Review: Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean XL

In June 2009 I bought my first mechanical watch.  It was the Omega Seamaster 300 (2255.80.00), which I blogged about here.  It was a great watch but unfortunately it wasn't quite all I was looking for in a watch, and once the shiny bezel became a little scuffed, it looked unsightly.  Also in truth, I had always wanted to own the Planet Ocean ever since I first saw one.

In 2011, Omega took their Planet Ocean which was launched in 2005 and made version 2.0 so to speak.  The bracelet was given screws, which is watch circles is considered superior to metal pins.  The aluminum bezel was replaced with a scratch proof ceramic material, much the same as what Rolex decided to do in 2010.  Also a couple of very minor changes were made to the face (applied numerals and a slight font change).  But probably the big announcement is the in house movement, complete with a see through exhibition display back enabling the owner to see the movement of the watch.

The original Planet Ocean has a detailed engraving on the back of the watch depicting the Hippocamp; a mythical seahorse-like creature said to draw Poseidon's (Neptune) chariot.  According to Omega, this has been a fixture on Seamaster watches in one form or another since 1960 when an artisan was inspired by something he saw in Italy.  The connection was said to allude to the waterproof nature of the watch, this model capable of 600m or 2000ft below sea level.

The reason I was prompted to buy this watch right now was the fact that I cannot justify the six thousand or so dollars Omega wishes to charge for their new version.  As nice as it is, I have a hard time with the massive price hike.  While the original Planet Oceans retail at $4,500, a savvy shopper can find an authorized dealer willing to sell for the low $3K area, which while still not cheap is a lot easier to stomach than five or six grand.  If you're willing to just buy off the Internet, I've seen the price as low as $2,700 as of this month.  Keep in mind an unofficial Internet purchase will lower the future resale value.

With that preamble out of the way, I'll go ahead and review my new purchase based on my short ownership of it:

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean XL 45.5mm 2200.50.00

Box

Part of the excitement of getting a new watch is unboxing, but you can read about that just about anywhere.  Basically it's the standard Omega red box, enclosed in a white cardboard box.  You get an international instruction manual, pictograph card telling you what features the watch has, an international warranty card, and a certification that the watch meets the Swiss chronometer standards (referring to accuracy of the watch, and certifying that specific watch with serial number).  It's all pretty standard stuff.  A smart person will carefully place this box and content, including receipt, somewhere safe.  If you are ever to sell the watch you'll always get more for it with the original packaging and documentation.

Bracelet & Clasp

The bracelet and clasp are brushed stainless steel.  Other options are available, but mesh and leather straps do nothing for me.  This same watch was given a lot of publicity in the Bond movie Casino Royale where James Bond (Daniel Craig) wore the version of this watch that comes on a rubber strap for about half the movie.  It looked good that way, but probably a little too casual for some situations in my opinion, which probably explains why he wears a different Omega Seamaster in the black tie and casino scenes.

Speaking of Bond, I have mixed feelings about the connection.  I think it worked great in Casino Royale for example, but the Pierce Brosnan days where his Omega contained magic weapons and communication devices got a bit silly.

In any case, the bracelet feels solid, and comfortable.  It doesn't catch hairs or jangle, and it has been nicely smoothed so as not to dig into the skin.  The edges are polished, which contrasts nicely with the brushed main surface.

The clasp is engraved with Omega Ω Seamaster Professional Planet Ocean, and the clasp is released by simultaneously pressing two buttons on the sides; an action that is just about impossible to perform by accident.

The only real criticism of the whole bracelet / clasp set up is that the clasp is easy to scratch over time, although supposedly it doesn't take much to brush those scratches out at the jewelers.  As to the bracelet there are no minute size adjustments, so you size the bracelet by removing links or using the supplied 'half-link' which gets you pretty close.

I had a similar 'Speedmaster' bracelet on my last watch and found it did the job very well.

Case

The case is solid and imposing at 45.5mm.  Subtle it ain't.  And apparently the 2011 version is even thicker, which is hard to imagine.  But if you are looking for a slim or lightweight watch, you need to look elsewhere.

Omega has brushed and polished different parts of the case beautifully to reflect light in a variety of different ways, adding a lovely texture to the appearance.

On the back of the watch, you'll find the aforementioned Hippocamp engraving.  There is also a serial number engraved on the watch, along with a special laser etched symbol that is supposed to be hard to fake.  Where the back is removed there is a tiny spot of what looks like red plastic.  Like a wax seal, this will fall off if you take the back off the watch, so if you can still see it, you know it has not been opened since it left the factory.  

Face

The face is matte black, with twelve applied indices that are coated generously with Super-Luminova that glows fiercely in the dark. Each of these is rhodium plated so look shiny and mirror like, matching the arrow hands, which are also quite shiny.  An Omega logo is also applied under the tweleve o'clock spot.

The seconds hand moves seven times a second and is tipped with an orange color.

The numerals are at 12, 9 and 6, and on this model are white, although orange is available on other Planet Ocean configurations.

The date is at the three o'clock spot, white numbers on black, and easily visible.  The date flicks from one day to the next around midnight pretty quickly.

Close to the ten o'clock spot you'll see the helium release valve marked with 'He' - the chemical symbol for helium.  In theory this can be unscrewed in a diving bell to prevent excess pressure in the watch blowing out the crystal.  Since this will affect about 0.01% of people reading this, I'll move on.

At the three o'clock position you'll see a sizable crown.  You can unscrew this to wind the watch, pull out once to adjust the date, pull out one more spot to adjust the time and stop the seconds hand while you do that.

Bezel

The bezel is clean and functional.  As is typical with a divers watch it only rotates counter clockwise and can be used in theory to time how much oxygen you have left.  It looks clean and I like the font choice.

Movement of the bezel is smooth and precise, with 120 clicks for one complete revolution.  The 45.5mm version that I have has scalloped tooth finish, whereas the 42mm version is more coin edge in design.

Movement

The watch contains the Omega 2500 caliber movement which is produced by taking the ETA 2892-A2 movement and heavily modifying it to include the co-axial movement invented by famed watch expert George Daniels.  There are some watch snobs who point out that this movement is not strictly an in-house movement, since ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse and Omega are both owned by The Swatch Group, Ltd., and so is more in-family as opposed to in-house.  But I don't much care.  You are talking about a top of the line and well proven movement, enhanced substantially by Omega to include co-axial technology, which allows the watch to operate with little to no lubrication.  This in turn means that service intervals are 7-10+ years, much longer than a traditional movement.

This mechanical watch winds itself as you move around, and has 44 hours of power reserve.  So if you leave it off for the weekend, you might find it dead on Monday.

As far as accuracy goes, it is an officially certified chronometer, which is always a good start. It seems pretty spot on, with a tendency to run a second or two fast per day.  But it's not fair to draw conclusions in the first few days.

Omega 2500C Movement - As seen with the watch back removed

Conclusion

I love the clean looks of this watch.  I was sitting on a plane the other day.  The guy next to me was wearing a Rolex Submariner that if it were real would probably have cost around six grand.  Next to mine the watch looked small, old fashioned, and unremarkable.  If it wasn't for the cache of the Rolex name, you wouldn't give it a second look in my opinion.

The attention to detail in the design has me admiring it each time I check the time.  To me it is a truly beautiful watch.  It is a massive step forward from my original Seamaster, and I don't regret the purchase at all.

As I mentioned earlier it is a heavy and imposing watch, so if you don't like noticing that you have a watch on, you might consider the lighter and smaller 42mm version, especially if you have smaller wrists.

The anti-reflective coating is applied to both the inside and outside of the crystal, which can make finger prints show up more easily, and is allegedly prone to scratching, prompting some people to remove the outer coating, and leaving the crystal bare.  Thus far this is the only negative I see.

If you think you might like to get an original Planet Ocean, start looking now.  They will not be making any more of these, and you'll be forced to buy second hand or the much more expensive newer version if you want one.

I will probably write an update in a few months and let you know how it's going...

Rolex Submariner = Porsche Boxter

I like watches.  There's something very cool about owning a quality mechanical timepiece.  I write this on the eve of making another investment, this time in a Planet Ocean, by Omega.  No doubt I'll be blogging about that when I have it in hand.

I've had my eye on the Planet Ocean for some time, and was recently spurred into action by the new 2011 models where several upgrades and changes have been announced, along with a substantial price hike that makes me favor the original PO.

In any case as I did my last minute research and reached a firm conclusion which of the options I was going to select, I found several articles comparing the Omega Planet Ocean to a Rolex Submariner, and suddenly the thought occurred to me why I dislike the Submariner so much.  I wasn't sure what it was at first, after all the pictured watch is beautiful, the picture barely does it justice.  But then it's around $30,000, so it should clean my fucking house for me and cook meals for that price.  Heck it really should transform into a Porsche or something.

The more normal version of this watch is the regular stainless steel Submariner, and that costs around $6,000.  Gone is the striking blue dial, in Rolex circles, you have to have a decent amount of gold or white gold to be allowed the privilege of a blue dial.  So you are left with a stainless and black divers watch, and therein lies the problem.

These days when I see a person wearing a Rolex Submariner, my first thought is wondering if it is real.  My next thought is then a general judgement that the wearer lacks personality, taste, and simply wants to climb on board the Rolex train and show off that he has an expensive watch.  After all product recognition of a Rolex is certainly high, and it is synonymous with expensive luxury.  But to buy the very cheapest watch they make, kinda screams Porsche Boxster.  Yes it IS a Porsche, and yes it is a fine car, but let's be real, if you had the choice you'd buy a 911.  The only real market for a Boxster is for people who cannot afford the Porsche of their dreams, but want to say they own a Porsche anyway.

I believe that the entry level Submariner is the same concept.  It IS a Rolex, but really, if you could go into a Rolex dealer and buy any Rolex for $6,000 (assuming in this scenario you can never sell it, so residual value is irrelevant) would you really gravitate to the black face, stainless steel Submariner?

It's this reason why I don't ever see myself buying a Rolex.  All the Rolex watches I like are over $10,000.  Rolex aggressively hike their prices every time a month has the letter Y in it.  And on top of all that I find their reluctance to change the designs and improve things rather irritating.  Just look how many years they had that cheap feeling, rattly bracelet with the hollow links.  Only recently addressing that.  How long they refused to buy into the trend of a slightly larger 40mm+ watch size.

So Rolex have my respect.  I've seen some lovely Rolex watches out there.  But my choice, at least for a while will be Omega.  Pioneers in their field, innovation, and not afraid to modernize their collections from time to time.  Oh and yeah, half the price.

Really Esquire?

Someone bought me a subscription to Esquire magazine recently, and this month in their 'essentials' section, I was told that the watch I should be wearing is the one pictured above. The Patek Philippe 5116G. They explained that this was a dress watch, so I should also purchase a Rolex for more sporty non-business attire type situations. Seriously? WTF?

Now I'm down with the expensive watch idea, which by my definition is any watch that costs four figures. But in this global economy, what percentage of their readers can afford to spend $20,000 on a Patek Philippe, and then buy a $10K Rolex just to wear around the house?

From what I understand Patek Philippe is an exquisitely made watch that is considered one of the best in the world. But many of the models in my opinion, look extremely plain/boring. This particular model is made of white gold, which looks a lot like polished stainless steel. So essentially you are paying a shit ton extra for the materials, even though they look much like their cheaper counterpart.

Now in terms of this specific model, there are some truly beautiful watches that cost less than half the price of their recommended model. This IWC, for example costs around $3,000 retail. And unlike the manual winding Patek Philippe, this one is self winding, and you could own six of them for the cost of the Patek. And it's not like IWC is not a highly respected offering.



Now if you are one of those people who can't bear to look at their watch and know it isn't made of gold, you could consider an Omega DeVille.

The DeVille is available in various forms, I picked this merely because of its similar layout to the Patek. At $7,000, this beautiful Omega watch is to me a far better buy than the Patek. First off, it looks nicer by a long way. And secondly, like the IWC, this is an automatic watch self winder with a 48 hour power reserve and a low maintenance coaxial movement.

Citizen make an outstanding eco-drive dress watch in a similar style that runs less than $200, and never needs a battery.

The bottom line here is that I cannot understand the point of a $20,000 dress watch with a leather strap (which will quickly wear out; it's leather after all), when it looks almost the same as other quality watches that cost thousands of dollars less. And keep in mind, I'm somewhat of a watch snob. I'm not one of those people that argues for buying a Casio G-Shock over a Tag Heuer.

Also, how many events are you attending in life where only a dress watch is suitable?

So now let's talk about Esquire's assertion that your other watch should be a Rolex. I'm sorry but as someone on right side of 40, I can't agree with that either. Sure, Rolex make a very good watch. But to recommend a watch that these days pretty much starts at $10,000 as a back up watch, for when you are not wearing your Patek, is fucking stupid. Less than 1% of their readers are going to have that kind of money that they would go out and buy $30,000 worth of watches on the say so of some $1 magazine.

So if I were to be extravagant and drop some serious money on some watches, here's how I would play it:


First off we have the limited edition (1948 made - to commemorate the year that Seamaster was launched) Omega Planet Ocean liquid metal. Cutting edge materials including a ceramic bezel. The amazing co-axial movement will last for years. This is just a cool watch, plain and simple. The fact it's limited edition bumps the price from the usual Planet Ocean price of $3,600 to around $5,800.

When it comes to a dress watch, I find it hard to get excited. Because for me, a quality watch like the Planet Ocean is so beautiful, I'd have to be at an extremely formal black tie event to feel the need for something more dressy. Even then, I'd argue that the Planet Ocean would fit in.

If forced to buy a dress watch, I'd probably go with the Omega DeVille I already mentioned. Although their X2 is pretty cool as an alternative. Pictured below runs around $13,400, but if you lose the gold, you can shave $9,000 off that price.


So my Omega take on the $30,000 watch problem would cost about $13,000. I'd own a limited edition Planet Ocean, which is an absolute classic. I'd also have a beautiful gold dress watch. Both quality chronometers. I'd have saved a minimum of $17,000 over what Esquire recommends allowing me to also buy a Rolex, if I were over 40 (and unoriginal), or simply wait a few years and buy something else as my tastes change.

Some people might argue that the Patek Philippe would be a better long term investment. But I call bullshit on that argument. Yes, collectors go crazy for these watches. But once you get into the mindset that your watch is a collectors item, it becomes all too easy to keep it in storage and not on your wrist. I'm talking about watches that you could actually wear every day, without worrying about hurting the future value of some investment because of an accidental scraping of watch and wall.

The simple reality when all is said and done is that the average Esquire reader cannot afford a $20,000 watch. Neither can most Americans. So perhaps Esquire could be a little less silly in the future.

My New Omega Seamaster Chronometer

This week I added another watch to my watch collection. After a string of three Tag Heuer watches, I decided to look for something different.

My last watch was the Tag Link Diamond, but up to this point I had always purchased the quartz battery powered versions. This time I wanted an automatic self winding chronometer.

So I did the research, trolled through dozens of web pages and forums, and eventually found the watch I wanted. Omega is quite high end as a manufacturer goes. Ignoring the insanely priced watches that start at $10,000+ and considering the more affordable brands below $3,000.

Now a few years ago I requested some information from Omega and they sent be a couple of delightful coffee table books featuring some of their watches. But I'm very picky and only really liked one of their Seamasters that both looked good, and was a reasonable price. However, it wasn't really that much nicer than my Tag to justify the $2,300 they wanted for it. So I didn't make a purchase.

More recently a friend of mine wanted to replace his watch and started doing the research. He stumbled across the 2265.80, which is the quartz version of my new watch. After be bought it, I was blown away by the striking good looks of the watch, and decided that the automatic version needed further investigation.

After a little more research I located a dealer willing to discount to a price similar to the Internet price, but with full Omega warranty. I also discovered that Omega have discontinued this model as they axe the 'cheaper' watches and move upscale with their newer Co-Axial movements. Apparently they are looking to take a chunk out of Rolex sales. So I had to act quickly to snatch up one of these delightful watches before the stock ran out. And fortunately I was just in time.

I got the watch within 24 hours of ordering with all the official papers and documentation. Nice to find a business that does exactly what they say they are going to do when they say they are going to do it.

I've had my new watch for 24 hours now, so I figured it was time to post a review.

Review: Omega Seamaster Professional Chronometer

The Omega Seamaster Professional Chronometer2255.80, is a really beautiful watch. What Omega have done is marry the chunky solid look of a rugged diver's watch, with a sense of fun and style. It's in-your-face, but not offensively so. It's not diamond encrusted, it's not so big you look like a rapper with no taste. It's just sits there and says 'hello' but doesn't shout.

The face of the watch is 'electric blue' as opposed to the more subdued sea blue they offer in the same range. I think that the term cobalt blue would also be a good way to describe it. Whatever material Omega have used to create the face, it is certainly beautiful. It seems to change color depending on light conditions. Under some conditions it looks almost black, and with bright natural light it has an iridescent blue to it. There is a very fine Seamaster wave cut into the dial too, that adds another dimension of interest to the design.

I love a watch that is easy to read, and the large sword hands and big indices, certainly provide that ease of use factor. A generous coating of Super Luminova ensures a fierce night time glow, for quite some time after the lights go out.

Being an automatic watch the seconds hand sweeps smoothly around the dial, making 28,800 tiny movements an hour. As a certified chronometer it has passed various Swiss standards for accuracy, elevating it above the average automatic watch.

Speaking of movements, this particular one is being phased out by Omega in favor of their new line of Co-Axial movements. But this model is based on a top quality ETA movement that Omega modify heavily to create the 1120. It's been around for many years now, and is certainly tried and tested.

The watch case is finished with a lot of care and subtle detailing. Some parts have been polished to a mirror like shine, while others are satin. It all adds up to a substantial and beautiful case, that protects the watch to 300m / 1000ft below the sea. Somewhere I'll never be going (hopefully). There's a helium release valve I'll never be using that protects the watch from pressure changes while decompressing in a diver's bell. Somewhere else I hope never to be.

Like most watches the crown unscrews and can be used to set the date and time, but also wind the watch if you leave it unworn for too long.

The back of the case features a carving of a sea creature, and more of the Seamaster wave pattern. There's also a laser etched security mark, and the serial number.

The bracelet is the three link Speedmaster style bracelet. Three large pieces of brushed steel with two tiny polished accents at the join for another dimension of style. It's extremely comfortable and looks interesting.

The clasp is very nice, utilizing two push in buttons that must be depressed simultaneously to remove the watch from your wrist. Despite the high quality, I've read that because of the location, design and shape of the clasp it can be easy to scuff. Supposedly, it's not that hard to fix if you do scuff it up. Alternatively you can buy a new bracelet for $500ish should you need to.

What you're left with is a stunning watch with a serious pedigree, and real presence about it. I feel fortunate to have captured one of the last ones ever made by Omega. I'll certainly be wearing it every day, and believe that it is suitable for casual wear, and can also be worn in the boardroom with a suit.

If you are highly conservative type that can't get past the blue dial, there are various Seamaster watches that have a black or subdued blue face, and matching bezel insert.

I'll post an update after I've owned the watch for a while, and let you know how it is going. Certainly for now, I'm very impressed.