Omega SMPc 8800 long term review

scapa

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?

Tom vanDal

Great long-term review!
Just got mine this weekend and it goes currently 3s/day fast, will keep track how it evolves in the next weeks/months.

PhilF

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.

borre

Before I bought my new SMP 8800 in September, I read every (what I could find) review and watched every YouTube video about the watch. Almost all reviews and YouTube videos are of new owners or reviewers that have the watch on loan from an AD. Until now, I think what is missing is a review after a couple of months daily usage of this watch. This is exactly what I will do in this post… my thoughts after more than 3 months of daily (and nightly) wear of the SMPc 8800. I will try to be as honest as possible… but as an owner you are always biased to some extend…

WAVES

My first feelings with the watch after seeing the first pictures after Baselworld were mixed. I liked everything, but the wave pattern on the dial gave me some doubts. Still today, I don't like the waves on pictures, but in real life, everything changed! In reality the waves are much less of an eye catcher than on pictures, much more subtle. I can say I even like the waves, the way the dial catches light and reflects is different each time, depending on the angle. Sometimes the waves are very light gray, sometimes deep black… It' s definitely not a boring watch. The waves don't give a too busy impression, this was one of my fears before getting the watch.

DIAL

The rest of the dial is superb… The big raised indices go very well with the updated skeleton hands. The legibility is top! Before I saw the watch in the metal, I had some doubts on the second track, but eventually nothing to dislike. The new position of the date window is a positive change according to me, the dial is very balanced because of this. What I also like is that the date window has no frame, very minimalistic, goes very well on this dial. Some regret the absence of an applied Omega logo, but on this dial with already bold indices, I think it's good the logo isn't applied. It would make the dial a little busier than needed.

The red accents on the dial look fantastic on the ceramic black background.

CRYSTAL

The double AR coated crystal looks as if it's not there! Visually it's a stunning crystal. Unfortunately the crystal also leads to the first negative point… After a little over 3 months daily usage, the AR coating has its first scratches. These scratches are very thin, an can only be seen under the correct light angle under LED lights, still… sometimes I do notice them! I was VERY gentle with the watch until now, only wore it at my desk and other 'light' activities. Whenever I thought there was a risk of damaging the watch, I switched watches. My other diver is a TAG Heuer Aquaracer WAN2111. The Aquaracer has a couple of years daily usage, and also has a double AR coated crystal. On the Aquaracer, no scratches can be found in the AR coating! It is still in 100% top condition. I didn't expect this from a new Omega, at least I expected it to be scratch resistant as the TAG. Fortunately, most of the time, this scratches are not visible at all. I tried to get a picture of the scratches, but I don't succeed to get it visible on picture…

BEZEL

The bezel of the new SMP has a very solid feel. What I really don't like is when a bezel is turned unintentionally when hitting or rubbing against something. This has never happened with this bezel. Still it's not too difficult to turn the bezel when you need to turn it. On my watch, there is no play in the bezel and lines up perfectly on the 12 o'clock position. Esthetically the scalloped bezel was one of the reasons to buy this watch, so distinctive… looks beautiful. The ceramic inlay and enamel numbers and indicators have a high quality appearance.

CASE

The case of the Omega is a beauty! The way Omega plays with polished and brushed surfaces is very nice… However, there are some complaints about the size increase of the SMP to 42mm. Personally, this didn't bother me at all until now (for your reference, I have a 17cm wrist). Also the thickness (slightly more than the previous gen SMP) is (again according to my feeling) well balanced with the size of the watch. The SMP doesn’t feel thick on the wrist, nor thin… Just right. I also tried the PO's when buying this watch, there you notice the thickness much more (same with the Tudor Pelagos, that I also tried, feels much thicker).

Another element that created some noise is the update HE valve. Honestly, I hardly notice it is there… Nothing good or bad I can say about it… It's just there and doesn't bother me.

What bothers me (very) slightly is the fact the Omega logo on the crown doesn't line up when screwing in the crown. It’s a small detail, but I can appreciate when the crown logo lines up with the case.

Another point of improvement is the combination lugs + endlink. There is just this tiny bit of space on one side of the endlink and lug. I prefer that this is a really tight fit. In my opinion, this is something Rolex does better.

BRACELET

Talking about endlinks brings us to the bracelet. The bracelet has a unique design, something you don't see on every second watch.

You either like this design or you don't. I love it… The bracelet comes with two half links, very easy to get a good fit. To get the fit perfect, the clasp comes with 6 micro adjustment positions that you move with a push on the button, very convenient. The bracelet + watch wears very comfortable (I wear the SMP 24/7).

MOVEMENT and ACCURACY

One of the features I love on this watch is the display case back. Although a lot of people prefer a steel case back on a diver I like the fact I can admire the 8800 movement. So far the 8800 is keeping great time. My SMP loses between 1 and 1,5 second per day. Now this brings us at a very strange thing… according to my METAS test results, my clock averaged + 2,8 seconds per day during the METAS test. The +2,8 seconds per day, is the average rate of the 6 positions they measure (equally weighted). Still, the -1,5 is very far away from the METAS test results, and that made me curious… how is this possible (yes I know the 2,8 is an average…). I started measuring myself (test cycles of 24 hours per position) the 6 positions, this is what I measured:

• DIAL UP : -3,2 s/d
• DIAL DOWN : +3,0 s/d
• 12 UP : -1,9 s/d
• 6 UP : -3,2 s/d
• 3 UP : -0,1 s/d
• 9 UP : +0,5 s/d

When I average my test results, I get -0,82 seconds/day. This is VERY far of the +2,8 seconds per day tested by METAS. I really wonder how this is possible. Anyone an idea? Please post in the comments. I can also tell you that the rate didn't change over the last 3 months, it's very stable.

My tests results -0,82 s/d is closer to what I see in reality (-1 to -1,5) with my wearing habits. Preferably the clock should run a little fast instead of slow, but at this point in time I don't mind this too much. I don't think it's worth it to get it regulated, maybe I get it back at +3 s/d, worse than it runs today.

Another impressive feature of the movement is the date change, on my clock the date flips over between 105 and 90 seconds before midnights and it does this consistently, very nice!

I only let it run until empty on one occasion, the 8800 stopped after 60 hours. 5 hours more than the advertised 55 hours.

LUME

Lume is great! When not properly charged, the lume on the hands is less visible, except for the tip of the hands where there is more lume.

CONCLUSION

The new SMP 8800 is a stunner! Except for the AR coating sensitivity and the deviation of the accuracy compared to the METAS tests I don't have any complaints about the watch so far.

Mine is already collecting some minor scratches on the bracelet, but that’s the life of a daily wearer, isn't it?

Do you have other experiences with this watch, or remarks on my review, let me know below.

1 YEAR UPDATE

After one year of ownership and (almost) daily wear, I don't have much new to add...
The accuracty hasn't changed. It is just a fraction slow, but face down it speeds up a little bit.
The AR coating seems to be the most sensitive part of the watch. In most lighting the (very very) small scratches in the AR coating are not visible, but under very bright halogen light and the 'correct' angle, they become visible. Still, the AR coating is an added value, under most conditions the crystal is invisible.
I love the bracelet on this watch, unique design, lot's of options to adjust and very comfortable.

Still very happy with the Seamaster! Definitely a keeper...

PhilF

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.

T Tyro Rex

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

Desmodromic

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.

Rowdy

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 the everything that 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?