The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Have been relaxing in a hotel room here in Beijing for most part of day watching National Geographics.
They had the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean add at least every 30 min.
Darn good commercial, that thing is growing on me
I'm a bit Omega ignorant though and There are just too many PO variants and that Omega IP address like model numbering system drives me crazy.
Any thoughts which model I should be looking out for?
Any "holly grails" in this range?
If I'm to pull the trigger on something I might as well make it difficult for myself

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"It is just a matter of time!"

I don't own one but I really like the 42mm PO 8500 with ceramic bezel and display back. Looks great and feels great on the wrist - I tried one on last week. 232.30.42.21.01.001 That's the number on steel bracelet.

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David
Je suis désole pour mon mauvais français.

Zenith Pilot Big Date; IWC Vintage Collection Aquatimer; IWC Portuguese 7-day

Exactly my point

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"It is just a matter of time!"

There are three basic PO models among the current generation: 42mm three-hand, 45.5mm three-hand, and a 45.5mm chronograph. All models have ceramic bezels (except for those with a diamond bezel) and come in either stainless steel or rose gold, with various color and accent options, as well as strap/bracelet options. The current models all have in-house movements; the older POs are ETA based. The 45.5mm models (both three-hand and chrono) also come in a titanium option with a Liquidmetal bezel. These are available in blue dial/bezel only, and are standard release (i.e., not limited edition). It would be hard to pinpoint a "holy grail" among them, although the titanium Liquidmetal models are definitely something different. (I actually would consider the original Liquidmetal LE a bit of a grail, but it's the older, ETA-based model, and is getting increasingly difficult to find now.)

In terms of picking one out, start with the basic category: are you looking for a three-hand, or a chronograph? If three-hand, then figure out the size. After that, figure out the metal and color options you like. Don't worry about the model numbers at the start. It's easier to think in terms of the specific attributes you're looking for. Once you have figured out which one(s) you like, then you can use the model numbers to identify them, if you call dealers to find out what stock they have.

Omega makes things even more confusing because they have combined the old and new models together on their website. The easiest way to tell the new chrono from the old chrono is the new one has only two registers, whereas the old one has three. Also, the new chrono has the 9300 movement, whereas the old one has the 3313. It can be a little trickier distinguishing the old and new three-hands, if you don't know exactly what to look for. The easiest way is just to check the movement: the new ones have the 8500, and the old ones have the 2500.

Good summary, JS. I don't think the orange bezel models (even the new ones) have a ceramic bezel though.

I agree that the Omega website makes things much more confusing. They seem to like doing this - they've done the same thing before with Speedies (there were many people looking at the LE enamel dial Speedy on the website and wondering what made it so different that it cost more than twice as much).

Less cumbersome model numbers would be good though. What was wrong with the old system? I can instantly recognise what is meant by, say, 2234 or 2254 or 3570, but the new numbers just won't stick in my head. They're probably not naming them with watch forum nerds in mind, though.

Hmm...a post I found on the Rolex Forums says the same thing, so I'll stand corrected if I'm wrong. I could swear a sales associate at a local AD told me the orange bezel is ceramic. (Of course, an associate at this same AD tried to tell me that the 3313 is in-house.) Also, if I recall, the current orange bezel looks different from the older orange bezel on the older model - less like aluminum and more like ceramic. I could be full of crap, though. I admit that I have no interest in the orange, so I haven't paid a lot of attention to it.

Unfortunately, the Omega website is of no use in this regard. I always thought it was lacking in pertinent information, but I had no idea just how lacking until I was able to view the catalog at an Omega boutique. The catalog provides virtually all the information we could want. Why Omega won't put the same info on their website, I have no idea, but it's damn frustrating.

Thanks JS, I have been doing some research on the www a bit so it started to get a bit less muddy.
Your excellent summary has expedited the learning process significantly.
So far, the new in house movement is what I would be interested in.
I like the look of the new chrono with the two subdials but I suspect at 45.5mm it would just murder my 6.75 wrist so it is down to the 3 hand 42mm with the 8500 movement
I like the black bezel, black dial with orange 6, 9 and 12 hours and of course on bracelet for me.
Based on all that, I think the "IP address" 232.30.42.21.01.003 should get me there.
Looks like Omega has advanced their numbering system to IPv6
BTW, am I correct in assuming that all have display back?

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"It is just a matter of time!"

I think all 8500 and 9300 movements have display backs. Everyone that I've seen has had them anyway.

And by the way I'm starting to weigh in a purchase of the PO XL on bracelet in a near future. They look really great and the size is just great. I'm just waiting on seeing a used one going down in the price range.

The in-house models all have display back (at least the men's models, not sure about the ladies).
I'm starting to look at them seriously. I like the black bezel and orange numbers, but I'd go for the 45.5mm even though I have a 6.75 inch wrist too.

I tried on a 45.5mm. On my 6.5 inch wrist, it looked stupid. For me, the 42mm would be the only way to go. With a larger wrist, I can only guess how it would look. Something else to consider, though, is that the new in-house movements added 1.5mm to the thickness, so they're fairly chunky watches. This is one you'll definitely want to try before you buy; fortunately, that shouldn't be hard to do.

I'll be in Hong Kong this Thursday and Friday and I will definitely be doing the ADs and Boutiques rounds and research.
Looking for an Omega boutiques in Hong Kong is a bit like looking for beer in a pub.
What is the retail on the 42mm 8500 models in the US?

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"It is just a matter of time!"

Looks to be $6200 on bracelet.

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David
Je suis désole pour mon mauvais français.

Zenith Pilot Big Date; IWC Vintage Collection Aquatimer; IWC Portuguese 7-day

Ouch, Mrs. Wessa is gonna get mad
Darn, I can see Taipei being hit with a 7.6 on the Richter scale in the next couple of weeks

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"It is just a matter of time!"

OK, fitrst stop. Omega Boutique at Beijing Airport - PO, 42mm, SS bracelt $6050.
Trying to stay calm.

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"It is just a matter of time!"