zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: I've just read all of the threads about ETA
: movements vs. other contenders....

: My question is what gives???

: As long a movement ticks along at a 'butta'
: smooth 28800 bph and maintains COSC
: accuracy, I'm sold!!!

: Adding thousands of dollars to a movement just
: to 'finish' it well makes no difference.
: Adding 30 jewels makes no difference.......

Well, as a general rule, jewels do reduce friction to help the movement run more smoothly, so I wouldn't say that adding them is necessarily a bad thing.

As to your other points, there are those who care a lot about the horological differences between movements. That is, a Rolex is better than a Piguet is better than an ETA, etc. I can only buy into this argument so far. While it may be true that a Rolex or Piguet or Lemania movement is manufactured to a higher quality standard, you are correct in saying that this in no way means these movements will keep better time than a plain old Omega caliber 1120.

As to the finish of the movement, this doesn't impress me either. An example of this is that calibers 3301 and 3303 are mechanically identical with the exception of the "luxury finish" on the 3303. Does this make the 3303 the better movement? Not unless your primary concern is how the movement looks, not how well it keeps time.

Let's face it, you can buy two identical Omega Seamasters with the same 1120 movement. Since each watch is different, watch A could gain 1 second per day while watch B could gain 4 seconds per day. Same model and movement, but different timekeeping results. You can buy a Rolex Submariner that will keep better time than an Omega Seamaster, but the opposite could also be true. It all depends on the particular watches being compared. Many Planet Ocean owners say their watches gain less than a second per day...how much more can you ask for from a mechanical watch?

Unfortunately, I haven't owned any mechanical watches long enough to comment on their quality or durability over a period of decades, but I would love to know if a properly maintained caliber 1120 will last just as long as these more prestigious movements. Only time will tell I suppose.