You, me & a lot of other Omega Customers... .bis
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Yes, ive read all the comments on TZ and WUS Posted By: CajunMike
Date: 4/5/07 04:43 GMT Ok, fair enough. Was pretty sure you had but...
In Response To: Mike, here's a snippet of my original post on TZOF (Chicagoland Chuck Maddox)
Im just questioning the sense of charging 10 grand for a watch powered by a stripped F.Piguet movement. To recycle an early post title: “You, me & a lot of other Omega Customers...” are doing the same thing...
Here's the schtick... Dunk3 posted what an AD in old blighty (England) said were going to be the MSRP's. I checked with our favorite AD and as best he could determine from his contacts those prices are accurate. Now of course, Omega hasn't (to my knowledge) posted any press releases with pricing on it yet. Basel is still a week away and Omega could be watching the forums, the participants reactions to the models posted on their site, and the reactions to the pricing which has been posting and may revise their plans before the "public" launch of these models. That is a possibility. Although, it's been my impression that Omega is pretty, well, willful and doesn't seem to pay a lot of attention to what people are saying in the forums.
It defies logic, Yes. Yes, it does.
not that Omeaga has not done some really stupid things lately, No disagreement here.
but this just seems over the top. Well, maybe the AD in England is wrong. But why would they lie? And why would the folks over here be nodding their heads at those figures? The only reason I can think of is manipulating folks by posting in advance negative news so when the real numbers are announced (and they are not quite so bad) that they get a net positive PR boost. [I guess I watched too many episodes of "West Wing" back in the day...
I suppose that's a possibility too. But I don't know.
I mean to use a Piguet movement in a tribute as monumental as the 50th anniversary is heresy. Agreed, but what else could this movement be?
Im sure we will know very soon what it is, Yes, we will, Basel is no longer weeks away, it's days away.
and if it does turn out to be a F.Piguet, Well, what else could this movement be? You've seen the specs [Similarities in Green Type, differences in Red Bold Type]:
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SPEEDMASTER 50TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED SERIES
Steel on Steel
Reference: 311.33.42.50.01.001 |
SPEEDMASTER BROAD ARROW
Steel on Steel
Reference: 321.10.42.50.01.001 |  |  | - MOVEMENT
- Caliber: Omega 3201
| - MOVEMENT
- Caliber: Omega 3313
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Hand-winding chronograph movement with |
Self-winding chronograph movement with | |
column wheel mechanism and Co-Axial Escapement for greater precision stability and durability of the movement. Free sprung balance, with hour, minute and continuous small seconds hands, central chronograph hand. White rhodium-plated movement with special wave decoration, circular-graining and gold-plated engraving. |
column wheel mechanism and Co-Axial Escapement for greater precision stability and durability of the movement. Free sprung balance, with date, hour, minute and continuous small seconds hands, central chronograph hand. [movement decoration is not mentioned in the current model “1957” Broad Arrow page] | |
Power Reserve: 55 hours |
Power Reserve: 55 hours | - CRYSTAL
- Domed anti-reflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal
| - CRYSTAL
- Domed anti-reflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal
| - CASE & DIAL
- Stainless steel case
- Black enamel dial
| - CASE & DIAL
- Stainless steel case
- Black dial
| - WATER RESISTANCE
- Down to: 100 meters
- 330 feet
| - WATER RESISTANCE
- Down to: 100 meters
- 330 feet
| - SIZE
- Gents
- Case diameter: 42 mm
| - SIZE
- Gents
- Case diameter: 42 mm
| There is a lot more Green Text in that table than there is Red Bold Type in my opinon.
then Shame on Omega, Shame on Omega if [which I believe to be exceedingly likely] that is the case.
but I would like to think that they have resurrected the past with this one, and Cal 32x1 seems suspiciously similar to cal 321. Mike, I'd like to think that too. But let's be realistic. Is Omega going to be able to get Swatch Group, Messers Hayek and Montreux Bruguet to modify a lot of [calculator where art thou!?!?] - 2007/04/04 - 11:49:40 PM
- ------------
- 57 + [Red Gold]
- 57 + [White Gold]
- 57 + [Yellow Gold]
- 1957 = [Stainless Steel]
- -----------
- 2128 = Total
- =======
Is Omega going to be able to get Swatch Group, Messers Hayek and Montreux Bruguet to modify a lot of 2,128 (plus spares for parts) c.2310 or c.2320 Lemania base movements, to have a Free sprung balance, Co-Axial Escapement, and a Power Reserve: 55 hours for a one off anniversary project?
What's the R&D budget on that project?
I mean, YES I'd love to think that Omega would go to that much trouble for 2,128 LE models, but the specs are simply too similar to the Fredric Piguet models for me to believe that Omega has managed to convince the tide flowing the other way to modify a Lemania c.321 decendent to possess virtually identical specifications as the c.33xx F. Piguet movements stripped of their rotor and self-winding pieces and parts. [An aside... Did Omega go to this much trouble with the Speedmaster 125? No, they modified a movement they had in production [at that time] to COSC specifications and was done with it... I doubt they would go to this much greater trouble now.]
I personally believe that the chances are far better that the Chicago Cubs will face and beat the Chicago White Sox in the MLB World Series this fall [2007], and AND the Chicago Bears will beat the Chicago St. Louis Arizona Cardinals in SuperBowl XXXXII in February 2008 [which would be an amazing feat since both the Bears and the Cardinals are NFC teams! LOL!] than the chances of the movement in these numbered 50th Anniversary models are Lemania movement based. But that's just my opinion, Lord knows, I can be wrong on things.
Now on the other hand, the aforementioned MSRP prices? They may well be off [or being lowered based on saner head's prevailing] but I really, sincerely doubt that the movements are Lemania movement based.
Just my 2 cents Honestly, earnestly, sincerely... I do wish what I am deducing from what I see posted on Omega's site are incorrect conclusions. But I can't reconcile it any other reasonable way. I'm not certain how much money it would take to modify a c.321 to Co-Axial with a 55 hour power reserve, but I would expect it to be substantial. I simply don't see the Omega of the past 4-5 years doing that for such a small production run.
Just the way it looks from my LCD screen... |
