I ordered a strap and deployant from Omega

[AEC]

Recently Omega began offering straps and deployant clasps directly to consumers on line. I took the plunge and ordered a blue alligator strap and deployant clasp to fit my Aqua Terra.

Ordering was a snap, of course, and the products were delivered promptly via FedEx. They arrived today, so I broke out the tools and mounted them up to my Aqua Terra.

Quality seems okay. There is a very matte lustre to the strap's finish, and there is a notable gray hue in the strap I received, but overall I'm pleased that the strap complements my blue Aqua Terra very nicely. Proportions are just right (the strap is not very thickly padded). I thought I might prefer a taper to 16mm at the clasp, but this one (which is 18mm at the clasp) really seems the correct proportion for the watch's 41.5mm case.

Overall, I'm really pleased with the decision to purchase these components, and I'm looking forward to enjoying this option for my Aqua Terra

Okay, now the slightly disappointing aspect: after mounting the strap, I was bending it in order to get a bit of curvature to its shape, and the leather cracked and split along one of the seams between scales on the end of the strap near the clasp. Ugh!

I phoned Omega Customer Service to say I wanted to send back only the strap for exchange, and not send back the clasp and all of the original packaging, and they were very helpful on the telephone. They emailed me a FedEx label right away, and advised me to be patient because the exchange could take a little while. I was pleased with how my call and my request were handled.

I snapped just a couple of photos before dismantling and returning the strap, but I'll come back with more pics after I get the replacement. Thanks for viewing!

[OrangeKenny]

I think it looks great!
Sorry to hear about the cracking, but great that Omega is remedying the problem. Did they suggest any oil/conditioner to soften the strap next tie?

[AEC]

Originally Posted by OrangeKenny

... Did they suggest any oil/conditioner to soften the strap next time?...

Thanks. The thought occurred to me after this one cracked, but all of the high-quality alligator straps I've owned before (including Omega) showed absolutely no sign of being brittle or requiring conditioners.

I'm pretty sure I simply received a flawed example.

[1William]

Nice looking strap and sorry you had an issue. I would have just returned the whole strap and buckle and bought another online so I could get it much quicker. I have found it somewhat difficult to change out the deployment clasp in the past. It will all get sorted out. Cool watch.

[samson66]

Love the look! Gives it a more elegant look vs the rubber strap that is standard on the AT line to my eyes. That is similar to the strap I have on my moonphase. Very comfortable strap and Omega deployants are the best in the biz IMO. Sorry about the issue with it cracking. Omega will make it right.

[Stevec14]

That looks great - and sorry you have had an issue.

I’ve always found alligator straps to be a little like that. All my omega ones are calfskin and are never very rigid as a result. Hope it gets sorted soon.

[AEC]

Originally Posted by samson66

Love the look! Gives it a more elegant look vs the rubber strap that is standard on the AT line to my eyes. That is similar to the strap I have on my moonphase. Very comfortable strap and Omega deployants are the best in the biz IMO. Sorry about the issue with it cracking. Omega will make it right.

Yeah, I'm pleasantly surprised that I like the combo as much as I do. A close friend is thinking of buying his first good watch, and he's looking at the Aqua Terra with a green dial on green alligator. He's not interested in any sort of bracelet, and I've been hounding him to buy an AT on rubber and telling him it'll be better than the AT on alligator, but now I'm thinking differently. It works better than I imagined it would

[AEC]

Just coming with this update to say Omega turned around a replacement very quickly. This one is considerably softer and more pliable than the first one, which felt remarkably brittle.

The fit and comfort are dynamite! Everything fits together just right and it all looks like it belongs together, and for that reason I'm pleased with the decision.

I'm still not 100% sure the quality of the strap justifies the price Omega gets for it, but I'm satisfied. I'll be interested to hear impressions from anyone else who purchases one. The clasp, on the other hand, is impressive to me. I use a 16mm Omega deployant with an Omega strap on my Speedmaster Pro, and this 18mm clasp that I purchased with this package seems sturdier, and its finishes seem nicer.

Thanks for viewing!

[Peter Toronto]

I’ve got the same deployant. It’ll really extend the life of your watch bands. Enjoy. Thanks for sharing the photos.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AdamW]

Fantastic look! Sorry it took a while to work out but you have a killer combination there! Congrats!

[tedo]

Purchased separately as well...

[1William]

I like it.

[Fleetlord]

I bought a brown leather strap for my speedmaster and the quality is way better than the previous OEM omega straps