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!
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!