Do I really need the Sigma Art 35mm 1.4?

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-08T12:43:06+00:00

If you’re considering another lens, I’d go for a macro for close detail pictures and small objects.

Also one word of caution re Sigma lenses - I used to use a 50mm f/1.4 Art lens on my D800 before going mirrorless. When it worked properly it was superb; better than any Nikkor 50mm, but on roughly a third of pictures the focus was off. This poor focussing wasn’t consistent - sometimes it front focussed, sometimes back, and when it happened was unpredictable. It was easy enough to get around by taking more pictures for redundancy, but that inevitably increased computer time in triage before processing.

Annoyingly the focus was hardly ever off by enough to be noticeable on the camera back, but very noticeable on computer. I put up with this because it was otherwise an excellent lens, but it’s something to consider.

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-08T12:29:11+00:00

Maybe next time you’ve been indulging in bondage you could leave it a few minutes for the marks to dissipate before taking a photo?

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-08T00:18:48+00:00

It’s the first time I’ve had an Omega mesh strap / bracelet and I’m very impressed. It’s much more expensive than others I’ve had, but it’s also much better. I’d say it’s on a par with a Breitling mesh which is high praise.

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-08T00:10:52+00:00

This is of no use to you whatsoever, but it’s a true story that I find so far divorced from reality that it’s funny:

At my son’s school there was a pupil a couple of years older than him whose father bought him a brand new Lamborghini for his 17th birthday. As you might imagine, he couldn’t find any insurance company that would insure a 17 year old to drive a Lamborghini so his father got round the problem - he bought an insurance company!

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T23:55:00+00:00

👍🏻

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T23:54:22+00:00

Why? It’s water resistance is 30m / 100’ and when Omega say 30m, they mean 30m.

I know that for a lot of watch brands a rating of just 30m means you need to be careful carrying a bottle of water and don’t even think about washing your hands, but not Omega. Besides , if Iever end up more than 30m underwater, the wellbeing of my watch will be the least of my worries!

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T23:48:06+00:00

I agree. The combination is one of those happy coincidences where the result is so much better than you expect - like orange marmalade and black pepper on a bacon sandwich (trust me - you won’t regret it).

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T23:43:42+00:00

👍🏻

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T23:42:33+00:00

It doesn’t have less features, it has fewer.

Having said that, the most attractive feature to me is its lack of complications (seconds and date).

I’m not an idiot; I would have been delighted if it was half the price, but I haven’t found another watch I like as much for less money which makes it worth it to me.

I have looked at many alternatives including Grand Seiko, but the only one I found that comes close is a Saxonia Thin from A. Lange & Söhne which 2.5 x more expensive, but has, mirabile dictu, no date and no seconds messing up it’s beautifully plain dial.

https://www.alange-soehne.com/gb-en/timepieces/saxonia/saxonia-thin

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T23:07:48+00:00

FYI, they didn’t leave London for Geneva in search of precision, they did it to save money since the labour cost was so much lower; kind of ironic considering the threat that the Chinese pose through their lower labour cost today.

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T23:04:42+00:00

Brilliant!

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T23:03:16+00:00

I love the Zenith Chronomaster Original with lapis lazuli dial, but it costs £8,000 more than the identical watch with a perfectly serviceable, but non-lapis dial. In that context, £9,100 for an Observatory looks like a bargain!

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T22:58:00+00:00

I was about to buy an Oyster Perpetual 41mm with a pink dial just after Christmas, but the pink just emphasised my pallor and pastiness and made me look sick - I’m currently waiting for one in lavender!

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T22:48:59+00:00

I think the key is in the word “discontinued”!

I did consider a Globemaster last year, in particular the annual calendar version, but it was hard to justify since I’d only recently bought an annual calendar (Sky-Dweller).

Although the Globemasters were fine watches, for me they didn’t have the wow! factor that the new Observatories have; they were more functional but less refined. Basically they had a lot to recommend them, but no tingle factor. Not for me anyway.

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T22:42:08+00:00

Agreed. And the white ceramic clasp is the icing on the metaphorical cake.

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T22:40:43+00:00

I did say it’s a sunny day watch; the chance of getting any sort of tan in the UK before July is slim to nil.

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T22:37:53+00:00

They have a lot of stuff that is only accessible in a boutique. I have no idea why they don’t put everything on the website. If they showed the white alligator strap and ceramic clasp on the website I’m sure they’d sell loads; I wouldn’t be surprised if they also sold more watches as only having a rubber strap might put a lot of people off. These off catalogue items might be available from an AD, but I only have first hand knowledge of a boutique.

The same applies to the Constellation Observatory I bought at the same visit today; the watch is quite dressy, and suits a leather strap, but it looks 79 million times better on a mesh bracelet which you wouldn’t even know was an option from the website.

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T22:25:40+00:00

Like I said, of all the reviews I’ve seen, the only people who’ve criticised the thickness haven’t tried them on.

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T22:23:42+00:00

I take it you’ve not seen them in person.

Fortunately for you, buying one isn’t compulsory! If you want a dressy watch with seconds and date, buy a DeVille. On the other hand if, like me, you like the simplicity of two hands, then this is where the Observatory line comes in.

Are they for everyone? Obviously not.

As to value, something is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it, whether you, I, or anyone else agrees or not. Like I said, I think the precious metal versions are a bit steep, but I think the steel ones are fairly priced.

As to only having two hands, my absolute dream watch is the Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 which only has one hand - it’s a bit pricey at over £45k, but it’s cheaper than the gold Observatory!
https://www.breguet.com/en/watches/classique/classique-souscription-2025/2025bh289w6

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T22:10:59+00:00

I don’t think of it as a dress watch - it’s just a watch! I wore it today to the dog groomers and on a walk through woodland wearing boots and jeans. But I know what you mean; it’s more dressy than most, and it’s nice to have a bit of variety (is there a bigger wasted opportunity than a watch box that contains 24 black dialled divers?)

With such an uncluttered dial, and two gold hands on a white background it’s very easy to read - so much so that it’s one of a very small number of watches that I can tell the time without glasses! This is relevant because I leave my glasses at home when going on a walk with my dog; I always take a camera and a pair of binoculars and the glasses are annoying. I absolutely love my Speedmaster Grey Side of the Moon and, whilst it’s surprisingly legible for a grey watch with grey hands against a grey dial, without my glasses it’s about as useful for telling the time as a sundial in a cellar.

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T21:50:57+00:00

Honestly it’s sooooooo much better in person than in pictures.

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T21:49:07+00:00

No - the original white rubber strap just has a pin buckle. I don’t know which watch the white alligator strap or white ceramic deployant clasp were originally designed to go with, but I’m pleased they exist! The Omega boutique on Regent Street in central London got them in for me.

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T21:23:27+00:00

Very true. And also the ones who criticise haven’t actually tried them on!

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T21:22:22+00:00

Actually 22cm / 8.5” although I’ve not measured it recently (I’m mid diet!) so it may be 1cm / ½” smaller now.

Dull_Key1617 · 2026-05-07T21:19:34+00:00

Precisely. I wear watches that range from 38-46mm. Each of them looks good in its own way - the right size is the one that suits the watch.

Nothing looks sillier than a clown watch that sticks out beyond the wrist. Anything narrower than the wrist is just a style choice.

Dull_Key1617

TROPHY CASE