[glimmer]

Hello everyone,

My first post. Just purchased a GMT automatic three weeks ago (black dial, black and silver bezel). Was quite satisfied with it until I saw the Planet Oceans, and now I am thinking of buying a Planet Ocean and selling my GMT.

This is probably an impulse thing on my part but I would appreciate some sound advice on the pros and cons of keeping the GMT. The reason why I purchased it was the cool GMT feature (the extra hand) and the bezel dual color.

As time goes by, the bezel dual color looks more and more like a novelty to me and doesn't really look solid (it starts looking like a toy). Having seen the Planet Oceans however I was quite impressed with the look, although it seems to have copied the Submariner in more ways than one, especially with the Bezel edges.

I don't want to buy a Submariner for the simple fact that it's probably the world's most copied watch, and because I've owned one before (6 years ago) and was not really comfortable with a Rolex.

So a part of me is saying, "keep the GMT, it will grow on you, it is a good value" while another part of me is saying, "sell the GMT, buy the Planet Ocean, after all, it has co-axial movement." A third option would be to keep the GMT and buy a Planet Ocean but that would be difficult financially.

Can anyone please put in a good word for the GMT for me? Any GMT owners out there??? Help!


Thanks
Glimmer

 

[STEVIE]

Hey Glimmer,
My opinion may be of interest to you as I have been there and done that. :-D

I did own a SMP black dial GMT. It was a great watch, like all SMP's. I was travelling around different time zones and found the GMT hand to be very helpful. The watch performed well and I could not fault it.:-! I sold it to finance another watch [me being a WIS] and took about a 45% hit on it.:-( I should have kept it as there was nothing wrong with it and some other lucky sod now has it at a bargain price. :-|

Now I have the SMP Planet Ocean Co-axial. This watch is an absolute beauty and I cannot say anything bad about it either. I have had mine a month. I have no intention of selling it, ever.

Please read my review of the PO on this forum under Omega 'Reviews'.
It's your choice Glimmer - if the PO looks as good to you as it does to me, then...Just Get It!;-)

 

[glimmer]

Since you asked for opinions, I'll throw in my 2 cents. I've always considered the white and black dial Seamaster GMT's to be excellent values for the money. If you travel a lot and/or you simply like having the GMT feature, then you're probably not going to be 100% satisfied with a Planet Ocean. Also, unless you are a serious diver, I doubt the PO's extra 300 meters of water resistance will matter to you.

The Planet Ocean retails for $900 more than the black GMT and lacks a GMT function. So, you need to ask yourself if you really want to pay more for a watch that lacks this feature. Will you miss not having a GMT? Are you willing to take a loss on watch you just bought and then turn around and buy a more expensive model? These are two important factors to consider.

Don't get me wrong - I really like the overall look and design of the Planet Ocean. I think it's a solid, well-designed watch, and the feedback from owners so far has been that it is reliabale and very accurate. However, it sounds to me like your main reason for wanting one is that it is co-axial. I personally don't feel that your entire decision should be based on this one feature. Both the 1128 movement in the GMT and the 2500 movement in the Planet Ocean start off with the same ETA 2892-A2 base movement. Granted, the 2500 movement is more extensively modified and has the addition of the co-axial escapement, but that doesn't automatically mean that it will keep better time. Every mechanical watch is different, so it's certainly possible to get a black GMT that keeps better time than a Planet Ocean.

If you really think the Planet Ocean looks nicer and you don't feel you'll miss the GMT feature, then go for it. Otherwise, you're better off keeping the GMT. Then again, if you really love both, you could just take out a second mortgage....;-)

Good luck with the decision,
John

Hi John,

Thanks for your 2 cents. Yes, you are right, one of the main factors in my considering the PO is the co-axial movement, which "according" to one retailer makes it re-sale value higher (??). Not that I'm planning to sell my watches God forbid, but just in case. Another feature, and I hope someone corroborates this with me, is that the PO looks much more than a Submariner to me, which is entirely safe as long as the brand is Omega (as I said, the brand Rolex is too up there for me).

One other factor is the aesthetics: I am looking at it again right now (my GMT) and there are times when I like it and times when I don't. The black and silver bezel sometimes looks classy and sometimes it looks like a toy (though not as cartoonish as the red and blue of the Rolex GMT)---what do you think of this opinion?

Am quite interested to know more about the ETA concept and how it is unique to Omega.

Will have to think about that 2nd mortgage idea...ha ha ha. Thank you John for your salient inputs and I hope to hear from you soon.

Regards
Clarence, aka Glimmer

 

[glimmer]

Hey Glimmer,
My opinion may be of interest to you as I have been there and done that. :-D

I did own a SMP black dial GMT. It was a great watch, like all SMP's. I was travelling around different time zones and found the GMT hand to be very helpful. The watch performed well and I could not fault it.:-! I sold it to finance another watch [me being a WIS] and took about a 45% hit on it.:-( I should have kept it as there was nothing wrong with it and some other lucky sod now has it at a bargain price. :-|

Now I have the SMP Planet Ocean Co-axial. This watch is an absolute beauty and I cannot say anything bad about it either. I have had mine a month. I have no intention of selling it, ever.

Please read my review of the PO on this forum under Omega 'Reviews'.
It's your choice Glimmer - if the PO looks as good to you as it does to me, then...Just Get It!;-)

Hi Stevie,

I did read your review and it was actually one that made want the PO much more .

One of my concerns is the aesthetic value of the black and silver bezel. As I mentioned in my reply to John, sometimes it looks like a toy to me, although it is not as distastefully colorful as the Rolex GMT (the blue and red bezel---no offense to anyone who owns one!). The redeeming quality I guess is that it is black and silver, colors normally that are chromatic and do not look "out of it."

The reason with my obsession with the bezel actually started when I bought my wife the black seamaster bezel. After looking at hers over time it started to occur to me that hers looked more "solid" (for lack of a better word) than mine. A single colored bezel "seems" to look more solid than a dual colored one.

Am I right in saying that the bezel of the PO is totally different from the conventional Seamaster? That the bezel edges are like the Submariner?

Anyhow, I will consider keeping it for a while, while scouting for others, although I am looking on eBay like crazy.

Thanks and regards
Clarence aka Glimmer

Oris Complication Moonface
Omega Prestige De Ville
Certina DS Podium
Omega SMP GMT

 

[STEVIE]

Hey Clarence here's a link from a guy that's selling his PO. Looks good.

http://watchtalkforums.proboards26.com/index.cgi?board=sale&action=display&thread=1165498086

 

[biotechee]

Hi-

My first, and only, Omega is the SMP GMT. It is the only fine watch I own. I love it. It has been a phenomenal watch to say the least. I also like the PO, but I definitely wanted a watch with GMT function (I work for a European company) and I didn't want to pay for the co-axial technology.

At the end of the day, I am extremely satisfied with my decision (which was helped extensively by the folks here!) to buy the GMT. Great watch!

Now if I only had enough money to buy a new Railmaster, I'd be too happy for my own good!

 

[q_at96]

I have the black dialed GMT and i love it, the two-tone bezel took some getting used to, but i never felt it was flimsy or anything..

I would keep the GMT and if you're heart is set on a PO, get it pre-loved from the SC..

enjoy your GMT..

Q

 

[Len S]

I also own the GMT with the black dial and I love the way it looks. In fact, I bought the GMT for the unique black and silver dial. I like the color combination and feel it makes the watch look more unique. I occasionally use the GMT feature, but for me it is just an added bonus to have it whenever I need it.
I have also admired the PO and hope to one day have it as well. It may take a while, but there are at times some good deals to be had on the sales forums of this and other forums. In fact I have bought both of my Omegas this way and saved alot of money off of the retail cost, even taking into account a discount of 30% off msrp (which is possible at some AD's).
Either way, they are both great watches and you couldn't go wrong to own either (or both). Hope this helps.

Len

 

[glimmer]

Hey Clarence here's a link from a guy that's selling his PO. Looks good.

http://watchtalkforums.proboards26.com/index.cgi?board=sale&action=display&thread=1165498086

Hi Stevie,

Thank you very much for the referral. Let me check deeply into the cash flow operations to find out if it viable.... I wish I had listened more in finance class.

Clarence

 

[glimmer]

Hi Clarence,

I think your retailer was giving you a line when he was talking about resale value. Sure, you'll be able to sell a used PO for more than a used GMT, but that's because the PO costs more, NOT because it is co-axial. When you look at what used Omegas sell for on places like the TZ sales corner, this site's sales forum, etc., you can see that, with a few exceptions like Limited Editions or vintage Speedy Pros, Omegas depreciate by pretty much a uniform percentage of their original MSRP based on condition. A "like new in the box" Omega may sell for 60% of MSRP, while a well-worn one may sell for only 35% of MSRP. Regardless of which watch you buy, you are going to lose money if you sell it, period. I wouldn't consider resale value as a factor for choosing either watch. I've bought and sold lots of Omegas, and I've lost money on all but one (a Bond 007 LE watch from 2002).

Regarding the look of the PO compared to the Sub, I do think the PO looks more like a Rolex than the regular Seamaster, but enough so that you could ever mistake one for the other. So, I wouldn't worry about people coming up to you and saying, "Nice Rolex!". ;-)

Regarding the black GMT's day/night two-tone bezel, this is all a matter of personal choice. I've spoken to people who told me they bought the white GMT because they hated the bezel on the black one. I've also talked to people who love the two-tone bezel and found it to be one of the black GMT's biggest selling points. So, to each his own. Because the bezel is black and silver, I certainly don't think it looks cartoonish or makes the watch look like a toy. That's my opinion but, as I said, it's all a matter of personal preference.

As for ETA, this is a manufacturer of watch movements that is owned by Omega's parent company, the Swatch Group. ETA builds many of Omega's movements for them to Omega's specifications. However, ETA also sells their movements to other manufacturers like Breitling, TAG, IWC, etc., who can then make modifications to them to create their own movements. The ETA movement is essentially the base to which all of the modifications/upgrades are made. So, Omega is not "unique" for using ETA-based movements. In fact, it's quite the contrary since many manufacturers use them. What does make Omega's movements unique is that every movement ETA builds for Omega is exclusive to Omega. You won't find caliber 1128 or 2500 in another manufacturer's watch.

I hope that helps.

Cheers,
John

Hi John,

Thank you very much for clearing up those ETA issues for me. I always thought it meant Estimated Time of Arrival!:-S I did think that there was a small "glimmer" in the sales agent's eye when he told me that the co-ax will give me better re-sale value. Marketing sucks!:-|

I do agree with you that you will lose money if you sell a watch, period. That was my problem with my previous collection. Now I am just looking to buy watches to enjoy them and pass them on to my son as heirlooms.


As for your opinion on the two color bezel, thank you for your personal opinion. In fact, I am quite taken aback at the kind reception afforded me by the forum so far.

Maslow was right! We never get enough...

Kind Regards
Clarence

 

[glimmer]

Hi-

My first, and only, Omega is the SMP GMT. It is the only fine watch I own. I love it. It has been a phenomenal watch to say the least. I also like the PO, but I definitely wanted a watch with GMT function (I work for a European company) and I didn't want to pay for the co-axial technology.

At the end of the day, I am extremely satisfied with my decision (which was helped extensively by the folks here!) to buy the GMT. Great watch!

Now if I only had enough money to buy a new Railmaster, I'd be too happy for my own good!

Hi Biotechee,

Thank you very much for your moral support! Go GMT!

Thanks
Clarence

p.s. is your bezel the two toned one?

 

[biotechee]

Yep... two-toned, black and silver. I find it to be unique. At first I was a little unsettled by it (only very little), but now I think that the two-tone, along with the black wave face, give the watch an aggressive, yet at the same time, classy look. My boss's boss owns a Bond and I think my GMT looks *a lot* better. But then I am not, gasp!, a fan of the Bon watch...

I think the white face version of the GMT looks great as well, but I would be less inclined to wear that on a daily basis. For instance, I think the white face would look out of place with just a golf shirt. I don't flinch wearing my black GMT with a T-shirt!

Keep the GMT, save for a PO or wait for another year or two and there will be a flood of used, relatively suitably priced PO's for sale (IMHO).

 

[CajunMike]

Quick note about your dilema

First of all, I would keep the GMT, as you will likely take a hit on the resale(unless its giving you problems or has given you problems, then I would recommend moving it). I had a similar issue when the PO came out, as I had the Blk/Blk seamaster. I ended up keeping the Seamaster as a second watch for weekend wear. Try to pick up a second hand PO, as I did. The watch has only been out less than 2 years, so any one you get will still be under warranty, and likely in very good condition to pristine condition, as mine was.

Also you mentioned that the PO bezel is similar to the Submariner. Yes, maybe, but I suggest you look at the History of the seamaster model back to the 1950s, as the bezel and hands are consistent with historical models from that era. So, as far as im concerned, the PO is a modern classic for Omega.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. The PO is a beautiful watch and you won't be disappointed with it. Just be sure that you are not "buying on impulse" and that you actually try the PO on at a local AD before you buy.

 

[glimmer]

Hi biotechee,

I too am not a fan of the "Bond" watch as I find it too trendy-blue is not a favorite color of mine on a watch- (I bought a blue bezel, blue face one in '95, during Goldeneye, out of impulse but sold it after two months), though I do like the bracelet.

I am slowly accepting the GMT into my system as I am wearing my other watches first. There's always that big rush when I put on the GMT. So that's a small pleasure for me.

Thanks a lot for your inputs---
:thanks

 

[glimmer]

Re: Quick note about your dilema

First of all, I would keep the GMT, as you will likely take a hit on the resale(unless its giving you problems or has given you problems, then I would recommend moving it). I had a similar issue when the PO came out, as I had the Blk/Blk seamaster. I ended up keeping the Seamaster as a second watch for weekend wear. Try to pick up a second hand PO, as I did. The watch has only been out less than 2 years, so any one you get will still be under warranty, and likely in very good condition to pristine condition, as mine was.

Also you mentioned that the PO bezel is similar to the Submariner. Yes, maybe, but I suggest you look at the History of the seamaster model back to the 1950s, as the bezel and hands are consistent with historical models from that era. So, as far as im concerned, the PO is a modern classic for Omega.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. The PO is a beautiful watch and you won't be disappointed with it. Just be sure that you are not "buying on impulse" and that you actually try the PO on at a local AD before you buy.

Thank you CajunMike. Will keep that in mind.

 

[Dave E]

I have the black dialled GMT, and IMHO it's a classy looking piece. It has a smoother profile and fits more easily under a shirt than a PO, and the GMT complication is actually useful! I'd really like a PO, but you won't be prising my GMT away from me to get it!

 

[tyreman]

Unless you like to throw away money and some do....keep it.
The most you will get dollar wise is half of what you paid.

 

[Dennis Smith]

Hi Clarence,
Interesting thread. If you use the GMT function then the watch is worth keeping. I use GMT a lot, and I like the split bezels on GMTs...such as yours and the blue/red Rolex, because they allow you to instantly "situate" yourself in the second timezone. You may not like the way they look, but they add one more functional tool to the watch (vs. the white-dialed GMT or the Rolex Explorer II).

If you don't use the GMT function much (and I'm getting the impression you don't) then SELL IT. It sounds to me like you know what you want, and you know what you like. The fact that the PO caught your eye just after buying the GMT is not a matter of impulse but a matter of bad timing. The more you wear the GMT the more you'll regret not getting the PO (my impression having read this thread).

Make the switch.

 

[glimmer]

Hi Dennis,

Thanks for the advice.

Actually, the night before I bought the GMT, I was looking over a friend's collection of Omegas and he showed me a couple (the moonwatch, his Aqua Terra) and he was actually wearing his PO, bragging about it. I liked it but didn't really like it enough to offer an outright purchase off his wrist. Then I bought the GMT the next day....then I started re-thinking about the purchase. Seeing the PO again I guess was the only way of making an excuse that I made a crappy purchase on the GMT. But having thought about it over the past few weeks, I think I will keep the GMT. Hindsight is really the best teacher and now it does look a lot better on my wrist. Also, it will become useful these next few months since I will be doing some travelling.

I do really appreciate the advice though.

Best Regards

Hi Clarence,
Interesting thread. If you use the GMT function then the watch is worth keeping. I use GMT a lot, and I like the split bezels on GMTs...such as yours and the blue/red Rolex, because they allow you to instantly "situate" yourself in the second timezone. You may not like the way they look, but they add one more functional tool to the watch (vs. the white-dialed GMT or the Rolex Explorer II).

If you don't use the GMT function much (and I'm getting the impression you don't) then SELL IT. It sounds to me like you know what you want, and you know what you like. The fact that the PO caught your eye just after buying the GMT is not a matter of impulse but a matter of bad timing. The more you wear the GMT the more you'll regret not getting the PO (my impression having read this thread).

Make the switch.

 

[glimmer]

I made a final comparison last night with a friend who was wearing a PO. The GMT is a keeper for me, and the PO will just have to remain a pipe dream until I have enough stowed away to get one. In my opinion the bezel edges looks classier.

Hi Clarence,
Interesting thread. If you use the GMT function then the watch is worth keeping. I use GMT a lot, and I like the split bezels on GMTs...such as yours and the blue/red Rolex, because they allow you to instantly "situate" yourself in the second timezone. You may not like the way they look, but they add one more functional tool to the watch (vs. the white-dialed GMT or the Rolex Explorer II).

If you don't use the GMT function much (and I'm getting the impression you don't) then SELL IT. It sounds to me like you know what you want, and you know what you like. The fact that the PO caught your eye just after buying the GMT is not a matter of impulse but a matter of bad timing. The more you wear the GMT the more you'll regret not getting the PO (my impression having read this thread).

Make the switch.