A Birthday present to myself
Was looking for a two-tone , three hander sporty-dressy watch with 36-39 mm size and a fluted bezel. Obviously the strong candidates are only from Omega and Rolex, as they are the only manufacturers that still produce this kind of watch with large selection of dial, material and size.
The new 36 mm Rolex Datejust with new caliber 3235 was very tempting. With advanced magnetic resistance, improved accuracy, stability and durability, plus 70-hour power reserve, finally Rolex has modern movement that can go head-to-head with Omega’s excellent caliber 88XX/89XX.
Unfortunately, Rolex offer very limited dial choices in the 36 mm two-tone configuration, only white , Rhodium and champagne, all of which i am not fond of. An Rolex does not state the magnetic resistance rate, which lead me to believe it still can’t match the record-setting 15,000 Gauss of Omega’s caliber 8900.
A great watch is not all about technical specs and durability, but it also made up of great design and attention to details. This is why Omega Globemaster ticks all my checkbox, and some more.
1. A beautiful dark blue dial with light sun-brushed effect, enhanced to maximum by double AR coating. The blue is a bit unusual that can look grayish, teal or black depending on light.
2. Unique all brushed case (except for the fluted bezel) , with sharp lines and polished bevel that runs along the case and also on the lower part of the case. A sharp, truncated almost angular lug’s tip, makes the watch looks rugged, exceptionally handsome and masculine, with a nice dressy touch by the fluted bezel. Very nice and show great attention to details by Omega.
3. An almost full-length of lume on hour and minute hand, provide excellent legibility on all conditions.
4. Balanced and discreet date window at 6 with dark blue date wheel. Again, they can simply went with white date wheel, but they did not. Kudos to Omega.
5. Solid, satisfying “click” , brushed and polished deployant clasp, with very high quality dark blue alligator strap. Still, i wish it has the beautiful and comfortable bracelet like the Jubilee of Rolex.
6. Caliber 8900 with 15,000 gauss magnetic resistance (15x of the Rolex Milgauss), quick hour adjustment (time zone function), 60 hour power reserve. METAS certificate. Downside : it does not have a quick-set date.
7. Transparent caseback which shows the beautiful caliber 8900 and planetarium logo on the center of the sapphire crystal. Downside : it does not have screw-in caseback, but use 4 tiny screws.
This watch is not perfect of course. The bracelet style is not quite match the case, it looks too sporty and not really comfortable, that’s why i chose the strap version. And the case size could be reduced 1-2 mm to make it more well suited for smaller wrist. The 39 mm wears a bit larger because of the fluted bezel and sharp, almost straigth lugs. And i would prefer yellow gold bezel to pair with blue dial, but Omega choose the combination of rose gold bezel + blue dial.
Cheers!