A good friend just forwarded this article to me and I am just sharing it here. I don't know if this been posted already but it is such a good read for all.
Good question indeed. The age-old 'Rolex vs Omega'. I am currently the proud owner of both brands (not one, but TWO of each), and this is my take on it:
I currently own two Omegas and two Rolexes:
- Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Chronograph 9300
- Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 2500 (45.5mm)
- Rolex Submariner 116610LN (Ceramic)
- Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller 116660
As you can probably tell, I like dive watches a fair bit LOL.
In my experience, Omegas have very strong product. I'm talking product substance and product quality, as well the engineering in their watches.
Especially the 2500, 8500 and 9300 co-axial movements: these movements are just astonishingly accurate. Try +1 second fast after 3 months (on my PO 2500). And it does so with little or no daily fluctuations whatsoever, regardless of how I wear my watch throughout the day.
Both my Rolexes can never compete with or match this performance. In fact during the day it loses a second, then at night it gains a second, then the next day it can lose two seconds. Very erratic! This is much less reliable than an Omega co-axial movement. How you wear your watch throughout the day and what you do has immediate effect on its accuracy, which is kind of disappointing for such an expensive, high-end watch. I would have expected Rolex to do much better than that, and this is one grudge / concern / frustration that I have with Rolex product.
The Omega Co-Axial movement, based on my experience, is just astonishingly phenomenal; much much better than any Rolex movement I have seen.
Lets take a look at some Omega vs Rolex product examples.
In some cases, granted, we are not comparing apples with apples though. However we can still see where Omega has really stepped it up to provide product that is beyond its competitors.
Take the Planet Ocean Chrono 9300 for example; Omega's nearest competitor to the Deepsea, based on price. This piece is in fact everything that a Deepsea is, and more: it has a chronograph with its own hour + minute subdial, which you could also use as a second timezone, which Rolex doesn't offer in dive watches. Not to mention a sapphire back that enables you to gaze at that gorgeous movement through.
The only thing this can't do vs the DSSD is dive to great depths, down to 3900m. I'm not a diver, so this doesn't concern me; however respectfully and appreciatively on the other other side of the token, the engineering in the DSSD to enable deepsea diving is nothing less than a major engineering marvel also, something that it has over the Omega.
Take another example, this time a direct n 'apples with apples' comparison test:
Next time you get the chance, take a look at a Planet Ocean 8500 (non chronograph that comes in 42mm or 45.5mm), side by side against a 116610LN Submariner. Place them side by side, touch and feel them in your hands. Then you'll see what I mean.
Similar to a blindfolded wine tasting 'blind taste test', let's do a similar test with these two watches.
Imagine if both watches had no brands; neither of them were Omega or Rolex, neither of them had any image, status or history associated with them, both were exactly the same price, and you compared them purely on their merits on product as individual watches.
Both have ceramic bezels, both have date, screw down crown, and steel bracelets. But the Planet Ocean has so much more that the Submariner doesn't:
- Bigger watch (42 or 45.5mm)
- Sapphire back, it can dive deeper down to 600m (300 on the Submariner)
- Has helium escape valve
- Has domed sapphire crystal
- Has anti-reflective coating on both sides of its sapphire crystal
- Its 8500 Co-Axial movement with silicon hairspring and silicon balance wheel runs rings around (pun intended!) the Rolex 3135 with Parachrom hairspring movement.
- The Co-Axial movement can go as long as 6 years between service intervals
- The Planet Ocean has factory designed and supplied rubber straps that you can buy as an option!
The only thing I can think of that the Submariner has over the PO is its magnificent Glidelock clasp and its platinum-blasted indented bezel markers, which I dearly love indeed.
After this test, based on features I bet most of us would agree that the Planet Ocean is the better watch and would choose the Planet Ocean over the Submariner. It simply has so much more to offer over the Submariner.
Now lets see how prices currently compare:
For the price of Rolex Deepsea, you can buy a Planet Ocean 9300, as well as a Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch on top of that, in our country.
So with Omega you get far more watch (bigger watch, more features + greater movement) with just as good, if not greater quality, for much less $$$. So, now we can see Omega's mentality when it comes to jacking up their price to Rolex levels. And many don't see the justification and cringe at every mention of this idea.
And this is why:
IMHO, the only thing that sets Rolex on a higher price band than Omega is its stronger brand.
The general public perception of Rolex is that it is the hotter brand with the perception that its product is far more superior than Omega, when in fact Omega product is just as good, if not better. Many people are just yet to realise this. And when they do... the sky's the limit for Omega.
For example, wearing a Rolex is regarded as a higher 'status symbol' than wearing an Omega. Especially in Asian countries, where, in the world of business, showing off your status and wearing of luxury goods is a necessity, otherwise you get regarded as a second rate citizen, and will lose out on business opportunities. This is shallow, sad, but unfortunately, true. In China, where wealth is growing at blistering speed, the more expensive the item, the more people will buy it. That's insane to say the least!
Throughout the years, Rolex has built a bit of a history and heritage, but yet, so has Omega.
Rolex has transformed itself into an icon through many means, such as James Bond (errrr... haven't both brands been worn by bond now?), through its legendary Submariner, not to mention Datejusts worn by presidents and world leaders, the Daytona 24hr race, Sir Edmund Hilary's climb up Mt Everest with the Explorer, Jacques Cousteau's sea exploration, and not to mention their involvement with deep sea research & development with the Trieste, and now, James Cameron's Deepsea Challenge.
Omega has built its brand through Buzz Aldrin's famous moon landing with the Speedmaster Professional on, the Seamaster made famous by Bond (of course!), and the Ploprof, also brought to legendary status by Mr Cousteau himself.
So, what you pay for in Rolex, great product aside, is the brand. Now I wonder: for what I paid on my SubC and Deepsea purchase how much of it in fact went straight to Tiger Woods? Roger Federer?
So, at the end of the day, it comes down to old notion of "anyone can make a better burger than McDonalds, but look who's got the last laugh?". McDonalds has the last laugh. Their burgers are really, quite ordinary (having said that, I really shouldn't be drawing this as analogy since Rolex watches are anything but ordinary of course!). They are incredibly successful, purely due to their clever marketing and selling techniques that have got them to where they are today, in creating that continual massive public desire and demand for their product. And this, is how Rolex has achieved their brand strength and success.
Omega's product is just as good, if not better, than Rolex. Unfortunately Omega is perceived to be a second-rate brand after Rolex, when in fact their products are not second-rate at all. All Omega is lacks is the strong brand power that Rolex has got. And this is exactly the reason why Omega is jacking up their prices to be on par with Rolex - to force an elevation of public image and perception to say "Hey look, we're expensive and therefore must be hot and desirable, too!".
Will Omega eventually attain the image, status, and brand power of Rolex? Who knows? I sincerely wish them all the luck and success in the world. Their product certainly deserves this level of admiration, recognition, respect and success.
But one thing's for sure: at the moment it certainly is better for all of us, as we are not paying for their brand as much as we are with Rolex. So lets enjoy it while we can.
"LET"S THE WAR BEGIN"
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