Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m Ti Armand Duplantis

Omega, the Official Timekeeper of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the 30 previous Games, celebrated this year’s event with several Olympic-themed watches, including the Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope Paris 2024 and the Omega Paris 2024 Bronze Gold Edition. Other new models that caught everyone’s attention (or almost everyone’s attention) included the special edition 41mm stainless steel Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M, which pays tribute to Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, a Swedish-American pole vaulter who was perhaps one of the greatest of all time. During our brief visit to the Olympics last week, we got to spend some time with this timepiece fit for a champion; here are our impressions.

Mondo Duplantis, 24, has won multiple world and European championship titles. He is now a double Olympic champion (postponed to Tokyo 2020, 6.02m and Paris 2024, 6.25m) and an Omega ambassador since 2020. His spectacular performance in Paris was marked by a clear victory with a jump of 6.00m, while the American Sam Kendricks had failed to exceed 5.95m. Duplantis then cleared the height of 6.10m, thus breaking the Olympic record set at the 2016 Olympics and finally, on his third attempt, he conquered 6.25m, setting a new world record – you are certainly aware of all this, but the story is so beautiful that it deserves to be repeated – all this while wearing a new Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Ultra-Light in titanium, marketed very discreetly. Discreetly refers only to brand communications, as spectators greeted the winning jump – and, by default, the watch Duplantis was wearing – with much fanfare.

At less than 60 grams (approximately 57 grams), the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Titanium “Armand Duplantis” is incredibly light. The 41mm case is made of gamma titanium, a harder and lighter alloy than the grade 5 titanium commonly used in the industry. The case, caseback, and the almost fully recessed crown with its yellow logo all feature a matte sandblasted finish, which complements the titanium as effectively as the satin-brushed and polished surfaces of the stainless steel Aqua Terra 150M model released in June alongside the champion. The watch offers exceptional wrist comfort with a thickness of 13.5mm and a lug-to-lug distance of just over 49mm. This is due not only to its minimal weight, but also to the special yellow and blue rubber strap, which integrates perfectly into the original lug design and enhances the overall experience of the watch.

The design of the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Titanium “Armand Duplantis” is dominated by the yellow and blue colours of Duplantis’ home country. The blue anodised titanium dial, decorated with horizontal grooves, is enhanced with several touches of yellow. The most striking of these is the cylindrical central seconds hand, finished in a bright yellow varnish with a white tip inspired by Duplantis’ pole vault. The Seamaster logo and the minute markers at 15, 30, 45 and 60 are also in yellow, in keeping with the design of the Aqua Terra 150M stainless steel edition inspired by Duplantis.

The blackened applied triangular indexes point towards the center and are filled with white Super-LumiNova, matching the finishing of the hour and minute hands. The absence of a date window keeps the dial clean and focused, enhancing readability. A subtle but clever touch is the discreetly engraved and “painted” titanium beneath the usual Co-Axial and Master Chronometer wordmarks, subtly emphasizing the titanium construction. The Omega logo is rendered black, in keeping with the overall aesthetic, and the execution of the dial is impeccable.

The sapphire crystal case back of the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Titanium showcases the ceramized titanium bridges of the Master Chronometer Calibre 8928 Ti. This hand-wound movement features two barrels, each visible through small apertures labelled “Barrel One” and “Barrel Two”, and offers a power reserve of 72 hours. The movement is antimagnetic, equipped with a free-sprung balance wheel and a silicon balance spring, and operates at a frequency of 25,200 vibrations per hour.

The time zone function is a handy feature, although not immediately obvious. When the crown is pulled out to position 2, the hour hand can be set forward or backward in one-hour increments, making it easy to adjust to different time zones.

While the new Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Ultra Light “Armand Duplantis” is not a revolutionary new release, as it mainly introduces a new color palette to the Ultra Light series that we have known since 2019, it is still undeniably impressive. The lightweight design, tucked-in crown, comfortable bracelet, high-performance movement, and overall craftsmanship make any Aqua Terra 150M Ultra Light a very desirable watch. The only downside is the high price of 56,900 euroswhich puts it out of reach for many. Nevertheless, it is an ideal watch to honor a great athlete and the spirit of victory.