zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: I've narrowed my purchase decision down to the
: Planet Ocean 42mm or the 2535.80 SMP GMT
: (blue, with the co-axial feature). Both seem
: to be fantastic watches. This will be my
: first Omega purchase. Any thoughts to help
: me decide? Thanks.

As Keith said, both are beautiful watches, and the one you buy will have to depend on your tastes. As for their major differences:

1) The Bond GMT has the GMT function, so if you don't travel much and won't use this function you're paying for something you don't need.

2) The Bond GMT has a sapphire crystal display back so you can see the watch's movement. The Planet Ocean does not.

3) The Planet Ocean has twice the depth rating of the Bond GMT, but unless you plan to dive at more than 300 meters this will probably be of no concern to you.

4) Both watches have the excellent co-axial escapement, so you are getting a very good movement (equal in my book) regardless of which watch you buy.

5) Other than that, it's a matter of aesthetics. The bracelets, dial color, hands, bezels, etc, are all different on these two watches. You'll have to decide which one appeals to you more based on its overall "looks". Of course, the Bond GMT only comes one way. The Planet Ocean can be had with orange or black bezels, brown or orange straps, etc.

6) MSRP of these watches is very close - $3195 for the Planet Ocean on a bracelet or $3395 for the Bond GMT. The Bond GMT has the sapphire caseback and GMT function that the Planet Ocean does not, but the Planet Ocean has twice the depth rating and an anti-reflective coating on both the outside and the inside of the crystal.

This is just a quick comparison, but in the end it comes down to the watch that YOU personally like best.