zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

Congratulations! And continued so, Paul.

It took me almost 7 years to get from "this is definitely it" to legitimate, didn't have to share it w/ any credit card company ownership of my own 2531.80 Seamaster. By then I'd memorized it, and actually found a way to use it in a number of lectures I do as part of my work (divorce mediation): As in, "You'll know you've financially recovered when you can buy yourself the James Bond watch you've always wanted."

Ironically, after a presentation I did at Notre Dame some time back, a group of participants got together and bought me a C.T.I. 5 ATM. No comparison to the real thing (as you now well know), but very meaningful to me even today as I both appreciate the thought, and hope that it stirs them to buy authentics, themselves, as cashflows permit!

As to the -1.77 seconds per day, it's well known on this Forum and others that that would be intolerable to me. Page 32 of your Operating Instructions represents Omega tolerances of -1 to +6 s/d, and a part of the price you pay is made in reliance upon that statement. Part of what compromises any brand is when someone finds a shortcoming as you've described, and it's dismissed as "only a watch."

I don't hear that from fellow Rolex owners.

Is it the "norm"? I don't know. What I do know is that it takes time and discipline to confirm. I ran a 100+ day test on my Seamaster 2254.50 (same 1120 movement as your watch), and regularly checked it against the US Naval Observatory clock at 3 specific times each day. Just under these varying conditions, the watch gained and lost differently. So, to from on-wrist to off-wrist periods (recall the "temperature" consideration in COSC testing).

During no 15-day interval (COSC being a 15-day average, not a spot check) did my 2254.50 run outside of specifications. Nor do I believe that a COSC watch should that is as new as yours.

In terms of the leather strap, if you scroll down you'll see some great photos of things folks have done here w/ 2531.80 Seamasters on blue, if I recall. Until I stopped wearing it, I had my 2254.50 on a Bond skunk NATO strap, and I really liked that; but the 2254.50 is black/black, and that's very different from your blue/blue. The first Bond Omega, the 2341.50 (quartz) was actually introduced on a black strap (altho composition remains in question). So, you're in good company w/ 007 if that's a direction you are considering.

I don't know if we ever get excellence by demanding it, Paul. But I am certain that it never comes when we fail to make the call.

Link to my Omega Seamaster 2531.80 review: Bond's second Omega
Link to my Omega Seamaster 2541.80 review: Actually-- Bond's first Omega