ⓘ Silca
Silca has bought Omata and restarted production of its analog cycling computer at $800. The mechanical dial runs on legacy Seiko movements that are no longer made, so Silca says it will sell the device in small batches until that stock is gone.
Silca has acquired Omata and restarted production of its analog cycling computer, which returns at $800. However, how many get built depends on a part nobody makes any more.
The device shows speed, distance, ascent and elapsed time on a mechanical dial rather than a screen. There's four stepper motors driving the hands while a GPS module records the ride in the background. Those movements come from Seiko, and Silca’s chief executive Josh Poertner says the computer "relies on a finite supply of legacy Seiko components." The company plans to release it in small batches until that stock runs out.
Silca has rebuilt the electronics around those movements instead of replacing them. The circuit board, battery system and outer housing are new. The case now uses a triple-barrier lip seal around the rotating bezel and a Gore-Tex membrane over the barometric sensor. A square cleat on the underside fits standard Garmin and Wahoo mounts, ANT+ is built in, and charging has moved to USB-C. On iOS the unit pairs with external power meters and heart rate monitors; ride files transfer through Omata’s own app or over the cable.
Production and final assembly have moved to Silca’s facility in Indianapolis — this makes it one of the few cycling computers put together in the United States.
The specification is quite modest if you put it next to a conventional head unit. There is no navigation, no notifications and no display except the dial. Battery life is about 17 hours, and the unit weighs 83 grams. Omata first sold the design through Kickstarter in 2016 at a planned retail price of $599.
Anubhav Sharma - Senior Tech Writer - 2105 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2024
Most of my time goes into writing - and somehow it hasn’t stopped being fun yet. My work mainly revolves around everyday tech, gaming, watches, DIY modding, and the occasional piece on tech-policy chaos when companies and governments clash. I try to keep things simple and honest, without sounding like a product brochure. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Engineering and an Associate Degree in English Studies from the College of New Caledonia in British Columbia, Canada. Away from articles and deadlines, life usually shifts to making music, taking photos, or trying to finish games that should have been completed months ago.