zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

John,

Let me preface by saying I'm an idiot. At the moment, I don't own a working watch, and in fact haven't for the last few years. I'm in the market for a first, and possibly last quality watch. I've been looking at the Omega's, Breitlings, and Rolex. I spent a few hours talking with the service manager of a local store that sells all 3 brands, and looking at a large number of watches. I truly did not come to any conclusions, but I do have some observations.

1. The Co-axial movement is the best value. Think TCO, or total cost of ownership. Initial warranty is 3 years, as compared to 2 for the others. Service intervals extended to 8-10 years, as opposed to 2-5 years for the others. Use dependent of course. That Omega has that much faith in the movement is saying something.

2. Breitling has a greater selection of dial faces, and a certain style advantage over Omega. The Wings version is classic, simple, understated. The chronograph dials seem to say you mean business in a serious way. Not that I could ever live up to it! My impression is that Breitling trails the other 2 contenders in terms of movement technology.

Rolex hits all the high points of style and reputation. They certainly have won the marketing war. Are they better than Omega? I don't know enough about movements to comment. The white face explorer II is simple, supremely functional. I tried on a Submariner and liked it a lot, even though I'm not fond of black dial faces. I do think the Daytona is the supreme chronograph in terms of style.

I am of the opinion that the movement is a large part of what we pay for. Best value at the moment seems to go to the Omega Co-axial. I love the Seamaster GMT with the display back, though I'm not that thrilled with the way they did the 24 hour marks on the dial. I like the PO, but don't like the numerals. The only thing I didn't like about any of the Rolex watches was the height of the crystal. Looks like a chip magnet.

I read somewhere that Omega may start using Co-axial movements in the whole Seamaster line. It might increase selection somewhat. I'll probably look for a used Seamaster, non-co-axial, save my pennies to see what comes down the road. I'd love it if Omega had the same selection of dial faces as Breitling. If Omega doesn't come out with something that absolutely tickles my fancy, I may go to the dark side, and buy a Rolex. They do seem intrinsically "right".

Regards,
Mark