I think they do OK with the Date. And I like that they pay attention to the material/colour of the date wheel and the indices. It's the little things that matter.
Especially since the date mechanism on the 8500 kind of sucks (don't flame me, I bought the watch). Takes like an hour and a half to change over...just silly when you can get a $500 ETA based watch that has this all figured out.
Don't have the answer but totally agree that it would look better w/o the date function. I'm very biased, though, preferring no dates on any pieces if given a choice. Very subjective, as I know some will not purchase without a date function . . .
A no-date PO would indeed be a nice addition to Omega's roster! I have a minor pet peeve with watches that have a date window replacing an arabic numeral. The fact that the PO just has 6, 9 and 12, but a date window instead of a 3 is one of the few issues I have with the design of the watch. Might seem silly, but it's true. I find it hinders the symmetry, or balance of the dial, or something like that. That being said, it's a minor complaint I have about the watch, and I would still gladly add a PO with date to my collection if I had the opportunity, that's a nice piece you have there.
The more I think about it the more I want to see a no-date version as well. The PO is more of a weekend watch to me, less of a daily wearer. And to that end, why not loose the date?
And to the no date PO question, why not give the option. It will look better for sure. All dive watches look more balanced without a date. I do not believe people get the date because it looks cool. They need it.
I agree, it's better to have options. That's why I like the Submariner No Date a lot more than the one with date.
Designing a PO without date would be a great idea!
And yes, why would you want to know the date when you're 50 feet under water? ;-)
For all my lack of love for the date mechanism in the 8500, I'd still rather have it than not, but I'm sympathetic to the people who'd like a no date. It seems like a number of my favorite brands have mediocre (Grand Seiko automatics) to poor (Omega) to outright miserable (Nomos) date mechanisms for some reason. All three of them are using contemporary movements that have been updated within the last decade, and one of them is using an entirely new one...so I have no idea why there is such an oversight. Seems like Rolex has this contest tied up with its change-at-any-time-safely and flips over instantly at nearly exactly midnight. And this stuff actually really bothers me since I work late into the night several days a week and half the date stuck half way in there looking like it's broken.
I love that the Zenith Elite series of movements has a date mechanism which can be quickset both forward and backwards (advance/retard depending on the direction of crown wind), also the date snaps to the next number promptly at 12am in my two examples. However, I would have liked it to have a free-sprung balance (preferably with a Breguet overcoil) ... oh well, you gain some and lose some at that price range.
Most watches look better without the date, yet most watches include the date. I think this is largely because some people absolutely want the date, and these outnumber those who don't want the date (like me). Most do not have a strong enough feeling one way or another (or are too ill informed to know) that they won't accept one and will just buy one with the date. Of the five watches I own, four don't have the date, and one has a very discreet date. My two mini grails both don't have the date, so to me, sans date is a key part of appealing designs.
I do not think it will happen too soon. If you remember, the no date Railmaster, although much beloved by WIS, was a commercial fiasco.
When launching 8500, Omega also promised that in a couple of years will introduce two big date variants - it never happened, perhaps market research showed such variants are too niche.
The 8500 slow date change is especially interesting since not all 8500 versions have it. The annual calendar models have the instantaneous at midnight change although perhaps relating to mleoks theory it loses the independent hour hand as I recall. I have also tested this in real life. So it's not as if omega doesn't appreciate this or lacks the designs.
I think the market for a date-less luxury dive watch (that isn't a Rolex) is pretty small. The only reason Rolex keeps the standard Sub in the line-up and makes the Sub Date as well, as that (fatted lugs aside) it's the same sort of watch as the original Sub, made continuously but updated from time to time. The Planet Ocean has design cues from the old 300, but is very much a new-generation watch, and those design cues have been out of production for 30 years or more.
I read somewhere that the Sub Date outsells its dateless brother something 8 or 10 to 1.
The Planet Ocean has design cues from the old 300, but is very much a new-generation watch, and those design cues have been out of production for 30 years or more.
I read somewhere that the Sub Date outsells its dateless brother something 8 or 10 to 1.
I don't think not having a date feature is an out-dated design cue. Tons of watches, especially dress pieces, don't have a date function. Interesting about the Sub, though.
I look at my watch more for the date than for the time to be honest. The time is literally everywhere, cell phones, computers, cable boxes, stoves, microwaves, etc... it's almost impossible to not know the time just by existing. But the date is something that every now and again I just don't know until I look at my watch.
I look at my watch more for the date than for the time to be honest. The time is literally everywhere, cell phones, computers, cable boxes, stoves, microwaves, etc... it's almost impossible to not know the time just by existing. But the date is something that every now and again I just don't know until I look at my watch.
It's not really the lack of a quickset date, although that can be annoying if the watch has been dead for a couple weeks. It's that the date starts to change around 10:30 and finally switches over at midnight. Mine is quite precise with the timing, I think at 11:59, so I'm fine with that, it's more like the date window being all weird for over an hour.
Well I love my PO and the fact of the date wheel is all good with me. Thankfully it doesn't have the ghastly cyclops so all in all I find it overall well balanced for me. The photoshop of the PO looks ok but I prefer the date version.
I'd prefer a PO without a display back, it's way too thick with one.
Sent from Russia.... with love.
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