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!