andreww Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 (edited) I posted some images of this watch last week, but now that I've had it on my wrist for a few days I figured it was about time to write a short review. This is basically the same watch as the Ultimate PO, but comes with what Trusty and Josh are calling their "Asian 2824", not the eta version that is in the Ultimate. Personally, I have no problem with Asian movements as I've never had a problem with any of them, even after a number of years of use. I do object however to the reference of "2824", obviously an indication that this is a copy of the eta version. This movement, unlike say the 7750, does not resemble the eta version at all. In my opinion there is no need for this. The movement itself seems pretty smooth. I would compare its feel to the 7750 in winding feel, and sound of the rotor (if you listen closely, you can hear it). The unit I received seems to be very accurate, and over the 5 days I've had it thus far, its lost only a hand full of seconds. The dial is nice but still contains a couple of obvious "tells". The hour marker edges are just a little more robust then the gen, and because of this, do not seem to hold as much lume, thus they appear to be slightly smaller, especially at the thin end. The Omega logo itself does not have the "flat feet" as on the gen. To me this is not as noticeable as the fact that the logo on the gen seems to have a perfectly flat top, whilst the rep seems to be slightly rounded and just not as sharp. This really affects the way the light reflects on it, and for me is the first thin I look for when trying to determine authenticity. The date window is good and the numbers line up perfectly. However, the asian version introduces another flaw in the fact that the font is serif and the numbers are more "square" in appearance. Not a big deal for me, but it may be something to think about if you are a perfectionist. The bezel is sweet, 120 clicks like the gen, not too stiff, not too loose. The insert is okay, but the pearl placement is slightly low. The crown on mine screws down smoothly, and the interior threaded crown tube is a treat. The bracelet is awesome. Nice and heavy, with a gen feel to it. My clasp is tight, unlike previous versions, and all markings are accurate and nicely engraved. A word of warning, the pins on these are very tight, and removing links is best left to a professional. I've never had a problem adjusting any bracelet, but this one caused me a couple of hours of stress and cost me one broken pin. I took it to my watchmaker who had it adjusted in about 5 minutes for a cost of $5. Like the gen, these now are equipped with an inner sleeve for each pin. This probably had something to do with my watchmaker never doubting this was anything but a genuine Omega. The Crystal is beautiful, sapphire, and coated on the inside only with AR coating. Not like the 2-sided coating of the gen, but a big step forward. Lume is very good. After 8 hours of sleep I can still tell time right down to the second. Pearl lume is very weak though. Now for the bad. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the popularity of these watches, but the quality control has really suffered as of late. On mine the pearl is way out of whack. The top half is recessed (under the insert), and the bottom half sticks out above the insert. It also leans a little to the right. Even more annoying is the 2:00 marker which is misaligned and points more toward the 9:00 marker, not the 8:00 marker that it should. Bottom Line. The "Ultimate Lite" is a great value for someone like me who already has a Planet Ocean 42mm, and really cant justify spending well over $200 for another version. At $128 this is a remarkable value for a watch that will fool just about anyone. If you are not equipped to fix the minor flaws however, you may find yourself obsessing at these defects. I have not seen a PO that is 100% in some time. From what Andrew has told me, the "Ultimate Lite" version is a commissioned piece by him and Josh, and is only available in limited quantities. Lets hope that this starts a trend in putting Asian movements in some of the higher end reps, making them more affordable to those of us who are on a budget! Edited February 19, 2007 by andreww Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornerstone Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 Thanks for your review - interesting stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonthebhoy Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 Nice honest review. Well done. JTB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 Excellent and honest review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaccum Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 I was thinking about getting the "lite" version as well...now I am convinced. Thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitmic Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 Great review!!! I'm just waiting for a complete movement review before buying the "lite" version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted February 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 Great review!!! I'm just waiting for a complete movement review before buying the "lite" version. I'm not qualified to do a movement review, but I do hope this unit uses the same hands as the ETA version. It would be nice to drop one of my spare movements in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
who Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 fantastic review and I think "lite" version is a great name to be called Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 Good writeup as usual Andreww. The "lite" version is great value for money rep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2sweetau Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 have this watch... have some issue with peral, infact its identical. thanks for the nice review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goochenbrau Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 helpful review!! thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rxus Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Great review...and to think I thought this version wasn't goign to get much attention...The price is great and it trully is "lite" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaccum Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 I'm not qualified to do a movement review, but I do hope this unit uses the same hands as the ETA version. It would be nice to drop one of my spare movements in there! The Asian version hands size is 1.00/1.50/0.17 This was taken from 4th gen 42mm PO ETA 28xx is 0.90/1.5/0.25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaccum Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 I'm not qualified to do a movement review, but I do hope this unit uses the same hands as the ETA version. It would be nice to drop one of my spare movements in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted February 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 The Asian version hands size is 1.00/1.50/0.17 This was taken from 4th gen 42mm PO ETA 28xx is 0.90/1.5/0.25 I didn't think this was the same movement that was in the Asian 42mm. Are you sure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted February 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 This is the movement in the "Ultimate Lite" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 I linked this review to my Omega Guide. Once again... great work Andreww!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kollektor Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 The date font is actually different between the "Light" and the "Ultimate"? Apart from movement are there any other differences? Both use AR Sapphire, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chubbchubb Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Thank you for this very informative review, Andreww. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usil Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 I bought the 'lite' version and it came with 4 quality issues. 1) pearl like you described, 2) crown did not screw in, 3) He valvel spun around like a top and 4) it just did not run (stopped while I wore it). Sent it in to Trusty and he just emailed me it is on the way back. I hope that the issues are gone but we will see. Usil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornerstone Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 I bought the 'lite' version and it came with 4 quality issues. 1) pearl like you described, 2) crown did not screw in, 3) He valvel spun around like a top and 4) it just did not run (stopped while I wore it). Sent it in to Trusty and he just emailed me it is on the way back. I hope that the issues are gone but we will see. Usil Fingers crossed for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solicitor Posted March 28, 2007 Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 Excellent review! How about the overall quality of the bracelet? I often have trouble with the deployant clasp not locking tight enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted March 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2007 Excellent review! How about the overall quality of the bracelet? I often have trouble with the deployant clasp not locking tight enough. Bracelet is great. Clasp could be a little tighter, but its never popped open or anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega Fan Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Wow great review! I have a couple of questions though: 1.will the new rubber strap fit these UPO Lites (is the lugs width 22mm) 2.and are they still around can I buy them from somewhere? I saw on trusty some 2006 version but they didnt look a bit like the one you are reviewing(pearl is totally off for one thing) thanks and Njoy the weekend! R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted May 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Unfortunately these are no longer available. The lite version that is currently available has incorrect he valve placement, bad pearl, 60 click bezel, mineral glass, no AR, plastic spacer, no antimagnetic cover, and so on. These watches were in fact UPOs with asian 4813s instead of ETAs. No other differences. Although judging by the movement shots in another thread, you could say that the UPO lite is still available, just at an ETA price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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