Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m World Timer ref. 220.10.43.22.03.001

The Origins

Initially released in 1948 and based on watches used by airmen in WWII, the Omega Seamaster has become one of Omega’s best-known collections, and one of watchmaking’s most notable sports watches, specifically within the arena of dive watches. While it was initially a dress-style watch with thick lugs and a precious metal case, the Seamaster was designed to tackle casual daily wear while remaining functional for use in water with an impressive 62.5 meters of water resistance – which was by no means a slouch at the time. However, the modern Seamaster that we know and love today was born a short nine years later, in 1957, along with the Speedmaster and Railmaster, which complete Omega’s iconic ‘ 1957 trilogy’. 

Inspired to upgrade the Seamaster after they had 50 of the Seamaster’s original cases fitted with rubber O-ring gaskets and pressure-tested tested in 1955, Omega began to work with new materials and push their engineering boundaries. As a result, they created the Seamaster 300M, which featured a heavily luminescent dial and handset, a rotating bezel, a thick domed hesalite crystal, and double crown seals. Interestingly, while named the Seamaster 300M, the watch was originally only rated for 200m of water resistance, with Omega insisting that the watch could outperform the testing equipment. 

In the decades following, the Seamaster continued to evolve into one of watchmaking’s most impressive dive watches, with its debut in the 1995 James Bond movie ‘GoldenEye’ cementing its place in the world of iconic dive watches. However, while the Seamaster certainly earned most of its plaudits as a rough-and-tumble dive watch, the collection is rather wide-ranging, with various different subcollections part of it, such as the Aqua Terra, which debuted in 2002 as a more casual and less sporty version of the Seamaster, while still retaining the collection’s robustness. Launched in 2019, the Aqua Terra 150m World Timer ref. 220.10.43.22.03.001 provided more real-world utility to the Aqua Terra collection thanks to its eponymous World Time complication, which came within the Aqua Terra’s well-rounded package as one of the best GADA watches on the market. 

The Case and Dial

Boasting a stunning blue dial, the Aqua Terra 150m World Timer ref. 220.10.43.22.03.001 goes above and beyond the requirements of what casual design language will typically demand of any GADA (Go Anywhere Do Anything) watch. Featuring a two-tone aesthetic from its combination of a darker periphery and brighter center, the Aqua Terra World Timer is effortlessly stylish. Featuring an image of the northern hemisphere made from laser engraved titanium in its center that is then surrounded by an AM/PM 24-hour ring in light and dark blue, this timepiece’s dial is as stunning as it is packed with information. Surrounded by its list of 24 cities, which each correspond to a different time zone, the Aqua Terra 150m World Timer’s display certainly fits its name and adds a beautiful burst of color to the model’s aesthetic.

Made of stainless steel, the Aqua Terra 150m World Timer ref. 220.10.43.22.03.001 boasts a bulk construction that stands at 43mm in diameter and 14mm tall – a result of its complicated movement, impressive water resistance and use of an exhibition caseback – all of which have increased the model’s size. Of course, this is a polarizing aspect of its design, but for those who prefer larger watches, this is one excellent choice. Offered on a stainless steel Oyster-style bracelet with polished center links that run up to meet the Aqua Terra’s twisted lugs, a hallmark of Omega’s design language, this watch is unapologetically stylish. 

The Movement

Powered by the automatic cal. 8938, the Aqua Terra 150m World Timer ref. 220.10.43.22.03.001 boasts 60 hours of power reserve that come as a result of the movement boasting two mainspring barrels. Alongside its lengthy power reserve, the cal. 8938 also features Omega’s famed co-axial escapement and a bevy of certifications, such as its Master Chronometer certification awarded by METAS that states that it is resistant to magnetic fields reaching 15,000 gauss – an incredible feat. Beyond that, the cal. 8938 also features a free-sprung balance with a silicon balance spring, automatic winding in both directions and rhodium-plated finishing with Geneva waves, which are proudly on display behind an exhibition caseback that showcases the incredible work Omega have put into creating this movement. 

Additionally, it is worth noting that the cal. 8938 is not set using the typical adjuster buttons that world timers usually have built into their cases. Instead, the cal. 8938 is fully operable through its winding crown, which is an important reason as to how Omega were able to make the Aqua Terra 150m World Timer ref. 220.10.43.22.03.001 water resistant to 150m. 

Blending Wearability with Utility

The harsh reality of most world timer watches is that they are generally not capable of being used to travel/swim/go anywhere, do anything because they are usually only available on a leather strap. Typically these watches are offered by high end watchmakers why generally use precious metals, and the watch will have poor water resistance due to the use of push buttons built into the side of the case for adjusting the world time function. Omega clearly created the Aqua Terra 150m World Timer ref. 220.10.43.22.03.001 as a means to solve that issue and offer watch collectors the ultimate travel watch. With its stunning dial, useful functions and impressively robust construction, this is a watch that could easily make its way on a trip abroad as your only watch for the whole holiday, and that speaks to Omega’s desire to create impressive watches that go beyond the standard remit that watchmakers sometimes fall into the trap of putting themselves inside of. 

Market Performance

Just like most of Omega’s offerings, the Aqua Terra 150m World Timer ref. 220.10.43.22.03.001 trades below its MSRP, which reflects the brand’s desire to maintain a surplus of stock on the market that allows their customers to readily buy their watches without having to wait on waiting lists. Since its debut it has consistently traded below its MSRP, but it has been rising over the years, with its market value having worked its way up to $7541 from $7250, with it routinely hitting the $7700 range. As a result of its positive performance, it is not hard to imagine that the ref.220.10.43.22.03.001 will continue to gain in value over the following years, especially should it be discontinued. 

Trading at a negative price premium of around 25%, the ref. 220.10.43.22.03.001 offers collectors a wonderful opportunity to enter the world of Omega at a serious discount. Given what else is on the market for around the same price, it is hard to disagree that the Aqua Terra 150m World Timer is a lot of watch for the money thanks to its impressive stats and useful functions. 

Check out the live performance of Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m World Timer ref. 220.10.43.22.03.001 on The Wristcheck Index