drive a car and is not brand new, so I can’t expect perfection from an unserviced (by Omega, at least) preowned watch.

Out of curiosity, I called the Swatch Group service center in Secaucus, New Jersey (the closest service center to me) today to get a rough estimate for a service cost. I plan on sending my AT in for at least a standard complete service and to replace my worn end links. The lady in the parts department was quite friendly and patient with me as I asked her for prices.

On top of the standard $550 complete service, a new crystal would run me $240 and new end links would be $162 for the pair. Overall, what I expected.

But the dial? I was quoted a cool $1,100. This is double what Omega usually charges for a printed SMP300 dial and over half of what I paid for my watch alone.

I stifled my shock, politely thanked her, and hung up the phone. Safe to say I’ll learn to live with my mildly scuffed dial!

Swiss watches have Swiss replacement part prices, too. Just like German cars and their service parts. That’s all; thanks for reading!

The Buffalo Sabres have returned to being a respectable NHL franchise after ending their 15-year playoff drought. Time to share your love by repping this team-issued blank Adidas MiC jersey in a RARE SZ. 52.

I’m asking $299 with FREE INSURED SHIPPING INSIDE CONUS! I accept payment via PayPal G&S.

Although the current retail price for a Fanatics Authentic Pro away jersey is almost 450 smackeroos, you can get this Sabres TEAM-ISSUED MiC jersey in a rare Sz. 52 in immaculate condition for a nearly 35% discount!

This is a team-issued jersey that will actually fit YOU, potential customer! Most team-issued/game-worn jerseys are at LEAST a sz. 54. These 52’s were very difficult (and pricey) to find before the age of the Fanatics FAP. Wear this guy over a hoodie and you’ll be snug as a bug in a rug without looking like you’re wearing a garbage bag.

This piece of somewhat rare, mint-condition Buffalo hockey history can be yours today. Please message me with any questions or additional photo requests. Thank you!

6/24 UPDATE: Sale pending.

Picked this guy up on r/watchexchange and I’m in the honeymoon phase already; it’s so dang cool. I prefer the accuracy of quartz over most automatics (and the lower price!), so at their current prices, Omega quartz models are incredible value.

I love the finishing on this piece, the practically invisible crystal, the case shape, the shimmering white/silver dial, and more. I’m so happy that I finally own an Aqua Terra. I feel way cooler wearing this over any premium microbrand I’ve ever owned!

(Ref. 231.10.39.61.02.001)

This Nike on-ice retail authentic Sz. 48 red Chicago Blackhawks jersey was one of my lowkey “grail jerseys” for years. The chain stitching of the crest and shoulder patches is STUNNING. Along with the bold red base color accented by those lovely black and white stripes, it makes the jersey just so amazing to look at, feel, and wear. Finding one that fit me in excellent condition was a bonus, too. It has some faint minor stains at the bottom of the jersey, but I'm sure a nice hot OxiClean bath will get most of those out.

This deal was too good to pass up. It was re-listed by the seller twice before they re-listed it again at a dramatically reduced price. Plus a $10 PayPal coupon, I just had to pull the trigger. I felt like a tiger stalking its prey, just waiting for the right price.

The chain stitching on the crest and patches truly makes this stand out over the pre-Adidas Blackhawks retail jerseys and was the primary reason I sprang for an authentic. The crest used on the Nike jerseys were MASSIVE, especially with that tan outline. They dramatically increased in presence compared to the previous CCM versions of the crest.

See, most retail versions of Blackhawks jerseys prior to 2017 use a “flat” tackle twill crest along with inaccurate “C”’s that make up the shoulder patches. Stepping up to the authentic jerseys meant you got textured, chain-stitched patches with accurate shoulder patches, both of which were hand-sewn in Canada rather than simply heat-pressed onto the sweater. I love that Chicago is the only team that continues using this “traditional” method for their on-ice product. When Adidas took over in 2017, most retail jerseys got the chain-stitched crests.

Chicago briefly wore Nike jerseys from the 1996-97 season through the 1998-99 season (the season I was born in!). In 1999-2000, the Blackhawks switched to ProPlayer (before using the league standard CCM/Koho jersey manufacturer split in 2000-01) and adopted the modernized version of the crest that we know today.

Can you tell I love it? This compliments my Dad’s old retail CCM white Blackhawks jersey he passed down to me a few years ago. I laughed like a giddy school kid as soon as I held it and wore it for the first time. Although I’m primarily a Sabres fan, I grew up as a Blackhawks fan and they continue to be my favorite Western Conference team.

This bomber is at the Wings Over the Rockies museum!