BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Omega is one of the various corporate partners of the America’s Cup, probably the most prestigious regatta in the world. Regattas are complicated but can be interesting; if you’re into boats, that also helps. The precise nature of the boats and their operation, coupled with the random elements of the race, such as precisely when it starts (varying factors mean it can be anywhere within a 15-minute window, as I understand it), in some ways reflect our relationship with our watches. Our watches are precise machines built for a task but they end up being dependent on us fickle and changeable humans. Wow, that got deep, didn’t it?
For 2024, Omega releases the Seamaster Regatta watch which at first glance bears a resemblance to existing models like the Speedmaster Skywalker X-33. Whereas that model is designed for soaring through the high skies and beyond, this model is more at home on the shimmering blue oceans and, to a small extent, below them. Despite this being a part of Omega’s Seamaster range and looking like a Seamaster 300m Diver, and despite the huge titanium case measuring 46.75mm x 15.6mm, this watch is only water resistant to 50m. I’m sure some people have closed this article and facepalmed. However, there is a reason for this.
You see, one of the many functions of this watch is as an alarm for the regatta timing function, which is essentially a countdown alarm to begin the race. The watch is also quartz as you might’ve guessed from the display on the dial. If you’ve ever used a quartz watch with an alarm function you’ll know that the alarm isn’t particularly loud. Omega’s solution is to use something called the “Helmholtz resonance” principle. Helmholtz resonance is a sound effect that occurs when air is forced in and out of a cavity. If the air’s movement is precise enough, it vibrates. Have you ever blown over the top of a glass bottle and got a fun sound? That’s Helmholtz resonance, at least according to Wikipedia. The back of Omega’s newest watch is slightly raised to allow this air movement to happen at the cost of water resistance, but Omega makes loads of other diving watches to choose from. Like those ones, this comes on a flexible rubber strap, but it comes with a quick change system as well.
The dial side is interesting, too. The classic sword-shaped Seamaster hands are present but they sit over an LCD display. The display is used for the many functions of the watch which include a chronograph, a sailing logbook, a temperature gauge, an accelerometer, three alarms, the regatta race function and, strangely, a moonphase display. Perhaps the moonphase is something useful for sailing? Having not done it I wouldn’t know. What I do know is that there are four rubber-tipped pushers to set all the functions up.
This is all operated through the calibre 5701. Omega says the 5701 is all-new for this watch and comes with thermo-compensated circuitry (for better accuracy) as well as inertia sensing and a brightness sensor. I couldn’t find any info on how long the battery lasts from Omega themselves. Even the operating manual doesn’t say so, but some websites have reported it to be around 30 months.
This new watch is an interesting addition to Omega’s small range of quartz watches with LCD displays and hands, and it’s genuinely interesting to see them branching out. With that said, this is a very specific watch for a specific customer, one who may not have $7,400 (pre-tax) loafing around to buy it.
