Omega Aqua Terra white/blue

[GrimReaper]

I have had hard time finding an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 2503.33.00 with white dial and blue hands and markers. Also the rep I was looking should have Swiss movement and sapphire glass.
Most of the dealers only have Planet Oceans or the cheaper 100USD versions of Aqua Terra.
I contacted Perfect Clones, Trusty Time, Precious Time and Silix.
First two said it is not made anymore, latter two didn't even answer me.

But Hont had this watch, and I was very excited.
This is the picture he sent me (same one Trusty Time has):

Will post actual images and observations when I get the watch.

I payed with Paypal, watch was 280USD + 5% for Paypal, 15USD Airmail.

 

[drbollocko]

These are nice reps, a little expensive for what they are but can't be found anymore with most dealers. Lots of crappy AT's out there but these have the case very close to gen and accept gen parts.

 

[txrob779]

$35 Silix Special

 

[GrimReaper]

Please help me.
This is the picture Hont sent me:

Watch will be replaced with another one, so don't mind the logo.

But what bothers me is that the watch looks nothing like the one above, and it certainly doesn't look like a 300USD watch, more like a 100USD one.

Markers are very thin and long. Color of markers and hands is too dark. Hands don't have lume on them.
Also not sure about size, looks like a 42mm instead of 39mm.

I don't mind a bigger watch, but I don't believe they make a good 42mm replica, haven't seen one yet.

How do I even know I will get a Swiss movement and Sapphire glass, is lack of Constellation inscription on back enough?
But I certainly need a front and back photo.

If I cannot get an Aqua Terra, what other Omega watches should I look for?

 

[GrimReaper]

Here I found two:
http://www.timeshops.net/product.php?id_product=1662
http://www.timeshops.net/product.php?id_product=711

Looks like second one, so it should be ETA+sapphire+39mm.
But still the face looks nothing like the original.

 

[Wacker23]

Please help me.
This is the picture Hont sent me:

Watch will be replaced with another one, so don't mind the logo.

But what bothers me is that the watch looks nothing like the one above, and it certainly doesn't look like a 300USD watch, more like a 100USD one.

Markers are very thin and long. Color of markers and hands is too dark. Hands don't have lume on them.
Also not sure about size, looks like a 42mm instead of 39mm.

I don't mind a bigger watch, but I don't believe they make a good 42mm replica, haven't seen one yet.

How do I even know I will get a Swiss movement and Sapphire glass, is lack of Constellation inscription on back enough?
But I certainly need a front and back photo.

If I cannot get an Aqua Terra, what other Omega watches should I look for?

That looks like shit. Wtf?

 

[txrob779]

Sure it does....just not as wicked of a professional pic as that gen...

 

[GrimReaper]

just not as wicked of a professional pic as that gen

OMFG, seen just now, watch shows 10:10, so it is surely a gen. Also very obvious Photoshop done.
No problem here, because that was not a QC picture, it was my bad I thought such good replica exists.
I will just wait and see how it looks and performs in person.

 

[GrimReaper]

I now see what is going on.
Problem is all dealers have very old photos on their sites.
But all dealers have the same watch, they don't make more versions of this watch (except the cheaper ones).

Here is comparison of Silix photos on website, and QC photos Michelle sent me on email:

As for my observations.
Face:
-markers are longer, thinner now
-blue color on markers/hands looks cheaply painted (not a problem with blue dialed one, which doesn't have painted markers and hands)
-bad lume on hands
-date window should be more squary

Back:
-Constellation inscription
-8501 instead of 2500 inscription on rotor, probably taken from new AT
I don't know much about movements, so I cannot say which one it uses, but I will inspect this further. But I must say it looks rather nice.

Bracelet:
It is of the New Aqua Terra, calibre 8500.

I can understand why they don't make parts for old AT anymore, this doesn't bother me that much.
But how the face looks bothers me very much. As I said, blue dialed one is ok. But the markers and hands on white dialed look very poorly made.
Maybe it doesn't look as bad in person.

 

[txrob779]

If you accept and dont like it..PM me

 

[Wacker23]

I now see what is going on.
Problem is all dealers have very old photos on their sites.
But all dealers have the same watch, they don't make more versions of this watch (except the cheaper ones).

Here is comparison of Silix photos on website, and QC photos Michelle sent me on email:

As for my observations.
Face:
-markers are longer, thinner now
-blue color on markers/hands looks cheaply painted (not a problem with blue dialed one, which doesn't have painted markers and hands)
-bad lume on hands
-date window should be more squary

Back:
-Constellation inscription
-8501 instead of 2500 inscription on rotor, probably taken from new AT
I don't know much about movements, so I cannot say which one it uses, but I will inspect this further. But I must say it looks rather nice.

Bracelet:
It is of the New Aqua Terra, calibre 8500.

I can understand why they don't make parts for old AT anymore, this doesn't bother me that much.
But how the face looks bothers me very much. As I said, blue dialed one is ok. But the markers and hands on white dialed look very poorly made.
Maybe it doesn't look as bad in person.

That looks way better. Is it the same watch?

 

[GrimReaper]

Right one looks better? Perhaps if you look at the prettier movement, but watch on the left clearly is better Omega AT 2503.33 replica.
Spot on blue color, perfect size 3 o'clock small blue marker, correct date window, no Constellation on the back, original bracelet.
But there are still two mistakes, Omega inscription should be blue, and hour and minute hands should be flat on top.
But that surely had to be the best replica that existed, don't know when they stopped making it, but has to be more than 5 years.

Yes, that's the same watch. You order this, you get watch on the right:
http://www.silix-prime.so/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=115_150_190&products_id=1640

But info is also wrong, it says Asian 2892, which it is on these old pictures, but on new ones, it is clearly ETA 2836. Considering the price, it should also be Asian.

Hont surely has the best available AT 2503.33 replica, to me it looks better than Silix one, and has genuine Swiss ETA 2836.
It still has mistakes, but which AT doesn't?
Here is the one I will be getting, these QC pictures really convinced me:

 

[GrimReaper]

$35 Silix Special

Also ordered this one, and 2 more for 35 with it.

 

[GrimReaper]

I got the watch from Hont.

Movement is genuine Swiss ETA 2824-2. It has hand winding, hacking and screw down crown.
Glass should be sapphire, but I think it's mineral, because it didn't pass the water drop test.
Caseback has Constellation written, but that doesn't bother me, because this is far from a 1:1 replica.
Even case size is not regular Omega 39 or 42mm, but 40mm. It's not even from New AT, these have 38.5, 41.5 and 43mm.


BRACELET

Bracelet has solid links with screws. It is from the New AT. My guess is they don't make the old ones any more.
It was a pain to adjust, because a lot of the screws had some white residue on them. I managed to scuff 2 links and 4 screw heads were damaged in the process.
I then figured I should tap on one of the screwdrivers (I used another screwdriver's plastic handle). And it did the job, and I managed to unscrew every single screw.
Also 3 of the links were not made with good tolerance, they moved very hard.
I don't need the 5 problematic links with my 6.5 inch wrist, so all is good.

I also had hard time adjusting the bracelet to the right size. First I removed the 4 links, but it was too big. Then I removed a half link, and it was too small.
Then I first tought I need a third half link. But later I measured the distance between regular links and half links. And with Excel help I found the size that was in between, I removed both half links, and added the fourth regular link.
It should be ok, but when I'm really physically active, this push button drives into my skin.

If nothing else, I will have to use a file to round it a bit.

But I don't think that the lack of micro adjustment is that much of a disadvantage. I managed to size it to the same size as my Citizen, which has only one micro adjustment hole, but is of perfect size. When I'm really active, I also have to take off Citizen. Micro hole is not that much better than screws, beacuse you also need some kind of needle.
But comfort wise my Citizen Titanium wins. Same goes for the ease of putting the watch on.

Also there was some kind of rust in two places:

I just used fingernails and some cotton wool on the polished link. And some 1200 sandpaper on the underside of the clasp.
This is how it looks now:

SIZE AND WEIGHT
case diameter from 2 to 8 - 40mm
width with crown - 43.8mm
thickness - 10.7mm
lug width - 20mm
bracelet width - 18mm
lug to lug - 50.4mm
glass diameter - 34mm

weight - 144.1g
weight with 4 regular links removed - 130.5g
weight with 3 regular links and 2 half links removed - 129.5g


MOVEMENT PRECISION
+6s per day


LUME



Lume is not the best, here I used a flashlight to power it. But I don't think the day light will power it enough to be seen at night.
Markers aren't lumed, there is just green paint.


PHOTOS

this is how the watch was packed:

very rough case between the lugs:

Constellation inscription:

Some outside photos:

 

[pippo]

Well written review, I appreciated measurements.

It is a very nice watch: bracelet fits your wrist very well, the blue color on hands and markers looks very accurate and it's quite unusual in reps.

Wear it well!