Monday, December 9, 2013

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.


6 comments:

  1. Clearly you don't understand the diving function of the rotating bezel on the Omega PO (GMT).

    Maybe they put the luminescent spot on the rotating bezel to use as a diving timer?
    Example: you start diving at 10:30 am and have 20 minutes of oxygen.
    Set the luminescent spot at the 10 o'clock hour marker (on the dial) and you'll know when to go back to the surface when the minute hand reaches that marker.

    There's no need for the 24 hour markers on the bezel in the dark though ;-)

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    1. Hello,
      On the contrary, I do understand the diving function. They are trying to have their cake, and eat it, too, on a very expensive watch. Think about it: if you were using this as a dive watch, and rotated the bezel to make the current time "Zero minutes", then as the minute hand moves along during your dive it would be pointing at the 24 hours, instead of how many minutes have passed by. This is why Omega, itself, did it correctly placed the 24 hours inside, on the dial of the previous Seamaster GMT/dive watch, while the bezel had 60 minutes. That watch succesfully executed *both* functions.
      Tom

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  3. One would think that if you were born wearing a wristwatch, you would at least understand the use of a dive bezel...

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    1. Your caustic comment clearly points out that you, in fact, do not know how to use a dive bezel. See my reply to the other reader who better articulated his disagreement.
      Tom
      Tom

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    2. For a moment i almost gave in upon reading this article. Let me "let you" understand the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600 GMT Goodplanet (it has a F#ckn long name i know) - let's just call it SM GP.

      This timepiece is a commemorative issue from the award winning movie"Planet Ocean".

      But first, what are the attributes of a Dive & a GMT watch?
      Dive:
      1. Depth capabilities
      2. Helium Escape Valve
      3. 60 mins bezel reading
      4. Luminous hands
      GMT
      1. 3rd Hand
      2. 24hr. Bezel (for 3 timezone reading capability)

      What the people at Omega did is a balance between having the two GMT attributes included in a dive watch.

      If they made the bezel a 60min reading, then this becomes "More of" dive watch now is it?

      For those who havent seen the movie "Planet Ocean", this covers how man has destroyed the ecosystem in the ocean at different parts of the globe.

      "Planet Ocean"
      Planet = GMT
      Ocean = Diving - get it?

      They made a 50/50 split with the SM GP..& nailed it quite well.

      Not to mention that for every SM GP sold, you donate to the Goodplanet Foundation which protects the Mangroves, Seabeds,
      Coral reefs in the South Pacific region.

      http://www.thestar.com.my/news/environment/2014/07/07/bahoi-marine-reserve-that-works/

      Now for those who are ticked off with the bezel not in 60min read.. Being an occasional diver myself, we do not rely much on the time left (bezel reading) but rather rely on the analog/computer "Dive Pressure Gauge".

      For desk divers, this apparatus tells how much bar (oxygen) is left on your tank, depending how fast or slow you consume air, so you'll have an ample amount left while ascending which depends, again, on how deep your dive is (the deeper the dives, the plentier the pit stops)

      Lastly, the luminious dot on top the 24hr bezel can still be used for diving by just setting it to either 15-20-25-30mins apart from the minute hands. The moment the minute hand reaches the luminous dot, then it tells you that time is up..That simple.

      Summary:
      The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600 GMT Goodplanet is a 50% Dive watch / 50% GMT watch that is great to dive & Travel with..

      Hope this clears up things!
      - Winston

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