How being a professional musician informed my first luxury watch purchase

Andrew O'Connor

Buying your first luxury watch can be very exciting, whether you’re celebrating a life-defining event or even just because it’s a very memorable moment in of itself. With that, there is likely a lot of pressure to get it right, leading to hours, days, probably even weeks worth of research trying to find the best model for you – let alone the best deal.

For most people, their first luxury watch will be something that offers versatility, being able to handle the bulk of their daily activities, and maybe some outliers. Call them what you will – Go-Anywhere-Do-Anything, Beach-To-Boardroom, All-Rounders – there is a plethora of options out there, with pretty much every brand under the sun offering their version of such a watch. Some will be more dress-focused, looking more at home with a suit and tie, while others will be more casual, emphasising utility and durability.

I was able to purchase my first luxury watch in 2018. I was finishing my Master’s degree, and had royally lucked out with my financial aid, leaving extra money in my account that probably should’ve been used for moving costs, but why would I be responsible? I already had a couple of mechanical watches, but I didn’t own a piece from the big brands. At that time, that is what I lusted for.

Personally, any of the many sub-40mm stainless watches with 100+ meters of water resistance would have been just fine. In my day-to-day, I dress pretty casually, usually opting for casual pants and a t-shirt, or maybe a button-down and/or blazer. I’m relatively active, and at that point, I was lap swimming regularly, so I wanted to be able to take my watch swimming. I do appreciate a date window, and prior to adopting the practice of double-wristing a smart watch, I did rely heavily on my watch to keep track of the date.

This is where work comes in

After sufficiently burying the lede, what makes my criteria slightly different is my life as a classically trained, working bassist. While not true for all bassists, one of the coolest things about the instrument (both the double bass and the bass guitar) is that it is involved in so many different genres of music. My work as a musician has included playing in symphonic orchestras, jazz ensembles, music theatre pits, and even punk bands. I really wanted something that would work with a tuxedo and band t-shirts (no, not together, and yes, I know I’m not supposed to wear a watch with a tux, sue me).

But because of my work in music, one major factor I was considering was magnetism. I know some people are even concerned about the tiny magnets in their phones, but I am surrounded by fairly large magnets constantly. Guitar pickups are made of magnets, as are loudspeakers, microphones, and headphones. In my home studio, I have a number of large speaker cabinets, a rack full of guitars and bass guitars, a handful of microphones, and a few sets of headphones, let alone the magnets included in my laptop and studio monitors. My living quarters as an adult have largely been in apartments near city centres, and my designated studio space is likely smaller than a modest walk-in closet.

Why I was attracted to the Aqua Terra

In 2013, Omega unveiled its highly anti-magnetic Calibre 8508 in the “Bumble Bee” Seamaster Aqua Terra. Two years later, they embarked on METAS certification and began updating more of their product lineup to include the newly updated movements. In 2017, Omega redesigned the Aqua Terra. This was the design update that included the horizontal teak pattern, revamped sizing in 41mm or 38mm, and the option of an integrated rubber strap. As a long-time admirer of the Patek Philippe Aquanaut, this seemed perfect!

With this logic, the choice seems obvious, but of course, I wanted to know all of my options. A Datejust? Too expensive, especially considering the discounts (or lack thereof) available back then. Any dedicated dive watch was too sporty (as much as I still love the black and rose gold Seamaster Diver 300m that was also new back then). Any complicated models? I wanted to steer clear, as I didn’t want to potentially face horror stories told on WatchUSeek of getting modular complications serviced.

While I would love to be the guy in a Speedy and a tux (the hesalite models feature a Faraday cage), that didn’t really jive with me. Same with an IWC. Would it work most of the time? Sure! But I wanted something that worked for me all of the time, and the Mark XVIII case did not wear well on my 16cm wrist. This was going to be my main watch, and I was continuing my graduate education. Life as a musician is not always financially promising – I wanted to make sure I was going to get my mileage out of it!

So, Aqua Terra it is. The size wasn’t really a question, as I have already established for myself a preference for smaller watches. The 38mm variant was an easy choice. Now, I struggled with bracelet options, and do I opt for the black dial or the white dial? Most of my peers do not have an interest in watches, and the ones who wear anything on their wrists often take them off when performing. As someone who has worn a watch in some capacity since I was 5 years old, I was so used to the feeling of a watch that it bothered me when I didn’t have one.

Practical considerations

While I did (and still somewhat do) gravitate towards watches with bracelets, I found that they can be problematic while performing. Worn too loosely, and they could knock against my instrument, which would result in a loud noise on any acoustic instrument. Too tight, and it would be woefully uncomfortable, thus distracting, which is also a deal breaker. Straps, however, are less problematic. Generally able to be worn snugly without being uncomfortable, they can also be worn loosely and not make noise when in contact with an acoustic instrument. As I mentioned earlier, I have always loved the Aquanaut. Something about a steel sports watch with an integrated rubber strap always does it for me. So, rubber strap it is! The textured pattern and stitching in my eye made it dressy enough not to look out of place with a suit and tie. 

The dial choice for me was less complicated. While I loved the press photos of the white dial version with the polished black indices, in person, the monochromatic look wasn’t as impactful. While definitely boring and predictable, the black dial seemed, well, safe. In my eyes, the integrated rubber strap added enough personality to make the watch unique.

So my mind was made up. I finished my Master’s degree, and during my two years working on that degree, I befriended a local watch dealer who also happened to be a musician. He was an authorised dealer for Omega, and was extremely helpful and patient with me with my decision making (there were brief forays into his used inventory, some of which included heavy hitters at a bargain). I walked into his boutique with my then girlfriend (now wife), placed my order and wrote a check for the full amount (of which he was also very helpful).

A few weeks later, I was moving to start my doctoral degree, and the dealer agreed to ship the watch to my new apartment. My first day on my own in my new place, the watch arrived. It was everything I hoped it would be, and I felt every bit as cool as I thought I would wearing it. A few weeks after the beginning of my doctoral studies, I met a fellow bass player who was also heavily tattooed, enjoyed cigars, and collected watches. It’s fair to say that in the first year of ownership, that watch was with me through some very impactful moments in my life. I also took this watch on my honeymoon!

Looking back

In thinking about this piece, it made me ask myself, did I get my decision right? There are a few things in hindsight I maybe would’ve liked to have known. Just about any modern watch with a silicon balance and/or modernised movement materials has more than enough anti-magnetic protection to deal with my usage, short of me possibly placing my watch directly on a pickup or speaker magnet, so >15,000 gauss is definitely overkill, but welcomed reassurance.

I also could’ve more heavily considered used timepieces. They were definitely better value in 2018, and having box and papers is overrated. I now have a large tub full of boxes and papers, and that has rarely brought me any joy. Having a warranty is nice, as I have had to send my Aqua Terra back to Omega for a faulty date mechanism (the date wheel would sometimes get stuck between two numbers), but it has since been problem-free. I often wondered if I should have gotten the bracelet, but I remember the bracelet sizing being problematic on that particular bracelet (the links were quite large).

It was only recently that Omega added micro-adjustment to the Aqua Terra line. As I already mentioned, being forced to wear a loose bracelet all the time was (and still is) a no-go for me. There are now aftermarket vintage-inspired bracelets that fit my style and comfort needs much better than the OEM bracelet, even if the quality is not quite OEM level.

I have also wondered if manually-wound watches would be better, considering the amount of left-hand movement that takes place when playing the double bass. I sent my Omega in for a routine service towards the end of the original 5-year warranty, and they replaced the rotor. I’m not sure what happened to damage the rotor, as it could’ve been any number of things, including normal wear and tear, but I couldn’t help but think that maybe it had something to do with overuse.

I also started to wonder how I felt about my Aqua Terra 8 years and 7 additional watches later. I still think I made the right choice. I enjoy my other watches, but I often find that when I put my Aqua Terra on, it stays on for a while. I knew it would be my only watch for a significant period of time, and it was (and probably still could be) my only watch if I was so inclined.

While some of the new Aqua Terra models have awesome dials, I do not like the fully polished case. There are also more independent brands that cost significantly less money, which I now know would have satisfied my itch for a “nice watch”, but these also weren’t as prominent back then. There are also a number of watches that have been released since 2018 that would also perfectly align with my wants and needs, but that can easily result in a downward spiral of a horological fool’s errand. My desire to add some watches to the collection definitely shows my watch obsession, but I also feel comfortable saying that if I had to get rid of them all and keep one, it probably would be the Aqua Terra. Plus, I still think it might be my favourite-looking model on the Omega website.