Omega @ Baselworld 2016

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As I've contemplated what Omega introduced this year at Baselworld, one thing I've tried to do is encapsulate any (apparent) new direction into a single word or phrase. If I were feeling uncharitable, I might think "kitschy". If I were feeling more charitable, maybe "bold". In the end, I think it's Omega's longer-term marketing strategy that's driving what we saw this year at Baselworld. For the moment, I'm going to ignore the technological side of Omega's new offerings, as there isn't much to debate about the internals unless one feels that the new technology is adding an unjustifiable cost to Omega's product line. I doubt that METAS-certified movements are going to make watches technologically worse than they were without them, and the price difference between METAS-certified and non-METAS watches for (nearly) the same model doesn't seem all that great to me.

Maybe Omega has concluded that many younger-aged buyers of mid-tier luxury watches find traditional designs to be boring. Personally, I'm not convinced there are very many prospective watch buyers aged 35 years and younger who are desirous and capable of forking over $5,000-$15,000 for a wristwatch. But then I think of those un-married, newly employed investment bankers who are looking for something to do with their first big bonus cheque (aside from paying off student loans). Maybe this is the target, representative demographic. Are they going to buy a Submariner, or an orange-accented Planet Ocean? A Daytona (if they can actually find one), or a Speedmaster Moonphase? Omega appears to be betting on bold.
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I will now definitely hold onto my Orbis Hour Vision with "windows" (certainly one of the unique features of the watch).馃槈

Yes it is, but it's not cheap, so maybe this is a cost cutting measure? Maybe too many of these?





Who knows why Omega does what they do...this is not the most puzzling thing they have done recently...but it's a shame to see them discontinue the middle sapphire model. I always thought it was cool.

Cheers, Al
 
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Ablogtowatch have just posted some good hands-on photos as well as a video of the new Basel 2016 Moonphase Speedmasters. They certainly look better than the previous press photos we have seen so far. Click link below...

http://www.ablogtowatch.com/omega-speedmaster-master-chronometer-chronograph-moonphase-watches/

I think Omega is indeed aiming for a more fashion orientated design language...a "Dolce & Gabbana" thing with these models.
I personally don麓t like this new "fashion trend" at all....but I suppose they are going after a younger demographic. Cheers

Great link @Riviera Paradise. A Blogtowatch really have great photos and as you say are much better than the press photos, even the red Platinum one looks better. Nice touch with the magnifying glass.
 
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It's not a wave dial... It represents the 'wave pavement ' at copacabana beach in Brazil
Ahhh, a Rio theme, I get it now. So that dark grey and yellow Seamaster Pro shown by @meganfox17 represents the smoke billowing from a public bus set on fire by Rio drug gangs. Wow,
http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1931162,00.html
Is this from the new Omega Trip-master line? LSD did come from Switzerland after all... It's oddly appealing.
So that's what happens when you do LSD....and when you do Speed???
 
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the bracelet was one of the reasons I gave up my smpc. some don't mind it though.

me too ... it is not frequent that I ACTIVELY dislike a bracelet ... but the SMPs I did dislike!

... and the skeleton hands pushed me over the top ...
 
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Ahhh, a Rio theme, I get it now. So that dark grey and yellow Seamaster Pro shown by @meganfox17 represents the smoke billowing from a public bus set on fire by Rio drug gangs. Wow,

@Longbow...believe me that is a ridiculous evaluation by Time Magazine馃憥. That sort of violence happens in the suburbs of Rio and generally dozens of miles away from the tourist regions....as far as I recall everyone (except the Brazilian football team馃槻) had a great time during the 2014 World Cup without any serious incident. Believe me that during these big international events, tourists are safe in Rio (even the Zika virus in the southern hemisphere winter will become a non-entity during the Olympics馃槈)...I have heard rumours that the local government will probably reach some sort of financial arrangement to keep the drug lords quiet during the games.馃檨

I did not want to get into a major discussion again about this but...what you are implying with the Times article is equivalent to saying that a tourist in London visiting Buckingham Palace in 1981 would have been at risk of physical assault during the Brixton riots or that any tourist would ever be at risk from ghetto violence in Paris, Los Angeles, Detroit etc.

Actually...just mentioning Buckingham Palace I recall a friend of mine got viciously mugged (broken nose and jaw) by some hooligans walking back from Westminster School to his home in Hyde Park at 17:00 during the 90s...my mother and I were robbed on the Piccadilly line at around midday with mild physical assault...and how about the IRA bombs...as a family we were lucky to avoid three!!!...my mother passed by taxi a few seconds before the Hyde Park corner bomb went off (which I actually heard from my classroom at Hill House school, just a few blocks away), my parents were at Harrods two hours before that car bomb went off.... and...the "coup de grace" was walking back to our home in Kelso Place W8 (1989) to find out that there was an IRA car bomb being diffused...oh and I was just forgetting about the incident when my father walking back to his office on Jermyn Street, after drinking a nice espresso at an Italian coffee shop on Regent St, calmly passed through St James Square...just a few seconds before those fools in the Lybian embassy opened up fire killing PC Yvonne Fletcher.

I still loved living in London during those years and would have been quite pissed off if anyone had "slagged off" the UK for not being a safe place to visit at that time. Wise-up @Longbow....think about why certain interest groups wants the Rio Olympics to fail馃槈. Cheers
 
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@Longbow...believe me that is a ridiculous evaluation by Time Magazine馃憥. That sort of violence happens in the suburbs of Rio and generally dozens of miles away from the tourist regions....as far as I recall everyone (except the Brazilian football team馃槻) had a great time during the 2014 World Cup without any serious incident. Believe me that during these big international events, tourists are safe in Rio (even the Zika virus in the southern hemisphere winter will become a non-entity during the Olympics馃槈)...I have heard rumours that the local government will probably reach some sort of financial arrangement to keep the drug lords quiet during the games.馃檨

I did not want to get into a major discussion again about this but...what you are implying with the Times article is equivalent to saying that a tourist in London visiting Buckingham Palace in 1981 would have been at risk of physical assault during the Brixton riots or that any tourist would ever be at risk from ghetto violence in Paris, Los Angeles, Detroit etc.

Actually...just mentioning Buckingham Palace I recall a friend of mine got viciously mugged (broken nose and jaw) by some hooligans walking back from Westminster School to his home in Hyde Park at 17:00 during the 90s...my mother and I were robbed on the Piccadilly line at around midday with mild physical assault...and how about the IRA bombs...as a family we were lucky to avoid three!!!...my mother passed by taxi a few seconds before the Hyde Park corner bomb went off (which I actually heard from my classroom at Hill House school, just a few blocks away), my parents were at Harrods two hours before that car bomb went off.... and...the "coup de grace" was walking back to our home in Kelso Place W8 (1989) to find out that there was an IRA car bomb being diffused...oh and I was just forgetting about the incident when my father walking back to his office on Jermyn Street, after drinking a nice espresso at an Italian coffee shop on Regent St, calmly passed through St James Square...just a few seconds before those fools in the Lybian embassy opened up fire killing PC Yvonne Fletcher.

I still loved living in London during those years and would have been quite pissed off if anyone had "slagged off" the UK for not being a safe place to visit at that time. Wise-up @Longbow....think about why certain interest groups wants the Rio Olympics to fail馃槈. Cheers

@Riviera Paradise Ouch! I guess I should have chosen a less controversial link. To be honest I stumbled across it by chance and was comparing the image in the article with that colourful Omega, I hadn't paid much attention to the content of the article, nor that it was rather out-of-date. Sorry if it caused offense, none was intended. I'm sure tourists visiting Rio will be safe enough and have a great time.

I don't think I would have been pissed off if someone had described the UK as not safe. IRA bombs and bomb threats were so routine during my childhood that I stopped paying any attention to them, like most Brits. I think if someone had said they were worried about being bombed I would have simply replied "go home and hide under the bed if it makes you feel safer, I'm off to find a nice cup of tea".

Curious that you should mention the Hyde Park (and Regent's Park) bombing. I will never forget 20th July '82, because I was IN Hyde Park on that day with a bunch of guys (from a well-known English public school). I can't really remember the explosion itself because I was still hammered from the weekend-long party we had been at to celebrate Exeat. We only surfaced on Tuesday (I don't remember the Monday at all). But I can remember all the police sirens. For some crazy reason we thought the Old Bill were after us for under-age drinking so we legged it across Hyde Park to the McDonalds* opposite Marble Arch "to escape" and promptly got thrown out for being drunk & disorderly. The direction we chose was very fortuitous - straight towards the second explosion.

So there we are, two guys from opposite sides of the planet, that were in the same place at the same time now remembering the same event that we both experienced 1st hand over 30 years ago. Now if I hadn't posted my dumb remark and you hadn't robustly replied we would never have known that. An unbroken causal chain crossing time and space. The world is indeed much smaller (and more precious) than we could possible know.

I wish you a happy and not too eventful day Mr @Riviera Paradise !

Cheers

Longbow

*I think it was a McDonalds, well some sort of fast food store.
 
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Hi @Felice79

Sorry for the late reply. I was on another thread just now.Yes i carry an extra watch in my Coach satchel. There's another 5/6 watches in a customized compartment in the boot of my car. I have Insomnia Felice. @Jones in LA guessed something correcrly bout me. If you're curious just ask him coz only then You would understand

Cheeky question..,,
Any chance of a picture of the customised compartment in your car? Of course I wouldn't want you to show the car in a forum for obvious security reasons.
Feel free to tell me to get lost 馃榾
 
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Hi @Cosd

Thank You for asking Cosd. I wish i could and i would but i can' t because i wont.
There's already a serious breach in security protocols here. There are 2 other Malaysians in the forum in case you havent noticed
Correct me if i'm wrong. A car in US is stolen every 45 seconds ?
A car in Malaysia is stolen every 45 mins
349b1e42f388341b68d55504bf833b61.jpg
 
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OMG [emoji7] My favourite TV shows !!!
Ancient Aliens & In Search Of Aliens
[emoji7] [emoji12] [emoji173] That's My Tsoukalicious Hero
The Real Indiana Jones + Agent Fox Mulder = Giorgio A Tsoukalos !!!

Arigatao Gozaimasu @Bushido San !
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Soooo.... Guys
I guess there wont be anymore surprises of a deNovo Omega model huh..
ef28338edd4dd857182b49e6f5da416b.jpg be95c39342903e66869d4e7942f29df6.jpg
Von Bartha's Gallery at the unveilling of the Globemaster
042e0a2e307dfdd0fcd3e58745e7e955.jpg
Von Bartha's Gallery 2016....
okeyyyyy.....maybe it's a little early....
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Hi @Cosd

Thank You for asking Cosd. I wish i could and i would but i can' t because i wont.
There's already a serious breach in security protocols here. There are 2 other Malaysians in the forum in case you havent noticed
Correct me if i'm wrong. A car in US is stolen every 45 seconds ?
A car in Malaysia is stolen every 45 mins
349b1e42f388341b68d55504bf833b61.jpg
Totally understand......
Love seeing bespoke stuff, but absolutely wouldn't want to risk any security your side.

I'm in the UK my the way, and though I don't know the numbers, I guess they would be high here to. Scumbags all over the world waiting to take something that isn't theirs!


Cos
 
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@Riviera Paradise Ouch! I guess I should have chosen a less controversial link. To be honest I stumbled across it by chance and was comparing the image in the article with that colourful Omega, I hadn't paid much attention to the content of the article, nor that it was rather out-of-date. Sorry if it caused offense, none was intended. I'm sure tourists visiting Rio will be safe enough and have a great time.

I don't think I would have been pissed off if someone had described the UK as not safe. IRA bombs and bomb threats were so routine during my childhood that I stopped paying any attention to them, like most Brits. I think if someone had said they were worried about being bombed I would have simply replied "go home and hide under the bed if it makes you feel safer, I'm off to find a nice cup of tea".

Curious that you should mention the Hyde Park (and Regent's Park) bombing. I will never forget 20th July '82, because I was IN Hyde Park on that day with a bunch of guys (from a well-known English public school). I can't really remember the explosion itself because I was still hammered from the weekend-long party we had been at to celebrate Exeat. We only surfaced on Tuesday (I don't remember the Monday at all). But I can remember all the police sirens. For some crazy reason we thought the Old Bill were after us for under-age drinking so we legged it across Hyde Park to the McDonalds* opposite Marble Arch "to escape" and promptly got thrown out for being drunk & disorderly. The direction we chose was very fortuitous - straight towards the second explosion.

So there we are, two guys from opposite sides of the planet, that were in the same place at the same time now remembering the same event that we both experienced 1st hand over 30 years ago. Now if I hadn't posted my dumb remark and you hadn't robustly replied we would never have known that. An unbroken causal chain crossing time and space. The world is indeed much smaller (and more precious) than we could possible know.

I wish you a happy and not too eventful day Mr @Riviera Paradise !

Cheers

Longbow

*I think it was a McDonalds, well some sort of fast food store.

@Longbow thank you for your reply...indeed it really is a small world. I actually happened to be looking outside of the classroom window on one of the top floors at Hill House Prep when the Hyde park bomb went off . I heard the massive explosion and saw what looked like the top of a massive funnel of debris shooting up vertically, just over the rooftops...I can still recall it quite clearly. There were some boys from Hill House visiting Regent麓s Park on a day excursion, very close to that bomb when it went off under the bandstand. They were in tears having seen awful things that day. Now we have the Belgian atrocities that happened yesterday. So sad to see a new circle of violence erupting again 30 yrs later.

Yesterday, my wife and I did a helicopter tour over NY and a young Muslim girl wearing a scarf sat on the front seat next to the pilot. You could almost sense the tension/unease of some of the passengers as we boarded!


To end on a lighter note, some cell phone pics below of the beautiful Big Apple around five in the afternoon. NY and London are certainly "Globemaster" cities馃槈...very appropriate locations to wear your Globemaster @Longbow!馃榾. I was wearing my Speed XI-45th yesterday on the heli tour. BTW the Omega boutique on 5th avenue was the busiest of all the watch boutiques I visited during my stay and the only one that offered coffee and sparkling water...Flying back to Rio this evening. Cheers.
 
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Hi Guys. Check this photos out !

There"s this dude called Deuxani in social media who was so pissed off with New Rolex Air King because of the messy, unbalanced dial & legibility issues.He brilliantly photoshopped the Air King & wants Rolex to take notice of his design

New Explorer & New Air King 2016
de528ddd003001c60b8cb1b2c3b858a9.jpg
" Politically Corrected " Air King Version
4f69cb71ac30176b526b53dbd698a445.jpg
Makes more sense to me....
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Really horrible and nasty looking tool/sports watches from omega this year. I am an omega fan but what are they thinking?!?

AirKing is horrible too but the rest of the Rolexes are really stunning imho. Rolex does a really good job when it comes to building upon the past and not just imitating the past. Contrary what people say, its NOT the BLING that is attractive. It is the robust modern materials combined with perfect proportions and classy design. Over time, it will age really gracefully and the little scratches on the modern material adds character. They don't need to make fake patina modern watches. Why don't you understand, OMEGA?!

I never really understood Rolex until I owned one. I thought I will not like modern but now I find my modern seriously competing for wrist time.
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Contrary what people say, its NOT the BLING that is attractive.

We agree on that 100% In fact I think it's not attractive at all.

It is the robust modern materials combined with perfect proportions and classy design.

Well, they were perfect until they started their size increases, ended up with weird looking lugs...with narrow bracelets. The proportions all look very off to me now...

But yes I think Omega jumped the shark a bit at Basel this year for sure.
 
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Well, they were perfect until they started their size increases, ended up with weird looking lugs...with narrow bracelets. The proportions all look very off to me now...
But yes I think Omega jumped the shark a bit at Basel this year for sure.

The proportions of Rolex's dials have also been out of whack for much of the last couple of generations. The Submariner markers are way too large for the available real estate, ditto the Explorer I's Arabic font. The Daytona's increased marker size was somewhat mitigated by the still-shiny stainless bezel, but now that they've gone to the black ceramic bezel the markers stand out WAY too much. And don't even start on the newest Yachtmasters aka "Bienne Invictas."

That being said I do agree that the Omega releases were mostly failures and too whiz-bang in trying to show off their available technologies without proper restraint - it happens to every manufacturer regardless of field. Hopefully their design and planning teams listen to the collective voices of journalists, industry types, consumers and fans.
 
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@yinzerniner The proportion of the sub looks fine to me IMHO. They did the smaller hour markers (non-maxi dial) but I think its less attractive than the maxi dial. Theres subtle differences but the new one doesn't try to be the old one.
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