Excellent review and pix -- and thanks for the update, good to see that you're still enjoying this beauty!

My AR has held up well, but I've experienced these micro-scratches on a few other watches, and am a bit surprised that Omega's doesn't hold up better. I wonder if this is something that can be addressed at service?

 

Probably with an expensive crystal replacement

 

Nice watch! Great review!

 

I made my first visit to an AD well over an hour away today. First time seeing Omega in the metal. Rolex dealers are easy to find, not quite so with Omega. Based on online photos, I was thinking blue dial, but the only 300M left at this AD was the gold on black with rubber strap. I am not sold on the rubber, but the watch, itself is a stunner! The 41mm Aqua Terra fit my 17.75cm wrist nicely, the 42mm SMPc less so.

Great choice on that gold/black colorway. I think it is a little more unique than some of the other options, without being overly colorful.

 

Anyone else having experience with the top of the lugs easily marking up when taking knocks, even light ones.

Not precious about it, as a watch is for wearing. But just something I have noticed.

 

Was thinking about this watch. Stories about them losing time, ahh not so good.

The METAS certification, I think is supposed to simulate the watch being worn. Or at least this website says so. Quote from it, quote,
"AVERAGE DAILY PRECISION OF THE WATCH
This test runs over 4 days and checks the daily precision of the watch in real life wearing conditions."


This website can be found by googling for:
What is a MASTER CHRONOMETER and who is METAS? Omega marks a new standard of quality, going well beyond the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC) certification.
by Alexander Linz.
Watch-Insider. (Sorry but I can't add links. I think it's because I am a new forum member.)

At the end of the article is says this:
The ultimate goal of all that testing is to ensure that the Omega watch will keep 0 / +5 seconds a day under all conditions!

Meaning the 2018 Seamaster 8800 calibre is supposed to stay within METAS guidelines during normal daily life. Not just during its METAS tests. (I read some posts in this thread that contradicted that.)

Who is right? It's possible to read the METAS (.pdf) paper on this. However - nightmare document to read. Will have to have a proper go.


However two more pages say that METAS certified watches by Omega should not run slow for the user. (Again you will have to google the web page titles.)
1. Omega Master Co-Axial Offocially Certified (by METAS) Announced. (Warning: Long and Opinionated.)
A link from that page goes to the following page
2. Talking to Stephen Urquhart, President of Omega, about the new METAS certification for Omega.


It does seem that METAS certified watches should run during daily life, within certification.

 

My (Blue!) SMP 8800, Purchased in September, worn daily has run consistently +4sec/day, I had hoped, based, on the METAS report, it would run in the +1.5sec/day, but perhaps my expectations are too demanding for a mechanical watch. My Speedmaster is fairly consistent at +5sec/day unless I am careless and get it near a magnet. I am going to give in to the urge to buy a Timegrapher to see what effect different positions have so I can determine the best position to place it when I'm not wearing it.

 

Do you need a Timegrapher just for that? I searched for the fastest position (as mine is slightly slow) by leaving it for 24 hours in each position.

 

Appreciate the review and am happy to discover others share the same research penchant before purchase. I acquired this, my first Omega, last week and am very pleased overall with the purchase but, like you, appear to be losing about 1 second per day. I will try the face down tip tonight to see if it offsets any time loss tendency. Not a deal breaker for me as it is far more accurate than my Rolex Sub at this early stage.

I prefer the appearance and wrist feel of the Sub's bracelet to the SMP's metal option so chose the black rubber strap and do not regret it. Comfortable, modestly handsome and fairly versatile.

I also worried a bit about the wave pattern that appeared a little too pronounced in some of the review closeups but can confirm it wears far more subtle as a daily driver.

Daytime legibility is superb and at night the hour markers are truly visible but would agree with QP's review indicating that the lume on the skeleton hands underperforms in the dark as compared to a set of arrow/sword style that have more lume real estate to work with.

Bezel accuracy is great and it stops precisely where you want it to but grip is a bit of a challenge and an area where the Sub truly outperforms in comparison. To be fair, I have 30 year old TAG that offers better bezel purchase under suboptimal (wet, slippery) conditions. The crown vs. a Sub suffers a bit from this same comparative grip issue but I'm really splitting hairs here.

Overall, I really like this timepiece and am seriously considering the Speedy Pro -Sapphire on strap if anyone has any thoughts on their ownership experience.

Thanks again for the candid review.

 

I've thought about getting a Timegrapher as well, just holding off for now. I want to measure it more, but maybe I'm just a bit too paranoid.

 

I really find these long term reviews SO helpful. Thank you!

 

First: apologies for exhuming an older thread. But I have to ask: how noisy is the rotor during normal wear?

 

During normal wear, I don't notice it...
Now I pay attention to it, you can hear it when you force the rotor to make a bigger movement.

 

I've had my watch for one week today and have been wearing in the day and taking off at night and leaving on bedside table. I set by gmt and after a week it has gained 6 seconds. I don't hear the rotor at all. My only gripes are the 30 minute marker on bezel doesn't line up exactly to the 30 min marker on dial. Its very slight but I notice it. The other is the lume is not as bright as other watches that I have. I enclose my metas results

 

I just bought this exact reference but on the rubber strap, intended for daily wear in all situations. A little worried by your comments on the AR coating and the scratches! It looks practically transparent right now because its so beautifully done. Damn... not looking forward to those first crystal scratches...

 

As a follow up on my watch, I love it today just as much as I did the first month I owned it. No problems or issues with the watch at all.
I don't look at the back of the watch as much as I want to. So busy with work and family things. But it's nice to have a quiet moment and take a look at the back of the watch and see the movement working. I usually take the watch off anytime I work on landscaping on my property.

I was not sure if I was going to be happy with my first blue dial watch (wishing I had a black dial) but I am very happy with my choice. I honestly am thinking about also purchasing it in black and add a black rubber bracelet as well as having the metal one for a different look. The other option is to get the black and gold version which is a little dresser and a little more different.

 

I have had this for one year as of today. I have absolutely no complaints. I wear it almost everyday, thought I don't wear it 24/7. I wear it when I walk the dog, when I exercise, on the weekends, and when I am puttering about the house.

It keeps great time. I'm not an accuracy freak, but I do love that keeps such great time. I use WatchCheck to set my watches, and I last set the time on September 3, at -0.8 seconds. It's October 10 and it is -7.8 seconds slow. Over 38 days. That's -0.2 s/d. That's insane for a mechanical watch.

I wear this or my AQT8900 when I work from home. The office gave me an ASUS Zenbook with an absurdly powerful magnetic hinge. It has magnetized my Seiko more than a few times. The 8800 and 8900 feel NOTHING!

I find that many non-enamel white dials look cheap and plastic-ey. They are tricky to get right. This and the EXPII Polar are the best non-enamel white dial watches sold.

I have two niggles. Not complaints. I said I didn't have any complaints. Just niggles, because nothing is perfect.

1. It's heavy on the bracelet. Many people like that. I am agnostic about heavy watches, but I did notice its weight while on the bracelet. It's on the OEM rubber now, and it's lighter (though a bit top heavy), and it's likely to stay on the rubber if only because it fits so securely. It was a bitch to put on and it will be a bitch to take off. Also, the rubber strap, interestingly enough, makes it look more elegant, and less dive watch.

2. Not the most legible at night. The black hands don't catch fragments of street lighting like the rhodium hands do, so it has to rely on the solely on the lume for nighttime legibility.

It's an awesome watch. Accurate and tough and quite the looker. The best overall value dive watch you can buy, bar none.

 

I agree with pretty much everything you wrote. I will add that, in my opinion, the white 300 looks fantastic on a Nato too.

 

I am the proud owner of a blue SMP and have been wearing it a week. I have to say that I am in total agreement with the OP about this watch on everything except the metal bracelet. My SMP was purchased 2nd hand and I was blessed to receive 3 different straps... the metal bracelet, the Omega rubber strap and an Omega NATO. I have to say that the metal bracelet is horrendous. There is no possible way to get any comfort from it, which by the way is such a letdown after owning 2 other older SMP’s with both the Bond style bracelet and the Speedy style. Omega bracelets used to be so much better than Rolex, but this bracelet totally misses the mark in every way. I put it on the rubber strap and forget that I’m wearing it.
My watch is also running a bit slow as compared to the METAS data. I previously owned an Aqua Terra with the 8500 movement and it was a consistent +1 per day. (Boy do I wish I had kept that watch and so regret selling it). I wonder if the reason the 8800 runs slow is because it doesn’t have 2 mainsprings like the 8500? Would it be worth sending it off to have it regulated over -1 to -2 seconds per day? Since my watch was purchased 2nd hand, would regulating it be covered under the factory warranty?

 

Nice model! Pictures are really appreciated though.