Omega Releases A Brand New Aqua Terra 150m Inspired By A World-Record Pole Vaulter

 The Olympics are just around the corner, a mere month away. Omega, the official timekeeping partner of the Olympic Games, and a brand not shy about releasing special edition watches commemorating the event, has just announced an unexpected twist on the special edition format by way of a new Seamaster Aqua Terra.

The watch commemorates Swedish world record-holding pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, a brand ambassador since 2020, and takes design inspiration from him as well. You see this immediately as you look at the watch which utilizes the Swedish flag colors for the aesthetic cues. With that you get a blue dial in the traditional horizontal pattern that is complimented by a bevy of yellow accents.

You get see this by way of the Seamaster text under the Omega logo and wordmark at 12 o’clock. You’ll also notice yellow flourishes in the minute-track numerals at the 12, three, six, and nine positions around the exterior portions of the dial.

But the most overt use of the yellow accent color is on the central seconds hand which is not just a colorful addition. The hand itself actually takes on what Omega calls a pole vault-inspired shape. I am not sure what that means exactly, though I doubt it means the seconds hand is bendable and able to vault a human to great heights. Visually what we get is a yellow hand with a pronounced white end to it.

This key yellow contrast against the blue base continues on to the rubber strap which has yellow stitching throughout. The strap is the same you have come to know on the standard Aqua Terra model range with its flush integration into the case.

In fact, this watch is very much the Aqua Terra you know and love (and if you're unfamiliar check out our guide to the Aqua Terra here), just with a very pointed design inspiration. So that means the 41mm case diameter, the brushed and polished finishing, the “teak” pattern dial, the METAS-certified Master Chronometer 8900 movement, the exhibition caseback giving way to said movement, and the 150m of water resistance (no mention of wind resistance while pole vaulting but hey, we can’t have everything).

And say what you will about Omega making a commemorative watch about one of its brand ambassadors, but it’s hard to understate – even if you know nothing about pole vaulting – the special nature of having a world record holder on the roster. Duplantis actually broke the world record quite recently on April 20 (for an 8th time in his career no less) when he set a new height of 6.24m. To make the occasion more special for both athlete and brand, Omega was in China in April and actually measured the world-record feat.

If that doesn’t necessitate the creation of a special watch, I am not sure what does. And on the heels of the Olympics, we have already seen Omega release a special Seamaster Diver 300m with a gold bezel insert and special white dial, as well as a yellow gold Speedmaster Chronoscope. This latest Aqua Terra is less an overt Olympic commemoration and more the celebration of an elite athlete who just happens to be getting ready to top himself once more come the Paris games this July.

But even when a watch has a certain celebratory nature, be it because of a person or event, I still think it’s important to take the it for what it is, on the merits of its design. We have seen Omega utilize yellow accents on its watches many times in the past. For the Aqua Terra, probably most well-known is the Bumblebee which itself had a uniquely designed seconds hand. Here, I think this is an independently handsome watch where the yellow elements only serve to make the watch more legible while also adding a bit more sportiness to the package. There is no mention of this being a limited edition, and it does not appear to have an overt engravings signaling the design inspiration. So that means, even if pole vaulting isn;t your bag, you can still enjoy this as a fresh  Aqua Terra. So what do we think of the new colorway?

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m

Case: 41mm Thickness: 13.2mm Lug-to-lug: 47.9 mm, Case material: Stainless steel, Dial: Blue with yellow accents, Crystal: Sapphire

Water resistance: 150m, Movement: METAS-certified Omega 8900, Movement type: Automatic, Power reserve: 60 hours