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I ordered a UPO, but am not convinced that is what I received ...


wheaton26

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as some of you may or may not know, i have the genuine planet ocean. i just ordered the upo for comparison and it arrived today. from what i've seen and read, i was expecting much more. it may be hard to tell from these pictures but my dial looks brown instead of black (similar to the tobacco panerai dials), the stick markers look ivory when i was expecting a pale green, the lume is poor and there is no ar coating at all ... i mean none. anyway, i took the back off to take pictures so hopefully someone can chime in on what i have. please excuse the lint on the dial ... that is from me. before i contact the dealer can someone please tell me what i have. i'll be happy to answer any questions or take more pictures if that will help. fyi, i took some pictures with the bracelet and some with the rubber strap so don't let that fool you. thanks in advance and i look forward to hearing back from some of you soon!

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ok, here are some comparison pics. the dial looks brown, not black. is that the norm for the upo? if so, i am a little disappointed. i have come to the conclusion that the ar is there and is one sided. in my original post i stated that there was none. whatever the outcome, let me be be the first to say that if this is the upo ... it is far from a 1:1 rep. have a look for yourself. the following pictures were taken under the same lighting and conditions. you be the judge ...

upo owners, please let me know the actual color of your dials. thanks again.

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Interesting comparison, I was thinking when I got my UPO that it was hardly 'ultimate', nice watch and all but was a bit disappointed to be honest. I think this confirms that it isn't as good as the gen, despite what is said about it.

Also, anybody else notice that the crown really needs a crownguard? I ask because mine slips down my arm sometimes and when the crown hits the back of my hand I now have a piece of skin broken where the crown keeps hitting.

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here are a few pics of mine. also from PT in the spring of 07.

Straight from PT with SAR.

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another with factory SAR, looks less black due to reflections

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with chief DAR

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another with chiefs DAR. looks pretty black

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I am going to be going the gen dial route, it will fix the lume issue, the omega symbol issue, the date window issue, and as crisp as the rep is, the gen is even better. its pricey, but I love my UPO. Good luck with yours.

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Just wondered who you both got your UPO's from?

Good question, Stephane's dial looks totally different (and better). I think we're looking at 2 completely different watches or factories.

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Yeah brother I had one too quite some time ago and the AR was nilch then too - not that any so called single rep AR is ever anything more than purple haze but that is another thread.

After having the gen, the stock UPO is not even remotely close to being in the ballpark. The WHOLE deal with the Planet Ocean is the AR and the lume. It is what ties the whole design togther. You know, I honestly can say though that I never knew it and was even somewhat satisfied with it until I knew those two facts about the gen. I have no bone to pick with the UPO, but if anyone wants it to resemble the gen at all, the AR and lume are "must" mods. Just not even an option without IMO.

The watch without the AR is a tell too from a mile away and your pics, as striking as they are, as you know don't even come close to how drastic it is in person. Another member, I forget who said he wouldn't dare wear it into an AD once he noticed the difference. When I got my gen there was a brief overlap before I sold the rep and I stared at it in disbelief for hours. Hard to believe AR and lume can change an otherwise essentially 1:1 replication.

Of course you already have the gen, but anyone considering getting one of these watches (and if you don't have one yet - you should) must put a trip to the Chief for STRONG double AR on the immediate must do mod list. And not just any double AR will do either - the gen is REALLY deep AR. Strongest in my box from a visual perspective by far. Makes the dial look so black it is almost purple and has a deep rich purple cast to it.

But don't get me wrong, the UPO is an AWESOME replica with these mods. No need for the gen if you have the patience and inclination to get these simple things done. If so, you can save a lot of money and have something really close to the gen. Just look at dluddy's. His has gen hands and crown, etc. which is even better, but he would tell you too that the AR makes this watch probably more than any other "famous" watch around here. I have never seen a watch before that I felt so strongly about AR before. It's like this watch just can't live without it...

I always liked this pic of my 42MM version that shows the depth and color of the AR at the same time:

PO1.jpg

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My UPO was bought just before Stephane's, end '06/beginning '07 from Precious Time in the UK. The crown is about to die (very little thread left), but it's a gen ETA and has K2222 AR.

Hey Pug, we're missing your photos...

Come on, get back to work and make some new ones :D

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ok, here are some comparison pics. the dial looks brown, not black. is that the norm for the upo? if so, i am a little disappointed. i have come to the conclusion that the ar is there and is one sided. in my original post i stated that there was none. whatever the outcome, let me be be the first to say that if this is the upo ... it is far from a 1:1 rep. have a look for yourself. the following pictures were taken under the same lighting and conditions. you be the judge ...

upo owners, please let me know the actual color of your dials. thanks again.

I don't have a UPO, but the PO's I do have, none have AR coating, and the dials appear the same color as the dial on your UPO :) Rather than brown, I've always refered to the color as 'charcoal-grey'... The 'not quite black' color my mother always bought my school pants in because they were cheaper (by a few pence :rolleyes: ) than actual black pants. It's a color I know well :lol:

Interesting comparison, I was thinking when I got my UPO that it was hardly 'ultimate', nice watch and all but was a bit disappointed to be honest. I think this confirms that it isn't as good as the gen, despite what is said about it.

Also, anybody else notice that the crown really needs a crownguard? I ask because mine slips down my arm sometimes and when the crown hits the back of my hand I now have a piece of skin broken where the crown keeps hitting.

That's a really interesting perspective :) My favorite aspect of the Planet Ocean's design, is that the crown guards are integrated into the sides of the case, and don't spoil the line of the side. I admit, I've never had a problem with mine, but, as I wear my watch on my right wrist, the crown doesn't dig into my arm, and, being at an angle, the HE valve has never been a problem on the back of my hand...

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  • 5 weeks later...
I'm not sure the photo will help, but my dial is black.

The dial of this UPO seems very different from yours though.

Numbers are specially different in my opinion or is it just me?

omega_po45ultim800light_03.jpg

one thing also your UPO's date window is more like the gen. inward slop to the edge and the top "UPO" is more of a straighter edge.

I'm not sure the photo will help, but my dial is black.

The dial of this UPO seems very different from yours though.

Numbers are specially different in my opinion or is it just me?

omega_po45ultim800light_03.jpg

one thing also your UPO's date window is more like the gen. inward slop to the edge and the top "UPO" is more of a straighter edge.

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the latest pic is as my newly aquired "used" UPO, the dial is a bit different and the font of the numbers also. It has the "thingy" on the end beginning of the "2" in "12" for example.

I find the dial in this version better than my older UPO from josh so its probably different batches.

Regarding the color of the dial, a good aftermarket AR (chief) will fix that matter.

I now have 1 k2222 + 1 Chief UPO and I must say both are good but chiefs is slightly better, i dont know if I have the latest of chiefs as my watch is bought from a member here, but the tint in some lightning conditions is green-blue (very little) while K2222 is purple-blue (a bit more reflection than chiefs)

also as last post the date window is different between my oldest and newer UPO. so probably minor updates ..anyhow it need double-AR from the box to be in the super-rep-leauge.

- tazz

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I still don't understand how these things happen. There is no 1:1 and the term 'Ultimate' is a mrketing thing so comparing it to the gen in a MACRO shot will always resulti n disappointment. But no one is going to be able to tell either way. Unless of course you're going to be wearing both on the same arm at the same time. B)

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