AT A GLANCE
American brand Silca has bought Omata and is relaunching its bike computer with analogue needles. The unit keeps its analogue dial and its movement developed with Seiko Precision Instruments, but gets a new circuit board, a new battery and revised weatherproofing. It is assembled by hand in Indianapolis. Because the original Seiko components are no longer made, production is necessarily limited: Silca prices it at 800 dollars and sells it only in the United States.
| Price | $800 (United States) |
| Weight | 83 g |
| Case | 6063 aluminium |
| GPS | 72 channels |
| Battery life | up to 17 hours |
| Charging | USB-C |
| Connectivity | ANT+ and iOS |
| Mount | compatible with Garmin and Wahoo mounts |
| Warranty | 2 years |
The Omata computer is a bike GPS that displays its data with real needles rather than a screen. Silca is taking over the brand and its manufacturing. The omata.com website now reads “Omata is now part of Silca” and points to Silca’s online shop.
The Omata computer keeps its needles
Beneath the dial, Silca describes a 72-channel GPS module paired with a mechatronic movement developed with Seiko Precision Instruments. The computer also records data from ANT+ sensors: power meter, heart rate strap, cadence sensor. It weighs 83 g in a 6063 aluminium case, charges via USB-C and claims up to 17 hours of battery life.
Outside reports that Silca has redesigned the circuit board, the battery and the case, without changing the format or the analogue display. The official product page details the weatherproofing: a triple-lip seal around the bezel and a Gore-Tex membrane over the barometric pressure sensor, to limit moisture ingress. The computer fits Garmin and Wahoo mounts, and Silca includes its Chisela mount with the purchase.
A run limited by Seiko parts
The product page states that the computer relies on Seiko Japan components that are no longer made, and that each production run is therefore limited by nature. Silca says it is hand-assembled in Indianapolis. Josh Poertner, Silca’s boss, explains the acquisition as follows, quoted by Outside:
“At Silca, we are obsessed with the intersection of beauty, precision, and performance.” “Omata is a masterpiece of functional art. We acquired Omata because we believed it was a product that should continue to exist in this world.”
Josh Poertner, CEO of Silca
He adds that the computer relies on a finite supply of legacy Seiko components, and that “each unit carries the weight of rarity”.
800 dollars, and only in the United States
Silca sells the Omata for 800 dollars. Escape Collective points out that the original Omata One cost 550 dollars about eight years ago. Cycling Industry News writes that Silca will release it in small batches until stock runs out, and that this limited production restricts it to the United States. Cycling Industry News adds, however, that Silca accepts enquiries from abroad. As of 15 October, the silca.cc product page viewed from France showed a price of €868.95 and the label “sold out”. The warranty is two years.
