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20 Years for the Omega Seamaster GMT Ref 2534.50.00

  1. Soyuz Feb 14, 2018

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    The Omega Seamaster 300 GMT ref.2534.50.00 was made since 1998 to late 2000s for the 50^ Anniversary of the Seamaster collection. It is the frist GMT even made by Omega and in my opinion one of most attractive of last 30 Years. But it seems often forgotten and underrated. On these days, to 20 years after his born, what do you think about this watch?

    Cheers
    Andrea
    T2e_C16_VHJG_E9nm3p3v_TBQWPODJh_60_3.jpg KGr_Hq_EOKm4_E6o_R0_Bfwf_BOs_P4_Ki_Q_60_3.jpg e8236664d1e5b5e1e50ef55a7a2eb100.jpg f015d04a4adaa3c5b2c88d32a62bd03e.jpg IMG_20180214_120512_188.jpg
     
  2. blufinz52 Hears dead people, not watch rotors. Feb 14, 2018

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    I’m a fan of GMTs in general and own two, but not crazy about the one in question. Something about that bezel that keeps me from liking this watch.
     
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  3. ctpete Feb 14, 2018

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    I have had two of these during my time - still have one. I'm not a fan of the bezel, and the crown is too darn small, but otherwise a very accurate piece.
     
  4. Diverdown Feb 14, 2018

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    Great White for me please
     
  5. Starman71 Feb 14, 2018

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    Is the black painted onto the bezel? I have a Seamaster 300 I wore for a decade and the bezel has lots of fine scratches in the metal.
     
  6. padders Oooo subtitles! Feb 15, 2018

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    It’s a great looking watch overshadowed by the great white and actually not quite as nice to wear as the std 3 hander (a comment which equally applies to the GW). The GMT complication adds about 2mm to the case depth which means it is more different from the 2531/2254 than you would think, the crown is more shrouded, the bezel is deeper etc etc. I never really wore mine but I do respect Omega for doing the GMT function right instead of just dropping in the 2893 movement which does it wrong. Archer has pointed out a couple of times that parts like the dial aren’t interchangable between the black and white dial GMTs for some reason. Madness really.

    It’s a fine watch which stacks up well vs the similar Rolex Explorer II or even the GMT II but unless you really need the GMT function a 2254.50, 2255.80 or non AC 2230.50 does the watch bit better.
     
    Edited Feb 15, 2018
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  7. BostonCanuck Feb 15, 2018

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    It is a great watch, so much better than the GMT hamburgers currently offered up in the Planet Ocean line. It's one shortcoming, however, is the way-to-bold numbers on the bezel. Due to that, the black-dial version of the watch works better. That's because the delicacy of the great white's superb dial is pretty much overshadowed if not completely wiped away by that bezel. I've always thought that the watch would have become much more popular among the general buyer (as opposed to us Omega enthusiasts, with whom it has always been popular) had Omega got that bezel right.

    I love the butterfly clasp on the Bond-style bracelet that originally came with this watch, and it's really too bad they didn't incorporate that feature into the Speedmaster-style bracelet that came with the watch in its later years. I also love the black date wheel, and the fact that Omega deleted the helium escape valve. It's touches like this that make this watch such a winner.

    I acquired one of these beauties in early 2010 from Ace & Spyer in Amsterdam. Production had already ceased by then, but fortunately the store manager was still able to get Omega to ship a new one out to her. Still have it in my collection today.
     
    Edited Feb 15, 2018
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  8. padders Oooo subtitles! Feb 15, 2018

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    That clasp you mention is rather fragile and easy to bend. It wouldn’t do good duty on a dive watch IMO.
     
  9. ac106 Feb 15, 2018

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    It’s not a dive watch though.
     
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  10. padders Oooo subtitles! Feb 15, 2018

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    Uhuh. So what exactly is the 300m water resistance for?
     
    Edited Feb 15, 2018
  11. ac106 Feb 15, 2018

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    I don’t know but how would you time your dive with the 24 hour bezel?
     
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  12. BostonCanuck Feb 15, 2018

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    I'd much rather see Omega develop a more proper/pure GMT watch based on its Aqua Terra or Globemaster platform. Spinning it off of a diver like the Seamaster Professional, or worse, the Planet Ocean, seems like a confusing half-effort, and unfortunately results in a watch that performs neither function very well.
     
    Edited Feb 15, 2018
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  13. arvidrattlaas Feb 19, 2018

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    The bezel on the 2534.50 is just not attractive to me. In addition I prefer the 1610 bracelet. That's why the 2254.50 is the best SMP IMO:

    20170520_151930-01.jpeg 20170512_164230-01.jpeg 20170607_095453-01.jpeg
     
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  14. Taddyangle Convicted Invicta Wearer Feb 19, 2018

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    I would buy this model watch if I knew 100% I could swap the bezel to solid black.
     
  15. ac106 Feb 19, 2018

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    X1000

    I would trade my 2254 yesterday for an black bezel gmt
     
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  16. padders Oooo subtitles! Feb 19, 2018

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    AFAIK the bezel on the GMT is actually deeper than that on the 2254 so without swapping inserts, which can be tricky, you can't easily swap one to the other. In any event, were you to do that the GMT would lose rather a lot of functionality and its main reason for existence.
     
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  17. Taddyangle Convicted Invicta Wearer Feb 19, 2018

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    I wear watch for looks not functionality. Even if you swapped the bezel to the all black, I am guessing 99.999999% of the people that looked at it would never know what functionality was lost.

    Not muck luck finding anyone that had success swapping the bezel on the GMT
     
  18. SuperHero Feb 19, 2018

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    Outside of the 2531.80, this is my favourite Seamaster...and the first model came on the best bracelet. The one on the later models just doesn't work as well (IMHO) as the original is so damn comfortable. Forgotten, underrated and I love it.
    Are the pictures of your watch?
     
  19. Foo2rama Keeps his worms in a ball instead of a can. Feb 19, 2018

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    Actually on a watch with an He valve the gmt bezel makes more sense. At least if your diving in an environment where you would be wearing a watch that needs an He valve.
     
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  20. ac106 Feb 20, 2018

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    I don't really know what this means, but my point about the 2534.50 not being a dive watch wasn't meant to be snarky (well maybe 20%) but a fact.

    ISO 6425 standard for diving watches
    - The presence of a unidirectional bezel with at least at every 5 minutes elapsed minute markings and a pre-select marker to mark a specific minute marking.