Am happy to say that I'm finally able to do my first Gen->Rep comparison.
The very first rep I purchased was an Omega Seamaster Professional - since then I've owned 5 Seamaster Pro reps - that first one died (which made me look for and find RWI), two were sold when something else caught my eye, and 2 were given away.
I was fortunate enough to come across a full-size Quartz Seamaster Professional over on WUS with all cards, the manual, and both boxes. I'm the third owner, and I got what I feel is a very good price for the piece.
I've taken one of the Seamasters that my Dad has "borrowed" from me back for the purposes of this comparison. "Dad's" watch is an A21J model sourced from WBK here on RWI.
Now, on with the photos!
Side-by-Side Comparison
Gen on left, Rep on right. First impressions - Rep has a darker blue bezel and crystal sits higher, causing bezel to be more angled. Gen crystal / bezel has a slighter curve to it.
In the photo on the right you can see how much more the Rep bezel is curved - compare the lighting on the bezel's 30 marker - it's angled downward more, so is darker.
For the most part, the Rep case and the bezel machining is very close to Gen. Rep bezel insert correctly aligns with the points on the bezel.
Dial and Hand Comparisons
Gen on left, Rep on right. Markers on the Gen are applied and have a border around them, Rep are painted on. Stick markers on the Gen are thinner than what you see on the Rep. Marker color is white on the Gen, Yellow-ish on the Rep.
The wave pattern on the Gen is darker, but thicker and more 3D-ish. Wave pattern on the Rep is lighter in color, and thinner in width and height off the face of the dial.
Take note that the Rep wave pattern stands out more when viewed from straight-on.
Most surprising tell for me, as a Planet Ocean fan, was the hand length. Hand length in the PO is a huge tell, and it just wasn't apparent on the SMPs to me until they were side by side.
Only other thing to note is the date wheel / window placement. It's further inboard on the Gen, allowing for a longer 3:00 marker than what you find on the Rep.
He valve placement is generally correct on the Rep, just needs to be angled a little more.
Below is an angled shot of the face, highlighting the difference in the wave patterns when viewed from an angle this time - the Gen's (on left) thicker and taller wave pattern really stands out.
Crown Comparison
Gen on left, Rep on right. Another surprising difference was the size of the crown guards and the crown. Aside from the finishing and shape of the Gen crown, it's much smaller than I expected.
Just like on the Rolex reps, the Rep Seamaster crown guards appear to extend too far out, and are more pointy than the Gens.
Pearl Comparison
Gen on left, Rep on right. Have finally seen what a gen pearl looks like! Only other thing to note is that on the Rep, the triangle marker doesn't extend to the edge of the bezel.
Case Back Comparison
Gen on left, Rep on right. No real comparision here, given the different stylings of the case back. Honestly, the Gen caseback isn't too much different (better?) than some of the Planet Ocean casebacks I've had.
While the seahorse does stand out more, I was honestly expecting the lettering to be more crisp, and it's really not. Have seen crisper lettering on $75.00 Planet Oceans.
Clasp Comparison
Gen on left, Rep on right. Only issues I can see - engraving on the Gen is a little deeper.
Layout is pretty close, only issue there is there is too much space between the end of the clasp and where the engraving starts with the Omega symbol, so everything is pushed down a little.
Compare where the clasp release buttons align with the engraving to see how much further down the Rep engraving is.
Bracelet Comparison
Gen on right, Rep on left. Bracelets are completely different in terms of fit and finish. See the detail of the Divers Extensions (RIGHT PHOTO) for an example.
Gen bracelet does not have the highly polished sides that the SMP Reps have, and the finish is much higher quality.
Gen bracelet seems much thinner (it's not when calipre'd) and is much lighter than the Rep SMP bracelet.
Lume Comparison
Gen on left, Rep on right. No real comparison here. I have other divers with better lume (my Deep Blue Master 2000!) but very nice, very crisp lume on the gen. Surprisingly no lume on this Rep's hour markers.
Overall Thoughts
Major tells for this A21J Rep - dial, hand length, and crown/crown guards, all of which would be addressed for a relatively small amount of time and money.
Overall case and bezel machining is darned near spot on. Crystal height on the Rep is taller, but that's not a major tell, IMO.
Would I recommend (or even buy) another A21J SMP? Yes, definitely - it's a stunning watch and for the cost is a very good Rep.
So, Why Only Two Reps, Jim?
Was asked by a friend here on RWI why I've stopped buying (and selling) so may Reps. Good question, and there's another good post here on RWI about the life stages of a watch-a-holic vis a vis Reps I'd recommend.
Everyone is in the Rep game for a different reason. Some (few I've seen, thankfully) want to 'pull one over' on people and put on airs of grandeur. Most, like myself, have been life-long watch-a-holics and simply love watches of all types. The Rep world has let me experiment, at a relatively low cost, to see what works for me and what doesn't, without investing too much money (*). I have taken to keeping more Gens than Reps (see my signature) but that's just because I was able to figure out what worked for me, and what I intended to keep long term. Until then, and even after then, I'll be gladly experimenting with the Rep market.
(*) A perfect example - I 'knew' I wanted a U-Boat, and was about to buy a very nice A7750 version for $200+ here on RWI, but someone beat me to it. Next day found a Quartz version for $75.00. Bought it. Wore it less than 2 hours before I knew that oversized crown 'thingy' just wouldn't work for me. Saved much time and money!
I hope this tutorial is useful to you, even if only to know what to look for as you source your next Seamaster Pro Rep OR Gen (so you don't get duped!). I do realize there are case differences between the Quartz model and the A21J model, but I didn't think this overview needed to go that deep (and honestly, other than case thickness, I don't know what they are!)
I'd like the thank everyone who participates here on RWI - this is an excellent place for all of us to share information and knowledge. Even being a life-long watch-a-holic, I couldn't begin to document what I've learned here in the past six months!
Jim (kohanjj)
The very first rep I purchased was an Omega Seamaster Professional - since then I've owned 5 Seamaster Pro reps - that first one died (which made me look for and find RWI), two were sold when something else caught my eye, and 2 were given away.
I was fortunate enough to come across a full-size Quartz Seamaster Professional over on WUS with all cards, the manual, and both boxes. I'm the third owner, and I got what I feel is a very good price for the piece.
I've taken one of the Seamasters that my Dad has "borrowed" from me back for the purposes of this comparison. "Dad's" watch is an A21J model sourced from WBK here on RWI.
Now, on with the photos!
Side-by-Side Comparison
Gen on left, Rep on right. First impressions - Rep has a darker blue bezel and crystal sits higher, causing bezel to be more angled. Gen crystal / bezel has a slighter curve to it.
In the photo on the right you can see how much more the Rep bezel is curved - compare the lighting on the bezel's 30 marker - it's angled downward more, so is darker.
For the most part, the Rep case and the bezel machining is very close to Gen. Rep bezel insert correctly aligns with the points on the bezel.
Dial and Hand Comparisons
Gen on left, Rep on right. Markers on the Gen are applied and have a border around them, Rep are painted on. Stick markers on the Gen are thinner than what you see on the Rep. Marker color is white on the Gen, Yellow-ish on the Rep.
The wave pattern on the Gen is darker, but thicker and more 3D-ish. Wave pattern on the Rep is lighter in color, and thinner in width and height off the face of the dial.
Take note that the Rep wave pattern stands out more when viewed from straight-on.
Most surprising tell for me, as a Planet Ocean fan, was the hand length. Hand length in the PO is a huge tell, and it just wasn't apparent on the SMPs to me until they were side by side.
Only other thing to note is the date wheel / window placement. It's further inboard on the Gen, allowing for a longer 3:00 marker than what you find on the Rep.
He valve placement is generally correct on the Rep, just needs to be angled a little more.
Below is an angled shot of the face, highlighting the difference in the wave patterns when viewed from an angle this time - the Gen's (on left) thicker and taller wave pattern really stands out.
Crown Comparison
Gen on left, Rep on right. Another surprising difference was the size of the crown guards and the crown. Aside from the finishing and shape of the Gen crown, it's much smaller than I expected.
Just like on the Rolex reps, the Rep Seamaster crown guards appear to extend too far out, and are more pointy than the Gens.
Pearl Comparison
Gen on left, Rep on right. Have finally seen what a gen pearl looks like! Only other thing to note is that on the Rep, the triangle marker doesn't extend to the edge of the bezel.
Case Back Comparison
Gen on left, Rep on right. No real comparision here, given the different stylings of the case back. Honestly, the Gen caseback isn't too much different (better?) than some of the Planet Ocean casebacks I've had.
While the seahorse does stand out more, I was honestly expecting the lettering to be more crisp, and it's really not. Have seen crisper lettering on $75.00 Planet Oceans.
Clasp Comparison
Gen on left, Rep on right. Only issues I can see - engraving on the Gen is a little deeper.
Layout is pretty close, only issue there is there is too much space between the end of the clasp and where the engraving starts with the Omega symbol, so everything is pushed down a little.
Compare where the clasp release buttons align with the engraving to see how much further down the Rep engraving is.
Bracelet Comparison
Gen on right, Rep on left. Bracelets are completely different in terms of fit and finish. See the detail of the Divers Extensions (RIGHT PHOTO) for an example.
Gen bracelet does not have the highly polished sides that the SMP Reps have, and the finish is much higher quality.
Gen bracelet seems much thinner (it's not when calipre'd) and is much lighter than the Rep SMP bracelet.
Lume Comparison
Gen on left, Rep on right. No real comparison here. I have other divers with better lume (my Deep Blue Master 2000!) but very nice, very crisp lume on the gen. Surprisingly no lume on this Rep's hour markers.
Overall Thoughts
Major tells for this A21J Rep - dial, hand length, and crown/crown guards, all of which would be addressed for a relatively small amount of time and money.
Overall case and bezel machining is darned near spot on. Crystal height on the Rep is taller, but that's not a major tell, IMO.
Would I recommend (or even buy) another A21J SMP? Yes, definitely - it's a stunning watch and for the cost is a very good Rep.
So, Why Only Two Reps, Jim?
Was asked by a friend here on RWI why I've stopped buying (and selling) so may Reps. Good question, and there's another good post here on RWI about the life stages of a watch-a-holic vis a vis Reps I'd recommend.
Everyone is in the Rep game for a different reason. Some (few I've seen, thankfully) want to 'pull one over' on people and put on airs of grandeur. Most, like myself, have been life-long watch-a-holics and simply love watches of all types. The Rep world has let me experiment, at a relatively low cost, to see what works for me and what doesn't, without investing too much money (*). I have taken to keeping more Gens than Reps (see my signature) but that's just because I was able to figure out what worked for me, and what I intended to keep long term. Until then, and even after then, I'll be gladly experimenting with the Rep market.
(*) A perfect example - I 'knew' I wanted a U-Boat, and was about to buy a very nice A7750 version for $200+ here on RWI, but someone beat me to it. Next day found a Quartz version for $75.00. Bought it. Wore it less than 2 hours before I knew that oversized crown 'thingy' just wouldn't work for me. Saved much time and money!
I hope this tutorial is useful to you, even if only to know what to look for as you source your next Seamaster Pro Rep OR Gen (so you don't get duped!). I do realize there are case differences between the Quartz model and the A21J model, but I didn't think this overview needed to go that deep (and honestly, other than case thickness, I don't know what they are!)
I'd like the thank everyone who participates here on RWI - this is an excellent place for all of us to share information and knowledge. Even being a life-long watch-a-holic, I couldn't begin to document what I've learned here in the past six months!
Jim (kohanjj)
