Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean

What can I say that hasn't already been said? Awesome watch!!

Please verify you are interested in or buying the Omega with the 8500 (85XX) calibre. Two months ago I received the Ω Planet Ocean (PO) with Omega's 8500 calibre/ movement (internal mechanism of the watch). I note the movement because Omega sells a nearly identical watch with the 2500 calibre which I am NOT reviewing. Based on other owner's comments the 8500 represents a significant improvement over the 2500. The Ω PO watch replaced an Omega Speedmaster Day Date I owned & I harshly but accurately reviewed. The PO represent everything the Speed Master did not. The 8500 calibre PO is sturdy, durable, easy to read, well designed, & innovative. External Components There are several sizes of 85XX calibre watch cases ranging from 37.5 mm to 43.5 mm & some have additional features. Regardless of the specific model each is thick & heavier than watches of comparable diameters. The fit & finish of the face, hands, hour marks, band & case are flawless & impressive. The watch links are solid & each link can be removed with an appropriately sized & sturdy screwdriver. Note, be very careful removing the screws because they are small & easy to lose. The clasp contains the Diver's Extension mechanism for temporarily expanding the band to fit over a wet suit; remember this is a professional diver's watch. I periodically use the expansion feature to wear the watch on the outside of a sweatshirt sleeve (so I can see the time when running or bike riding). However, because of the Diver's Extension, there are no holes on the side of the claps for watch spring bars/ pins to fit negating any fine length adjustment there. To compensate the watch band contains, near the clap, a half sized (or so) link that can be removed to improve fit. The watch uses a crystal that minimizes reflection from light sources making reading the dial extremely easy. The ability of the crystal to diffuse light is amazing, I find the chrome trim around the hour marks & hands reflect more light. A crystal on the back of the case allows one to see part of the internal mechanism of the watch. However because of the housing for the calibre, there is not much to see other than the rotating/ spinning balance wheel. The black dial with the contrasting chrome/white marks, hands, & date makes reading the time effortless. The hour marks & the hour & second hands use a turquoise colored luminescence. The the minute hand & dot @ the 0/ 60 minute mark on the uni-directional bezel uses a green colored luminescence to distinguish it from the others. The Omega team designed the arrows @ the end of all three hands so they do not completely overlap each other. Although not much of an issue during the day, the feature is welcomed during dives or in darkness. If one tires of the color of metal insert in the bezel it can be swapped out @ considerable cost & effort. I found genuine Omega bezel inserts on eBay @ over $250. The bezel rotates in one direction as a safety feature for divers using the bezel to note dive time. Internal Components To learn of the impressive quality of the 8500 movement/ mechanism this video can better demonstrate it than my mere words. Cut & paste this link http://youtu.be/yDULLlGLn6s or search for "Omega planet ocean manual 8500" in Youtube. Operating "Instructions" The owner's manual represent the only bad (really terrible) part of purchasing the watch. The Omega executives & managers should feel shame & embarrassment for creating possibly the worst set of instructions for a watch. A massive 424 page Operating Instruction (owner's manual) accompanies the watch. However, you need not fear the thickness. Only 43 pages contain instructions written in English. Of the 43 pages, 14 pp cover the table of contents & warranty information. So 29 pages covers the instruction for this watch and 65 other models. SIXTY SIX (66) models are covered in 29 pages of instructions!!! To use the manual you must first identify the "Calibre" number of the watch. The calibre number appears on a red plastic card found inside a pouch inside a compartment, inside the red leather box in which the watch arrived. After identifying the calibre flip through the entire Operating Instructions (the part written in English) looking for the Calibre Number to find which specific instruction applies. The video, link above, provides much better & thorough instruction for the 8500 Ω PO. Specifications Omega states the watch's water resistance is 60 bar (600 metres / 2000 feet), far more water resistance than most people, even recreational divers need. From the Omega Website: Chronometer, Date, Helium escape valve, Screw-in crown, Transparent case back, Unidirectional rotating bezel, Crystal Domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides, Steel case. Caliber Omega 8500: Self-winding movement with Co-Axial Escapement for greater precision, stability and durability. Free sprung-balance, 2 barrels mounted in series, automatic winding in both directions to reduce winding time. Bridges and the oscillating mass are decorated with exclusive Geneva waves in arabesque. Power reserve: 60 hours I hope this review helps. 15 C08 Two years later as my daily wear watch, including one year in the harsh environment of a Navy ship, I experienced no problems. What I wrote before remains the same.

As a fan of the James Bond movies from the 80's and onward, I've become quite enamored with Omega's watches, since they've been the timepieces worn by the last two Bond's (Brosnan & Craig). That aside... The movement is Omega's Calibre 8500. It's both co-axial and (in the model I purchased - a late 2012 model) is also "Si 14", which is a special silicon coating that makes the movement even more durable and accurate than just the co-axial. Unlike older models of the PO, this one also has a sapphire see-thru case back, which adds to the beauty of this particular model. On the front, the bezel is stainless steel with gray ceramic inlays and white numbers. Absolutely stunning. The 12, 6, and 9 are a beautiful orange color, and the hands and non-numerical hour markers are super luminova. There's not much more that I can say about this watch except that it is absolutely stunning to look at and I've been complemented numerous times while wearing it. There's only one warning I would give you: if you have small wrists, this will look gigantic on you. I've got 8.25" wrists and it looks perfect, but on sub-7" wrists it might look and feel chunky. Otherwise, this is the quintessential perfect COSC-certified wristwatch.