Omega Seamaster Ultimate Planet Ocean (UPO) 42mm Review Trusty Time

[knguyenk]

I wore this watch everyday about a month after receiving it before I decided to write a review to make sure that everything was in working order and will be able to work in the long run. I placed an order for the Ultimate Planet Ocean 42mm with the Swiss 2824 movement from Andrew at Trusty Time back in late December and received it before Christmas (Most recent link is here). I loved my gen Midsized Omega Seamaster Professional, but the size of the watch (at 36mm case diameter) started to bother me, as I wanted a watch that was more substantial in weight and presence on the wrist. However, the one I got from Andrew had problems from the beginning with the crown and tube not screwing down (one turn or less to release) and the movement not working correctly (eventually stopped working all together).

When it completely stopped working, I emailed Andrew and explained to him my situation and agreed to have it repaired and I shipped my watch back to him on December 27. It was a few weeks into the mailing process that I realized that it takes a long turnaround time thanks to the mailing system in China after it leaves the US (explained in this post here). Eventually, after a bunch of emails throughout the months I get an email from Andrew with a picture of the repaired watch on a movement tester and a picture of the watch with the EMS label with my adress on it, it was shipped on April 20 and was delivered to my home on the 27. In the return box, I received my repaired/replaced watch, a dial (Replaced? I'm not sure), and a frame of the ETA movement.

My impressions of the repaired UPO is that it is leaps and bounds better than the one originally sent to me in December. The movement winds well and can be wound by the wrist movements (unlike the one I got originally); additionally the crown/tube is much improved, it takes a good 4~5ish turns to completely unscrew it to the first position (for winding) and screwing it down (bonus is that the feet of the logo sits almost parallel to the wrist when screwed down or point down into the wrist for clarification). The materials of the bracelet, case, and crystal are very good and is almost feels gen (as I own a Seamaster Professional as a rough reference for comparison, as they are two different watches in the Seamaster lineup). The deployment clasp is good, whether or not the engravings is correct is ignorance on my part and the diver's extension works but is fussy when you want to close it back up. The only real aesthetic inaccuracies that someone can really call me out on are the bezel pearl (which isn't centered in the triangle) and that the raised Omega logo sits a tad too low above the Omega lettering on the dial (which is a bit less noticeable). The AR (anti-reflective) coating is present and often appears blue, but in certain lighting conditions will show the correct purple color; additionally the AR coating is easily prone to scratches when the crystal brushes up with solid objects (the repaired watch I got back had a few hard to notice scratches if you looked at them at an angle and a L shaped scratch on the bezel; I'm not too worried about those as it adds character to the watch and I'm more than glad that it works). The ETA 2824 movement is actually what Omega uses as the base movement of their 2500 caliber movements for the gen version of this watch (in which they modify this movement with George Daniels Co-Axial escapement); however, the Co-Axial escapement results in an irregular 7 beats per second as opposed to 8 on most automatically wound watches (like older Omegas and most modern Rolexes). This ETA 2824 movement doesn't suffer that lower beat rate (as this movement more than likely does not have the Co-Axial escapement installed) and has a nice smooth sweep and is rather robust which should handle a good amount of time without service; also, this particular movement keeps time really well, my aged gen Seamaster Professional keeps the time well as I wear it everyday and was serviced a few years back by Omega). The lume is were it shows a bit of weakness, it's not as bright as my gen when charged under the same light source for the same amount of time; the weak lume is the most apparent on the hands of the watch as they are dimly when charged under a light source.

However, fluorescent light seems to charge it well as well as natural light, LED light doesn't like to mesh with the lume from what I observed when I used my phone's LED camera flash (in flashlight mode) to charge the lume.

 

This watch fooled my uncle who loves Omegas and was shocked when I told him that it cost only $300 and change and that it was a rep. Needless to say he was rather impressed and wanted one for himself. To conclude this review, besides the small aesthetic inaccuracies and the lume, it is a rep that is definitely worth owning that is really close to the gen in many ways; as well as to commend Andrew for his patience and service for my watch during the repair process.

Definitely let him know if there is something bothering you during the QC pic phase all the way to when something happens to it.

 

My plan for my next rep is that I want is a Rolex Submariner in either the non-ceramic (like the D or Z serials without holes in the case and without the rehaut engravings) or the ceramic version (as long as it's accurate). I got a cheap Canal Street sub rep in New York as a souvenir but I want to have something like my UPO or gen that I can rock daily. I really wished I could of gotten the BK TW sub before he sold out, but I am looking at the TC sub and a ceramic sub from Andrew (since searching the forums didn't yield much on the Ultimate sub from TT, ROLSUB0017). That's my plan and my review, thank you for reading. 

Edited May 23, 2013 by knguyenk

[flyr]

Glad everything came out more or less OK for you. Thanks for the personal observations and advice. I have the 45.5 version and really like it. Go OMEGA (rep)

[knguyenk]

Correction to the movement it's an ETA 2824-2.

[knguyenk]

Glad everything came out more or less OK for you. Thanks for the personal observations and advice. I have the 45.5 version and really like it. Go OMEGA (rep)

 

Thanks, I felt like a review and a personal experience with the TD would help anyone new to the rep watch world.

[ustmisha]

BTW what is Your wrist size? Great review! I think it was broken first time because of old and used ETA

Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk 2

[pick_br]

Great review, shame about the pearl... it depends on what you're level of OCD is to whether it actually infuriates you over time.

Sorry to be finicky..... but...... What's happening in the date window of your last pic? I assume it's just clicked over for a new day, judging by the time that is...... it seems to have gone a little too far. Or a trick of the light maybe??

Pbr..

[knguyenk]

BTW what is Your wrist size? Great review! I think it was broken first time because of old and used ETA

Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk 2

 

My wrist size is ~6.5" it's good for working on cars where I need to stick my hand into tight spaces to get to hidden bolts. I think the movement wasn't secured in addition to being an old ETA movement; I had someone take off the case back and noticed that the movement only had 2 out of 3 screws attached to the case.

 

Great review, shame about the pearl... it depends on what you're level of OCD is to whether it actually infuriates you over time.

Sorry to be finicky..... but...... What's happening in the date window of your last pic? I assume it's just clicked over for a new day, judging by the time that is...... it seems to have gone a little too far. Or a trick of the light maybe??

Pbr..

 

 

My OCD level is high for certain things but I guess I'm rather lenient on the pearl; I was more initially bothered by the low placement of the Omega logo on the dial until I got over it.

 

The last picture was taken a bit after midnight when the date is transitioning into the next day, the date seems to change a quarter after the hour from what I've observed. My relatives gen Rolex Day-Date rolls the date and day of the week ~15 mins before midnight and my gen Seamaster Professional changes the date around 10 mins to midnight.

[Trentleach]

I have sorta the same problem with my series 2006 GMT master ii, after 1 day, it stopped working when I was wearing it. I emailed Andrew and he said

"Try this and also allow movement to run in for 5-6 days while you do this daily.

Please try and wind up via the crown about 30-40 rounds clockwise ad tap HARD against your palm and it should be able to work. If not, you can email me and I will see how I can help you. Thanks "

This didn't do anything. It's been 3 days, but what will an extra three days do?

Now it works if it's left alone, once you put it on, within 30 or so seconds it stops. And then I have to rewind it. Kinda ridiculous. Do you think Andrew will take it back and fix it???

Is it worth the risk that it may get lost in transit?

Please help. someone!!!

[Trentleach]

I have sorta the same problem with my series 2006 GMT master ii, after 1 day, it stopped working when I was wearing it. I emailed Andrew and he said

"Try this and also allow movement to run in for 5-6 days while you do this daily.

Please try and wind up via the crown about 30-40 rounds clockwise ad tap HARD against your palm and it should be able to work. If not, you can email me and I will see how I can help you. Thanks "

This didn't do anything. It's been 3 days, but what will an extra three days do?

Now it works if it's left alone, once you put it on, within 30 or so seconds it stops. And then I have to rewind it. Kinda ridiculous. Do you think Andrew will take it back and fix it???

Is it worth the risk that it may get lost in transit?

Please help. someone!!!

[Cromag]

Hmmm... I don't get it. "UPO" is referred to when talking about the 45mm PO and v5 is the ultimate 42mm at this time. So the title does not make sense to me: 42mm UPO. What am I missing?

[knguyenk]

Hmmm... I don't get it. "UPO" is referred to when talking about the 45mm PO and v5 is the ultimate 42mm at this time. So the title does not make sense to me: 42mm UPO. What am I missing?

 

Ahh, you're correct. That review was when I was really new the rep world; the title and content will be corrected accordingly.

 

EDIT: Unfortunately, the the post is past editing period and I can't do nothing about it.

Edited December 3, 2013 by knguyenk