Omega Watches

[Ritch]

http://www.omegawatches.com/index.php?id=286&pos=3&no_cache=1

I am carrying this one. It is made for heavy duty, but against other similar watches it is lightweight. The Superluminowa indexes are very bright. Although I own several high quality watches (Rolex GMT Master, IWC MK XV, Breitling Aerospace, Panerai Luminor Marina Automatic, Chopard Mille Miglia), the Seamaster is one of my two favorite watches. I only can recommend this little masterpiece of time.

richard

 

[Elmie]

I have a SMP Chronograph...I love it. Its COSC and its less then 1 second slow a day. Great quality watch for the price. What I really love about Omega's is that they are low key watches compared to a Rolex.

 

[JML]

Omega builds a great watch, but like any, you should try them on and see if they fit your wrist before you buy! I never found an Omega that fit me properly. I have a Sinn, two Limes, an Oris, and an Aerowatch.

The problem in the US, historically, has been service. Omega's track record on performing work is pretty poor -- and they have also been incredibly slow. Perhaps they're better now. Look at the watch forums at TimeZone and Equation of Time for more information. In the watch world, factory authorized repair is a horror story. Many times your watch will have to get shipped back to Switzerland or Germany for service, and 6 month delays are not unheard of.

While you can get routine service on most mechanicals from a trained and skilled watchmaker, it's hard to find one near your home. And your warranty will require work by Omega -- and if parts are needed, you're going to have to go that route.

Avoid the quartz movement Omegas unless you want to pay way more than you ought to for the rest of the watch. And if you buy one, and the battery needs replacing, send it out to have it done properly, not by a teenage moron in a mall shop.

Having said all that, you can sometimes fine grey-market Omegas at Costco, but forget about Omega's warranty.

 

[GarageBoy]

Resale wise, DO NOT get a midsize

 

[JJH]

Go to the Watchuseek.com forums and then to the Omega section. Really nice people, very knowledgeable and helpful. They guided me through a purchase of a 1958 SS & Gold Constellation which is beautiful, accurate and feels really special on the wrist.
The Speedmaster Pro is the Moonwatch, and of course Bond wears Omegas.

 

[geepondy]

I have an Omega Seamaster Pro, 2001 Bond edition. It's been very nice but now loses about 15 seconds a day, well outside the COSC specs it was shipped with. It's going to cost about $300 to have serviced but worst of all an 8-10 week wait, yikes. I'm almost thinking of taking the $300 service fee and getting a nice Luminox instead as I'll probably have to repeat the cycle in another five years.

Have often do you Omega owners have your automatic serviced? Do they normally go out of COSC standards if not serviced regularly?

 

[Kilovolt]

In my experience if you want to keep your timepiece in good working order a clean and lube session every 5/6 years is advisable. Some watches work well also for much longer periods but like for car engines a regular maintenance saves you from heavier troubles in the long run.

 

[Elmie]

5-6 years is about right for the auto's. The co-axial movement only needs servicing once every 10 years!

Your watch may not need to be serviced yet. Do you have any good watchmakers near you? If so you can always bring it in to them and get an adjustment done and he can also tell you whether your watch needs to seviced or not. Luckily I have a great watchmaker near me. After wearing my watch for 2 years it started going slow, about 10 seconds a day. Brought it in and he was able to get it down to less than 1 second a day, thats better then when it was new!

 

[BugOutGear_USA]

I noticed you're from Boston. Alpha Omega in Harvard Square(anchor store) in Cambridge discounts Omega watches 30%. I've had a Seamaster for 6 years now and love it. Never had a problem with it...

Regards,
Flavio
BugoutGearUSA.com

 

[geepondy]

Anybody know of any good watchmakers in the greater Boston area, preferably suburban north? I would love to bring it to a watch maker and get it adjusted for more accurate time keeping if possible rather then pay $300 and wait ten weeks for Omega servicing. I have not abused the watch nor used it in harsh dirty conditions.

5-6 years is about right for the auto's. The co-axial movement only needs servicing once every 10 years!

Your watch may not need to be serviced yet. Do you have any good watchmakers near you? If so you can always bring it in to them and get an adjustment done and he can also tell you whether your watch needs to seviced or not. Luckily I have a great watchmaker near me. After wearing my watch for 2 years it started going slow, about 10 seconds a day. Brought it in and he was able to get it down to less than 1 second a day, thats better then when it was new!

 

[RedLED]

I like Omega's.

I Don't have one, but I am planning to get a Speedmaster Professional (Moon Watch.)

I am a Rolex collector, and have been for over 20 years. There is nothing wrong with Omega's, they will last a lifetime with care and a service now and then.

The stories about Omega's service are true...it takes quite some time to get your watch back.

You may consider a used Rolex, or a new one. There is nothing like a high quality Swiss timepiece. I think everyone should have at least one nice watch.

If you choose Rolex, they have wonderful service for the life of your watch.

Good luck,

RL

 

[geepondy]

Redled, I am curious. I've been quoted approximately $300 for an Omega service, what does a Rolex service costs and how long is the wait?

 

[barkingmad]

Anyone know a good place to get an Omega Seamaster serviced in the UK? Thanks...

 

[CLHC]

. . .what does a Rolex service costs. . . ?

Well, off the beaten path here, but:

Dial color change out starts at $250.00. Sapphire replacement cost $350.00. Took my O.P.Datejust in for servicing, and I was quoted @$750.00+! That was some 10 years ago.

Don't know the turnaround time because I changed my mind.

 

[Brian E]

Own a Speedmaster Professional which dates back to November of 1973, according to an e-mail Omega sent me. Through the years, I have spent more on servicing than it originally cost. Also acquired a Seamaster Professional full size automatic and love it, though as mentioned the bezel is harder to turn than a coin-edged bezel would be. Bought a nice strap for the Seamaster for when I don't want to wear the bracelet.


The Speedmaster is an icon watch for Omega fans, being the first watch worn on the Moon and all. It is not automatic and has no date function but it is still a great watch. The only shortcoming is its relatively low water resistance rating. Years ago, I routinely swam with it on, which would not be done by the majority of people who own a Speedmaster. There was even one guy who scuba dived with his, unaware that it is not intended for such use.

The Seamaster is Omega's equivalent to the Rolex Submariner and it is quite rugged. I prefer the 2531.80 with its skeleton hands and blue dial/bezel combination.

Watches are interesting. I work with people who earn over $100K a year and would not dream of spending what the Seamaster (used) cost me for a mechanical watch. Then again, I would not purchase some of the vehicle choices some of them have made. To each their own.

 

[geepondy]

I broke down and sent my SMP in for servicing. Hopefully it will be returned back to COSC standards. I doubt if there is anything they will do as I think it's standard but I asked that if possible, I would like the bezel to turn easier.

 

[basill]

I have the black seamaster pictured above by Steve Andrews, I like it very much and it rarely leaves my wrist.

For those with recent (upto a couple of years old) Omega chronometers it is possible to have Omega send you the actual COSC testing certificate for your watch.

more detail here:

http://www.rolexreferencepage.com/omegacosc/omegacosc.html

B

 

[mightysparrow]

I bought a Seamaster Planet Ocean 42mm. (black bezel) a few weeks ago, and I love it. It seems to require being worn for at least 12 hours a day, to keep it going all night, but winding it a little to re-start it is very easy, when necessary.

For value, I don't think you can do any better than Omega - that was my opinion after looking around at various brands. I bought mine at a major retailer after hitting their one-day sale, then asking for more off the regular price on top of the sale price. The salesperson called her manager and he agreed to the deal.

I went with a model with the co-axial movement because it appears to be dependable and it is purported to increase the life-span of the movement and to increase the time intervals between routine maintenance. I also liked the versatile style of the Planet Ocean.

 

[kwkarth]

I bought a Planet Ocean Chrono back in December. So far it's been a great timepiece. Omega is supposed to be in the same class as Rolexes, but Omegas tend to be slightly cheaper with better technology to boot.

My PO uses a co-axial movement that is supposed to offer better accuracy and longer intervals between servicing. If you've read the watch forums you may have read that Omega had serious problems with their watches using the Piguet caliber 3300 series movements. Even though my PO uses a C.3313 movement, I haven't noticed any problems yet. Omega has an extended warranty for watches using the co-axial movements. Let's hope I won't have to use it. Otherwise my PO is a fantastic, beautiful watch. My only beef is that it isn't as accurate as I expected, mine runs about 7-10 seconds fast per day. That's still supposed to be close to COSC standards.

I also have the Planet Ocean Chrono. It's the most accurate mechanical watch I've ever owned. It's accurate to +/- 1.5 seconds per day. Incredible!

 

[CLHC]

Nice nice nice looking Omega.POC kwkarth! :huh: