Omega fails, surprisingly, or The Department of Redundancy Department

Okay, here's the deal: I apologize but this post about the new Omega GMT watch is going to look like I am plagiarizing from myself, re-using the same images from the last post.  This is the unfortunate product of the fact that Omega made a serious mistake with its new Planet Ocean (PO) -based GMT watch.  On the last post I ranted that Panerai wanted way the hell too much for their retro 1950s-era GMT, but here my complaint is that the new & modern Omega GMT is stupidly designed, and I will use the same two examples, the Victorinox dive/GMT and Rolex's dedicated GMT watch, the GMT Master I, to prove my point.
When I first heard that Omega was coming out with a new dive watch-based GMT, I was happy and sad at the same time: happy that they were coming out with a large-sized, easy-to-read GMT watch that is water-resistant, and glows in the dark, and sad that I had missed the boat by buying my Seamaster PO before this new watch came out, so now I can't (afford to) buy one.
The previous Omega dive watch/GMT watch was almost perfect.  Not to damn it with faint praise, but the hands, dial, and 24 hour markings were too small, when I tried it on in the store.  Originally, that was the Omega I was going to buy:

On the internet, and on photographs posted by Omega aficionados who use their high-end macro lenses, this watch looks awesome.  In person-in the store-the watch was beautiful, and clearly well-made, but its readability was poor, with my newly presbyopic, middle-aged eyes.
Omega had a large, easy-to-read GMT that was not a dive watch per se, but they had discontinued it right when I wanted a new, Swiss automatic watch.   The one I wanted was nicknamed The Great White:

Now, notice the important difference between the two watches, above: The dive watch has a glow-in-dark phosphorescent dot on the rotating dial, because you will use it as a dive watch; while the dedicated GMT (the Great White) just has a 24 hour marker (the black triangle).
So, why don't I like the new Omega GMT, that is based on the Planet Ocean?
Take a look:

Oh. My. God.  What were they thinking???  Look at where where the 24 hour triangle is: they put a luminescent, glow-in-the-dark spot, as if it was a dive watch!  So...what's wrong with that?  Simple: the rotating dial is not marked with zero to 60 minutes, for a dive function.  This watch is neither a 24 hour i.e. GMT, nor a dive watch.
Okay, so here's the part where I re-use my photos from my last posting:
Here's a watch that is fully functional as both a dive watch and a GMT; my cheapo (compared to Rolex and Omega) Victorinox:

Look at the rotating bezel: you can time how many minutes you have been under the surface.  Look at the 24 hour hand: it is pointed at the light 10, so it is 10:00 a.m., as opposed to the 22, which is 10:00 p.m.
Okay, now look at the Rolex GMT Master I (or the GMT Master II in my previous post about the Doxa 600T, which I finally got back  few days ago, thanks to the sheriffs):

Here, the rotating bezel knows that its one-and-only job is to tell us if it's 10:00 a.m., or 10 p.m., or if I feel like rotating the bezel, because I have flown into a different time zone, that's okay, too.
Any questions, Omega S.A.?
If George Clooney called me up tomorrow morning, and told me that he wanted to buy the movie rights to my novel Roadside Rest, and he paid me an obscene amount of money, I still wouldn't buy the Omega PO GMT watch.  Until they fix it by making a straight 24 hour bezel without a glow-in-the-dark marker, it is one big gigantic FAIL on par with the Hamilton Below Zero chronometer debacle.

Brother, can you spare $13,000 ?

Okay, here's the deal:
I love mechanical watches.
I love Swiss watches.
I think that Panerai watches are very cool. 
I would love to own one.
Except for one thing.
I stopped at my local Costco, and saw this on display:

 

When you buy any high-end Swiss watch, you are carrying out a willful suspension of disbelief.  You are an adult who has chosen to go the same route as a 10 year-old who chooses to continue to believe in Santa Claus, in order to keep those Christmas gifts coming.  The bargain works like this: in order to justify spending several thousand dollars on a watch that is less accurate than a quartz watch from Hong Kong, you explain to yourself-and anyone else who will listen-that this Swiss watch is made of the best materials.  It is made of the highest quality metals.  Its movement is made with precision parts (also made of high quality metals).  It is highly waterproof.  It glows in the dark.

It is functional, and beautiful.

It is awesome.

Here's the thing, boys and girls: You can only carry this illusion so far, before someone in the crowd shouts, "The emperor has no clothes!"

I will now be that person.

Despite my love of quality Swiss watches, I am appalled that the Panerai 1950 GMT is almost $13,000.  It is not worth it.

Okay, I get it: 20 years ago or so, the high end watch companies decided that Swiss watches would no longer be nice watches; they would become items of conspicuous consumption.  Okay, but if you're my doctor, my lawyer, or my real estate agent, and you show up wearing a $13,000 watch made out of stainless steel, I'm gonna get up, and walk right out of your office.

Take a look at this Victornox GMT that costs a couple of hundred dollars:

 

Now, take a look at this Panerai GMT that I found for sale on the internet: 

 

So...what's missing from this picture (besides your $13,000)??? Well, how about markers for the 24 hours that this alleged GMT is supposed to help you keep track of?  HELLO??? The Victorinox has the 24 hours marked on the watch dial, which leaves the rotating bezel available for other functions-in this case, you can count down 60 minutes in a dive.  Excellent.  Most GMT watches have the 24 hours marked on the rotating bezel, like on this beauty:

On the Victorinox, we can see that it's 2:00 where we are, and 10:00 a.m. somewhere else (the wearer's second time zone).  On this Rolex we can see that it is 10:00 where the wearer is, and it's 10:00 a.m. where he is, so he just wants to know if it's 10:00 a.m., or 10:00 p.m. i.e. 22 on the rotating bezel.
Very nice.
So, what about the cardiologist wearing his Costco special Panerai GMT?
Beats me!  He just paid $13,000 for a watch with a little white arrowhead for a fourth hand that points at nothing.  No numbers for the 24 hours of the day on either the dial, or on a rotating bezel.
In plain English, Doctor, you paid way the hell too much for that stainless steel watch.
"Yes, but it's a Panerai.  They're very rare.  They don't make very many of them."
In that case, here, buy my Ollech and Wajs 3095.  It's easier to read the time on it, it's water resistant, it glows in the dark, I get compliments on it all the time, and there are less of them out there than there are Panerais.  I should go onto eBay, and offer my 3095 for $26,000.
If rarity is a consideration, why not?   You can't drive to Beverly Hills (or Costco, ha ha ha) and buy an Ollech & Wajs, the way you can buy a Panerai.  You have to buy it directly from Switzerland.
Come to think of it, I want $39,000 for my 3095. 

 

My Doxa is missing

I am about to post the following at the Doxa forum with the hope that the guy who has my Doxa 600T Sub Professional, serial number 797, gives it back.  If he quietly gives me back my watch, there will be no further word from me.  If he doesn't give it back, I'm going to have to up my game:
====================================================

Dear Doxaholics,


I have a big problem: I loaned my Doxa 600T Professional (#797) to another member of this forum last year, and he won't give it back. I don't know what is going on. Here is the problem: as far as I know, he's a good guy. He told me a story several months ago, explaining why he has not sent me back my 600T, but since then, he has fallen out of communication with me. He has been active on watchuseek forums, so I know that he is around, but he has not responded to my watchuseek private messages, or calls to his personal cell phone. If I call his cell phone, he immediately hangs up, and then turns off his cell phone.

I don't want to out him. I have documentation to my statements. I have his statements, when he said that he would borrow my watch, and then send it back to me. I don't want to embarass him, but not only has he not gotten back to me, but neither has Rick Marei at Doxa, nor Ernie Romers, who I have written emails to (I was hoping that they would contac him, and pressure him). Yes, the guy who has my 600T is a big name in the world of dive watches. He is a popular, well-like person. I don't want to ruin his reputation.

Here's the deal: if I hear from him off-line, and get my watch back within 10 days (April 25th, 2013) I will remain silent about his identity. If I don't get my watch back in the next 10 days, I am going to go public. To make sure that I am not shut down by anybody, anywhere, I am going to post that information on my personal watch blog: http://insearchoftheperfectwatch.blogspot.com/ (Right now, the last post is an old post from a year ago). If necessary, I will PM a whole bunch of owners of Swiss watches, to let them know the details.

I really don't want to do this. If I need to involve the FBI, I will: he is in another state, and our paychecks come from the same entity (part of my job duties is to train local cops, and FBI agents), so I feel no aversion to calling the guys in Westwood, and asking for their help.

Honestly, after I get my watch back, I'm probably going to close my account at Watchuseek.

Here is a good phone number for reaching me in Los Angeles, California, USA: 213.471.6001

Tom Miko