God only knows how many "generations" of Planet Oceans we've got already. I already thought the 4th Generation was the last model I had to buy, but I was wrong. The rep factories have "milked" the members many times with this watch. They had to make 3-4 attempts to finally get the bigger version right.
Black 45mm Planet Ocean is the watch that Daniel Craig actually wears in "Casino Royale" (before he changes to the standard "Bond Seamaster" later in the movie). He's wearing his 45mm PO with a black rubber strap.
When I'm writing this review nobody has yet came out with a rep strap that goes with the "Ultimate", but I believe it's only a matter of time when they're out. Can't really think of a strap that has more sales potential.
How good is it?
The 4th Gen is excellent replica watch. But the "Ultimate" has finally fixed some of the minor shortcomings. Actually there was very little to fix with the 4th Gen. All the improvements belong to the detail department, but are definitely important for the accuracy freaks.
1. The bracelet:
If the 4th Gen had a serious shortcoming it was definitely the questionable bracelet and clasp quality. The SEL had too big gap between the last link. Also the clasp didn't lock up properly, felt loose and left annoying gap between the bracelet and clasp. All these have been fixed and the watch sits perfectly on the wrist. The clasp also has correct markings for the 45mm version: "OMEGA Seamaster PROFESSIONAL PLANET OCEAN".
2. The hands:
4th Gen had too short hands (barely noticeable though). This flaw has been fixed for the "Ultimate". But now they introduced the wrongly shaped Omega ellipse logo. The feet are shaped a'la on the older Seamasters. Otherwise the dial is virtually perfect, and the pearl has been dramatically improved.
3. The HE valve:
I never really swallowed some members' claims that the HE valve was too low on the 4th Generation. I think it was perfectly placed on the rep, because on the smaller Planet Ocean the HE was significantly lower than on the standard Seamaster line. Either way, the HE valve has been raised a bit for the "Ultimate".
4. AR Coating:
4th Gen had light AR coating, which has been improved for this model. It has similar blueish tint on the crystal as the genuine (in certain lighting), but unlike the genuine the crystal looks like it's coated only from inside. Because of this the tint isn't quite as strong. Still very impressive.
5. Luminosity:
When it comes to lume the 4th Generation is still the best replica watch I've ever seen. "Ultimate" has good lume for a rep, but not quite as good as the 4th Gen (at least my rep). The pearl has weak lume on the Ultimate, while it glows like a torch in the 4th Gen. But neither can be compared to the genuine, which is especially famous of its luminous abilities.
"Ultimate" lume after "charging" the dial under a lamp for 30-40 seconds:
I've done so many reviews of various really impressive reps lately
so it's difficult to impress me anymore. But the "Ultimate" still manages to do it. Besides the feet of the Omega logo on the dial and only one-sided AR coating it's virtually perfect (visually).
I actually find it quite boring that there's nothing more to complain about this watch. It's almost like reviewing a genuine watch. You know... "it's just a Planet Ocean, you have all seen it before".
What was really surprising was how HUGE this watch feels. It dwarfs the 4th Generation, which is by no means a small watch. Needless to say it makes any Rolex look like a ladies' watch. It weighs amazing 230 grams!!! This is identical with the genuine, so it's definitely not for anorectic wrists.
Here you can see the comparison shot with some other famous Omega models. As you can see the 45mm Planet Ocean is humongous.
Ultimate 45mm Planet Ocean is without a doubt the best ever Planet Ocean, and perhaps even the best Omega rep ever. So my Guide definitely needs updating.
This is hopefully the end of the Planet Ocean saga, which continued for over a year. The "Ultimate" ranks up there with the best replicas ever. But because of its size it's not for everybody.
4th Gen is still excellent choice for people who don't want to wear huge watches. But now it's easier: buyers only need to choose between these two models. The "Ultimate" doesn't make the 4th Generation feel inferior by any means, it's only significantly better in the small details. For some, these details don't mean anything, for others they mean everything.
Hopefully this review and my 4th Generation review
answers all questions about the Planet Ocean reps to the newbies. When it comes to popularity the PO has become on par with Fiddy and Submariner. Perhaps recently even surpassed these two?
[
