Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date GMT-Master II Mens Watch 116710-BKSO

And to me it’s not hard to see why.  This model introduced a lot of innovations that were long overdue.  First being a clasp that actually felt as though it were not made of tin foil, polished center links, and most importantly, a ceramic bezel.  Ceramic being much harder than stainless steel, its ability to resist scratches was much better than steel and thus the watch looked new even over time.

Now I love Omega, but the truth is that Omega is usually considered as a cheaper alternative to a Rolex, a Hamburger in a land of steaks.

I, however, think that is a reputation that is undeserved, I tend to consider Omega somewhat similarly to a Japanese car company, they take ideas and improve them in a more practical and more affordable package.  Their co-axial movement increased the service intervals of a mechanical watch, their dept ratings are higher, and they have helium escape valves on almost all of their diving watches (even though they may never be needed.)

I, to this day, consider my old Omega Seamaster the most comfortable watch I’ve ever owned.

And now, they’ve come up with something even better than the Rolex offered, and here it is:

Being a limited edition of the fairly new Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean, the bezel takes the idea of the ceramic bezel in the Rolex to a new level.  Using a combination of what they call “Liquidmetal” and ceramic they made this new diving bezel that is supposed to be three times as hard and corrosion resistant as steel.

Yes it is another limited edition to commerate something silly, such as a staff member’s birthday, but I think this idea is ingenious, although its influence may be a little bit too obvious.

… And while I must confess that I thought the engraving on the back was absolutely ghastly, the fact was that the only visible part of the watch that was changed was the “007″ on the seconds hand.

That was fine, because it just told the whole world that you were only dorky enough to buy a “general” James Bond limited edition watch as opposed to being so dorky as to buy a watch made specifically for a single movie.

With the latest Omega incarnation, however, all will be lost:

As I have already established before, all Omega owners are a bunch of pocket protector wearing nerds, but outside of the stupid writing on the crystal (or the dial, I can’t tell…) I think it actually looks quite good.  The dial is suppose to emulate the checkered pattern on the grip of Bond’s gun, and to be honest I think it looks really good, kind of like a dial Audemars Piguet would make.

That red writing of “Seamaster” is a nice touch too.  An apparent influence from the old Rolex SeaDweller/Submariners of old, but quite nice nonetheless.

I don’t know what it is with Omega and their stupid “limited” edition watches.  It’s gotten so out of hand that I suspect there are more limited edition watches than regular ones!  That was a bit of an exaggeration, but if you get rid of that stupid writing of the movie title, I’m sold.

I doubt that James Bond himself would wear such a watch, but I’m aching to see if he will be wearing the standard metal bracelet Omega Planet Ocean as I had long been suspecting:

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean – 2201.50.00 Gents Watch

Similarly, did you know that an Omega was the very first wristwatch worn on the moon?

I did, it was this one in fact:

3570.50 Speedmaster Mens Stainless Steel Watch

These Olympics Games will actually mark the 23rd time Omega has been the official timekeeper for the Olympic Games, and ever since 1932 Omega has pioneered and innovated the world of sports timing ever since.  That’s more than any other watchmaker in history, and that is a remarkable achievement.

…or is it?

You see if you look at the history of Olympic timing and the development of things like the “Moonwatch,” you will notice a history focused on precision, perfection, durability, and reliability.  The really are fantastic timing instruments and exactly what a watch should be, but to be honest, I really couldn’t care less.

Because in the long and short of it, while Omega tries to be cool, and may currently have James Bond and Michael Phelps spouting its latest euro-chic incarnation, the spectacular Omega Planet Ocean:

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean – 2201.50.00 Gents Watch

… it cannot escape the fundamental fact that Omega watches are watches built for nerds.

I’ll give you a perfect example:

When man landed on the moon with the Omega “Moonwatch” on their wrists, a bunch of nerdy men with big glasses, and pocket protectors, and Omega watches no less, basically took a very complex math problem and solved it.  There’s no denying that it was a remarkable achievement, but it is a little too cold and calculating to be very exciting for me.

When Sir Edmund Hillary first reached the top of Mount Everest, in contrast, with a ROLEX on his wrist, he was part of a group of men that braved conditions most unfriendly to the human body to achieve a vast unknown.  Obviously there was also some planning involved to it, but there were no calculators and certainly no pocket protectors.  They just saw a peak and decided to go there.  They didn’t just sit around in a rocket-propelled tuna can waiting to play around in some moon sand.

Perhaps I’m being a little too harsh, but the way I feel about Omega and the Olympics is not going to be all that better.

In general, I think the only reason we watch the Olympics is because they don’t come around that often and it instills within us a sense of national pride.  But do we really care about these obscure athletes in these obscure sports that we otherwise would not care to watch?

I don’t…

When I heard that Omega would be sponsoring the Olympics again, it came as no big surprise, but again, it is all a little too calculating.  The Olympics are about the best in the world coming together to compete.  It’s a world where .001 of a second could mean the difference between the Gold and the Silver.  It’s an environment where precision and accuracy rule and a world where athletes are more national precision instruments rather than people you can truly care for.

I just don’t dig that.

Rolex, in contrast, sponsor events like Wimbledon.  Events in which timing isn’t even necessary.  All you care about your favorite tennis player utterly vanquishing his foes.  It’s not a victory over a machine or a country’s atheletic representitive, it is a victory over a person, it is a victory you can salivate, and it is a victory you can truly FEEL.

I hate to say it, but when I think about Omega watches I think of brilliant timepieces for people who use to be nerdy kids and are currently nerdy adults.  The back of my mind is always thinking big glasses, short-sleeved dress shirts, pocket protectors, and office chairs.

When I think of the one I use to have, I knew that it wasn’t right from the very beginning, even though it has never let me down.

No, I’ll always be a Rolex man that’s for sure.  For me Rolex inspires a fire within me like no other.  They may not be perfect, but perfect, I find, can be rather boring.

We all know that with Daniel Craig appearing as the new James Bond in the wonderful Casino Royale came along a new James Bond watch as well. This new Bond watch being the new Omega Planet Ocean is of course no surprise to anyone, but this was a little unusual in a Bond movie in that for this film there was not just one Bond watch, but TWO!

From a transitional standpoint it makes perfect sense. Out with the old and in with the new seemed to be their policy for Casino Royale, but instead of shocking the world with an entirely new James Bond watch they stuck with the same company and even the same line of watches for that matter. The watch is still an Omega and the watch is still a Seamaster (of sorts…).

Well to no-one’s surprise, here is/was the new Bond watch from Casino Royale:

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean – XL – 2900.50.91 Gents Watch

This Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean can go deeper, it’s bigger with a bigger case and its manly rubber strap can take the knocks indeed. No Bond villain will want to encounter a watch like this, and if you are playing close enough attention you will notice this watch on Bond’s wrist during the first half of Casion Royale.

For the second half of the movie you will see this on Bond’s wrist:

Omega Seamaster Automatic – 2220.80.00 Gents Watch

Does this look familiar? It should as this was Pierce Brosnan’s Bond watch for all 4 of his Bond movies. The particular one used for Casino Royale is a little bit upgraded, but the watch is essentially the same.

I have to be honest and say that both watches are fantastic and I would gladly have either one. My Omega Seamaster Professional was the most reliable and rugged watch I’ve ever owned. The fact that they are both Omegas means that they are both likely to last as long as the sun, and what’s more is that you will have the revolutionary co-axial escapement at your disposal as well.

As said repeatedly, both are fine watches, but throughout the course of the movie I have wondered why this watch never made an appearance:

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean – 2201.50.00 Gents Watch

In the opinion of your humble presenter, this watch represented the perfect marriage between the latest old style Omega Seamaster Professional and the legendary “old” Bond watch the Rolex Submariner. On top of that the Bond watches of old have usually been steel bracelet diving watches, not rubber clad super-sized watches.

So where in the world was this Planet Ocean and why have we not seen it?

Well the new Bond movie titled “Quantum of Solace” may have answered this question as this somewhat recent picture of Daniel Craig has him sporting the very watch he should have been sporting in Casino Royale:

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean – 2201.50.00 Gents Watch

Was it that Casino Royale was just an introduction to this new Bond watch? Will this be the new watch that Daniel Craig will sport for all of his Bond movies, and thus the watch you will see on the wrists of upper middle-class businessmen at the airport bar? Or did he just happen to wear this watch because he was given it for free?

Who knows for sure, but your humble presenter cannot wait for the newest Bond flick to come out out, and the first thing I’ll be looking for is what is on the wrist of James Bond.

What could possibly be going on you ask?

Well today my small steps within a Maryland courthouse translated into gigantic leaps in my life when I finally went ahead and picked up my marriage license.

As an event I equate it like getting alcohol rubbed on your skin before the big shot comes. The anticipation brought havoc to my stomach and my insides felt as though it were composed of mush, but once I got that little piece of paper I realized that it was no big deal at all and went on my merry way.

So driving to work were my immediate thoughts of the bright future I would have with my future wife? Or perhaps plans for the wedding?

The short answer is no…

I’m afraid that the watch nut in me couldn’t help but immediately think of what watch I want to sucker my friends and family into buying for me.

I’m pretty sure that it’ll be an Omega just because out of all the watches I’ve owned over the years my old Omega was the toughest and most reliable of them all. There’s no getting around it, I’m a huge Omega fan and love the huge majority of their model line and just love the years and years of breeding that goes into an Omega watch.

The choice was tough, but I’ve narrowed it down to a few watches I personally consider to be perfect:

No. 1

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean – 2201.50.00 Gents Watch

I really like this watch a lot, and I think it is a perfect “marriage” of both the older Omega Seamaster design and the Rolex Submariner design. It is tough as nails, sleek, stylish, and just awesome, but that’s not all…

There is another reason I want this watch, and it is a stupid reason indeed. You see on the Playstation 3 network, the name I use to play Call of Duty 4 online is “planetocean.” I have defeated countless opponents with this name and have been defeated countless times myself, and it is getting to a point where I’m starting to feel pretty silly having that name without having the actual watch.

Yeah…

No. 2:

Omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow GMT – 3581.30.00 Gents Watch

This watch is perfect to me for two reasons: That being it is an Omega and that it has both a chronograph AND a GMT. And what’s more is that it’s from the Speedmaster line, so that means your watch was borne from the watch that Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and many other astronauts wore to the MOON.  Zounds!

On top of that I LOVE the red date, the color of the dial, and just the darn professionalism of the thing. I’ve never actually worn it so my opinion may change, but I fell in love with this watch the first moment I saw this.

Sadly I don’t think my friends and family like me enough to spend 5K on a watch for me so let’s move on…

No. 3

Chopard Mille Miglia Gran Turismo XL – 16/8457-BK Gents Watch

Lastly I was thinking this Chopard Mille Miglia Gran Turismo XL is the shiznit. It’s got the name of one of my favorite video games on the dial, I love how the dial is like the instrument panel of a car, I love how the power reserve indicator is like a fuel guage, and I especially love the tire tread strap.

This watch is in a class all its own!

To be honest with you I’m not getting my hopes up, my circle consists largely of criminals and pensioners, and that’s just speaking of my father. So you guys can relax, you ain’t got get me nothing.  I’ll just as gladly settle for a pint and we can consider us all square.

This type of watch is known as a dive watch.

Like an SUV its original incarnations were purpose-built. In the mid 20th century there was an increasing demand for watches to be able to withstand certain depths and tell time accurately and legibly while doing so. The need for divers to accurately and reliably time their decompression stops, level of oxygen, etc. was soon beginning to mean the difference between life and death.

Touting features such as a unidirectional rotating bezel, big luminous markers, and usually beefy and rugged aesthetics, dive watches suddenly become popular amongst the non-diving crowd as being watches that made even fat middle aged accountants look like undersea cave explorers.

Here is an example of a great diver with a Seiko Black Monster belonging to yours truly:

Seiko Men’s “Black Monster” Automatic Dive Watch #SKX779K3

This is a very rugged watch indeed. I swim with this watch, I shoot with this watch, I play golf with this watch, you name it!

The perceived idea behind dive watches is that because it is capable of withstanding extreme depths, it is also just as capable at withstanding all the various harshnesses above the water as well, and with the divers I have owned over the years, I believe that to be absolutely true.

Another fan of the dive watch: James Bond, who has in almost all of his movies worn a dive watch.

But just like SUVs of the modern era, modern-day dive watches have gone beserk!

You see the reality is that many watches can handle all of things that an ordinary life may throw at us. Most of us aren’t Jacques Cousteau and most of us don’t really need a dive watch, but people seem to embrace the idea and adventurous aura that is associated with them even if they themselves are ill-prepared to tackle the depths their watches can withstand.

The era of useful mechanical divers is long gone though. Recreational divers and watch enthusiasts can certainly dive with them, but most professional divers these days use virtual computers with straps on them, such an example of this would be the Suunto D4:

Today it seems as though mechanical dive watches are less about diving now than they are about watch manufacturers constantly trying to one-up themselves on how deep their watches can go. And at this stage they have gone just completely insane.

I’ll give you an example with the IWC Aquatimer:

IWC Aquatimer Automatic – 3548.07 Gents Watch

Now you see, beyond 300 meters of depth you are pretty much dead, so my guess is that
the one THOUSAND meter depth rating of the IWC Aquatimer offers more than enough headroom for any diver. So who thought of THIS:

IWC Aquatimer Automatic 2000 – 3538.03 Gents Watch

Now this is the IWC Aquatimer 2000, and the difference between this one and the standard model is that this one can go TWO THOUSAND meters underwater.

Now in my mind that is like making a watch that can go to Mars and then making a watch that can go to Mars AND Jupiter. I mean sure it’s a great accomplishment, but what’s the point?!? You ain’t going to neither so why make a watch with capabilities no one can come anywhere close to reaching.

I can offer you another example with the Omega Planet Ocean, and for those of who don’t know, this is the most recent Bond watch, and you can see the larger rubber-strapped version strapped on Daniel Craig during the first half of Casino Royale.

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean – 2201.50.00 Gents Watch

There’s no getting around it with me: I LOVE this watch. It is like taking all the things you love about the Rolex Submariner and combining it with all the things you loved with the previous Bond Omega Seamaster. It is a great watch indeed, but I’m afraid it is also guilty of carrying around some unnecessary garnish.

First of all, this watch has a depth rating of 600 meters. Human divers cannot go anywhere near that depth unless they are either in some kind of submarine or have long since expired. That’s not too bad though…

The most important thing is that the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean, like many Omega Seamasters before it, sports a “helium escape valve.” See that funny looking crown at the 10 o’clock position? That’s the helium escape valve, and whether you love it or not it is a characteristic feature of most of the Omega Seamaster line.

So what does that thing do? Well in short, it’s a one-way opening that lets helium get out of your watch case.

You see, below a certain extreme depth that you will never reach, oxygen becomes more and more toxic and helium is used more for breathing than oxygen. Helium has a downside in mechanical watches in that its molecule is so small it can penetrate into your watch and then rapidly expand upon resurfacing. This can effectively pop off your watch crystal as well as damage other watch components.

Sure it works, but it’ll never be an issue since only professional divers will ever go so far, and I can tell you they wouldn’t be using an Omega Planet Ocean. So there you have it, the helium escape valve is utterly utterly useless.

In conclusion, as far as mechanical dive watches go, I absolutely love them. They are my favorite kind of watch and I will continue to own them and beat them up for years to come