Steinhart GMT Ocean 1 - Review

[roadcarver]

I finally got the Steinhart GMT Ocean 1 and took pictures of it last night, but the pictures did not do the watch justice when I discarded those. This morning, I took better pictures of the watch. The watch came in a nice piano box finish, and was protected by a white card board box that had Steinhart's logo and their slogan "Just in time".

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l122/roadcarver/steinhart/cardboard.jpg

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l122/roadcarver/steinhart/pianobox.jpg

My impressions:

The watch is quite heavy, and it is 42mm in size, and it dwarfs my 14060. Visually it is the same size as my Omega Seamaster Pro Chrono diver and Seiko 200m Divers. The movement is based on the 21 jewel ETA 2893-2, with date and GMT hand complications. It is running at 28800 bph and so far in 24 hours been keeping correct time.

I based the time off my 14060 and I must say after a month of getting it, I am off by 10 seconds, which translates to +0.5 secs per day!!! Wow! Yayyyy Rolex!!!:cheers:

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l122/roadcarver/steinhart/cushion.jpg

Bezel is very easy to grib and is rather thick. It aligns itself perfectly at 12 o'clock (as for the photos, I forgot to set it back to 12 :dummy: ) The feel of the bezel click is the same as the Seamaster. Various colours are available for the bezel... black/red ; blue/red ; black ; black/orange. I got the black/red.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l122/roadcarver/steinhart/face.jpg

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l122/roadcarver/steinhart/angle.jpg

Side tracking to bezel feel and clicks, I would rate the following:

1. Seiko 200m as the best feel and grip
2. Omega SMP and Steinhart would be tied
3. Rolex 14060

The bracelet is constructed very well, and quite heavy (hybrid between oyster and SMP bracelet construction). It uses screws as opposed to links, and no problem removing the screw links with a 1mm screw driver. This bracelet also comes with a divers extension, probably enough for a 7-8" wrist, although this watch will not see any depth past 6 feet :rofl:

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l122/roadcarver/steinhart/bracelet.jpg

The clasp snaps into place positively which is pleasing.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l122/roadcarver/steinhart/braceletzoom.jpg

The crown which is signed also screws in and out as smooth as butta however it lacks that trip lock seal that our 300m depth rated Rolex time pieces have. However it is depth rated for 1000m/300ft.

One thing noticeable about this watch is that there are no sharp edges on this watch, unlike the 14060, the lug ends were quite pointed, although it did not bother me at all.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l122/roadcarver/steinhart/linksout.jpg

Now for the lume. Lume is decent for this watch, however it is not as bright as my Seiko 200m divers, but at night with decent charge (I got the watch last night and only had brief exposure to light), it was decent in dark situations. The pearl, hands (hour, min, sec and gmt), as well as the hour markers. At about 5 am, I checked the watch, there was some traces of charge left, but not a lot.

Apparently, there are two versions of the GMT Ocean 1 from Steinhart. The first version that they manufactured did not have an independently adjustable GMT hand. Apparently, they intended to manufacture one from the beginning with the independent GMT!

I have to say that there customer service does preceedes them. In my earlier posting in Baptistman's post, they offered me free shipping and honoured a coupon after the fact! That is sooo great!

What watch overall is very good in terms of contruction, and quality as well as the movement being a workhorse from ETA. I've always wanted a GMT, and now I have one :-)

Finally, the family is complete...

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l122/roadcarver/steinhart/familyshot.jpg

Hope you enjoy my mini review of the watch.

[JJ Irani]

Nice review, Vernon.:thumbsup: That watch could easily be mistaken for a Rolex GMT-II at first glance.

JJ

[Pete]

great lookin watch....cant wait to see it on nov 4!!

Pete

[Launch Mini]

Looks great.:thumbsup:
Hope your bringin your whole collection:cheers:

[Baptistman]

excellent review, puts mine to shame :chuckle: I am going to order a GMT in the next week or so, just not sure which bezel combo to go for.

:cheers:

[roadcarver]

I will bring my small collection to the GTG! Gotta find a safe way to transport 'em.

[roadcarver]

Thanks Jon.

Choosing the bezel colour combo is the hard part! :banghead:

excellent review, puts mine to shame :chuckle: I am going to order a GMT in the next week or so, just not sure which bezel combo to go for.

:cheers:

[Baptistman]

you mentioned 2nd generation version, are all the new ones 2nd generation, or do you have to specify?

[roadcarver]

I got on the phone with their "live support" when I was about to purchase and he explained to me the history behind it. All their new ones are second gen.

www.watchseller.com is selling a 1st gen one (black/red bezel) for $395, much cheaper than the one I got for $525. However, I wanted to have the GMT hand to be independently adjustable as opposed to it being adjusted only when the hour hand is changed.

[roadcarver]

Thanks JJ!! I agree easily it could be mistaken for one for a split second only though :thumbsup:

Nice review, Vernon.:thumbsup: That watch could easily be mistaken for a Rolex GMT-II at first glance.

JJ

[dff3]

Thanks for the great review on the Steinhart. I spent months looking for something more of a knock-a-bout than a new Submariner. I finally saw a Steinhart about two weeks after I bought an O&W M-4 (just to remind me of my love of Submariners) complete with Sapphire and fitterd with a screw-type watchband instead of the pin-type it comes with. The O&W is basically priced the same as some of the Steinharts with the same movements but -- to me -- you're looking at much more watch in the Steinhart. Although I have nothing to really say bad about the O&W M-4 -- I do miss any sense of it being sculpted out of one solid piece of stainless. Side by side, the O&W looks like it's worth about half of the Steinhart.

Many happy years with that.

[roadcarver]

Glad you enjoyed the review.

Do you have pictures of your M-4?

Thanks for the great review on the Steinhart. I spent months looking for something more of a knock-a-bout than a new Submariner. I finally saw a Steinhart about two weeks after I bought an O&W M-4 (just to remind me of my love of Submariners) complete with Sapphire and fitterd with a screw-type watchband instead of the pin-type it comes with. The O&W is basically priced the same as some of the Steinharts with the same movements but -- to me -- you're looking at much more watch in the Steinhart. Although I have nothing to really say bad about the O&W M-4 -- I do miss any sense of it being sculpted out of one solid piece of stainless. Side by side, the O&W looks like it's worth about half of the Steinhart.

Many happy years with that.

[just00]

Just purchased a steinhart ocean 1 and im amazed at the quality i mostly own omega speedmasters and i have to put the quality of the outside build of theses watches on par with the omega not sure about the internals tho havent got the balls 2 open them up 2 be honest! lol

[rzielinski]

Rolex Submariner Date VS Steinhart Ocean 1.
The Steinhart is bigger and heavier then Rolex. It looks like Steihart is stronger built then Rolex. The bracelet has better clasp on Steinhart. The clasp on Rolex is a bad design and will open sometimes when I jump into the pool. The look of Steinhart is solid and attractive. My Rolex is very accurate. It is fast by two seconds a day. My Steinhart is fast by 12 seconds a day, strait from the factory. It needs to be adjusted. Rolex has its own mechanism and it is superior to Steinhart. However Steihart uses ETA 2824-2 movement, which is a work horse used in Tag Heuer, Oris, and many more higher priced watches. My Steihart has a yellow bezel so it will not be confused with Rolex. Steinhart will look good on bigger guys since it is a bigger and heavier watch then Rolex Submariner. Since Rolex is lighter it is more comfortable on your wrist. Except the bad clasp on Rolex, everything else is perfect. Steinhart has come very close with its attention to details, but Rolex is still superior. Steihart is a very good watch for the money.
Rolex is the legend. Almost every diver watch today got something from Rolex Submariner. Since the Sub has the superior movement and the legacy its price is justified. Steinhart Ocean 1 is a very attractive watch and has a great value.
Thanks for your time.
Robert from California.

[directioneng]

Are these made by Grovana and badged Steinhart or are there some changes made to the movement?

[President]

They're not made by Grovana, see my blog post.

Here (http://swisswrist.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html)

[TARDIS]

Hey Vernon that's a great review of your watch and the photo's are excellent as well. Congratulations.

To me, this appears to be the best 'homage' GMT Master II I have so far seen.

Sapphire crystal?

I am saving for a GMT function watch. I have been aiming for a pre-owned Exp II, but this one has me intrigued.

Steve.

[roadcarver]

Hey Steve,

This watch has a sapphire crystal and its about 42mm. Its bigger than the Rolex GMT, but the overall finish is good.

One thing that they should do is remove the luminous dot from the bezel, this would really make it a GMT II homage.

The crown is also large enough to easily grip.

I've since flipped this watch since I don't really need a GMT function. Check out TZ as some folks are selling these.

If you are going to buy a Steinhart GMT, make sure that you have the second generation of it which allows for independent GMT hand adjustment.

Hey Vernon that's a great review of your watch and the photo's are excellent as well. Congratulations.

To me, this appears to be the best 'homage' GMT Master II I have so far seen.

Sapphire crystal?

I am saving for a GMT function watch. I have been aiming for a pre-owned Exp II, but this one has me intrigued.

Steve.

[TARDIS]

Hey Steve,

This watch has a sapphire crystal and its about 42mm. Its bigger than the Rolex GMT, but the overall finish is good.

One thing that they should do is remove the luminous dot from the bezel, this would really make it a GMT II homage.

The crown is also large enough to easily grip.

I've since flipped this watch since I don't really need a GMT function. Check out TZ as some folks are selling these.

If you are going to buy a Steinhart GMT, make sure that you have the second generation of it which allows for independent GMT hand adjustment.


Thanks for the comeback Vernon. I think I will still carry on saving for the white dial Exp II. Worth the wait I think.

Steve

[roadcarver]

I think Jeff / Colemantis is selling a Exp II but not sure if its a while dial or not.

Check out TZ for his posts.

Correction: it is a black dial Exp II.

http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2865163&rid=0


Thanks for the comeback Vernon. I think I will still carry on saving for the white dial Exp II. Worth the wait I think.

Steve

[Interested Bystander]

Very nice review, I sure hope the Ocean 1 is a good watch for the money. I am waiting on one to arrive in a couple of days. This review coming from a Rolex owner I would imagine I'll be very happy when I get it.

[directioneng]

They're not made by Grovana, see my blog post.

Here (http://swisswrist.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html)


I can't work out who makes what sometimes - my apologies.:thumbsup:

http://www.chronomaster.co.uk/revue_thommen.htm

[Interested Bystander]

I have to say as far as looks goes the Ocean 1 is a real good looking watch. It seems to be running 8-10 seconds fast a day with no adjustments yet.

Looking in my drawer I have a Bulova Millenia and a Citizen, both quartz watches, I really like the mechanical movement and like the sweeping second hand much more than the click click click of a quartz.

Steinhart cannot be faulted at all with their customer service reviews, they sent me three emails alerting me about where the watch was on its was to the house. I gave it a good review and have been emailed by a VP and the CEO both.

The bracelet links were very easy for me to remove and adjust without paying to get it done and within a month I hope to get a good enough watch tool to open the back to adjust the watch movement for accuracy.

I'm no WIS yet, but I do love watches, haven't decided yet whether or not to start collecting for an Omega or Rolex, but within a couple of years of eating luches at Wendy's and suppers at home I may can swing it. We will see, but for a first really dressy looking watch the Steinhart is nice and relatively cheap, for having an ETA movement, Sapphire crystal, etc.

[johnL]

First time post for me so please forgive any inadvertant missteps. Enjoyed reading about the Steinhart GMT. I have a question that I am hoping one of you experienced folks can help me with.
I have a Steinhart Ocean 1. I love it! I always wanted a GMT so decided to take the plunge.
Here's the issue - The 24-hour GMT hand points exactly at the hour marker when the minute hand is 15 minutes past the hour. When the minute hand is on 12, the GMT hand is one marker before the hour marker. I returned the watch to Steinhart. Their customer service really is exemplary. I can't say enough good things about them. They sent me another new one - same problem. Returned it, they sent me another new one. To my relief the GMT hand aligned perfectly and the watch kept perfect time... for two days. Then, the third day I looked at it, the GMT hand had "slipped" back one notch and like the others is now one marker behind. The last 5 days it has stayed exactly one marker behind. The GMT hand sets ahead in 30 minute increments so I can either leave the GMT hand one marker behind or can set it to one marker ahead of where it should be. Anybody have any experience with this? Am I missing something? Is this something that is easily fixed? Other than the GMT hand the watch keeps perfect time and I love the look and feel. Thanks in advance. John L

[Shawncivic21]

excellent review, puts mine to shame :chuckle: I am going to order a GMT in the next week or so, just not sure which bezel combo to go for.

:cheers:

BLUE!:thumbsup:

[Baptistman]

They're not made by Grovana, see my blog post.

Here (http://swisswrist.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html)

can 100% verify, they are made by grovana using grovanas private labelling facility.

[directioneng]

As are 'Robert'.

[doc_colton]

I just picked up a "Pepsi" version pre-owned Ocean 1 for a very reasonable price. The thing is built like a tank. Runs about 4 seconds fast per day. Great watch for the money, the perfect "beater"!

Mine came with an extra bezel insert in black. Anyone know if you swap them out the same way as with the GMT Master?

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Excellent review, Vernon!

Congrats on your 4,000th. post, too!

[Terry Newton]

Great review. Nice looking watch. Rugged looking and appears to be well made. I think it's sharp and a lot of watch for the money.

Terry Newton

[Perdu]

Very nice watch and great job on the review.

[Scarface]

Nice one, enjoy it :thumbsup:
How does the steel feels compared to Rolex 904 grade?

[Icyguava]

Hi all. I'm new here and this is my first post.

It took me some reading on the net for Steinhart's feedback before I decided to purchase the GMT (black). After placing my order last Saturday, I finally got my watch from Fedex delivery this morning. I must say I'm very pleased with the turn-around time since I stayed in Singapore.

However, I was really disappointed shortly the moment I checked the winding. This is what I've wrote to Steinhart immediately:

Firstly, the GMT hand does not rotate smoothly, but rather moves every 2.5 second mark as i turn the crown. Also, it only moves once after about a full turn on the crown.

Secondly, as I wind the Min/Hr hands, the GMT hand rotates slower than the hour hand. That is not in sync with the Hr hand.

Hopefully they would attend to my enquiry soon.


Guava.

[directioneng]

Hi,

IMO that sounds about right to me for the 24 hr GMT hand and the hour hand.

The GMT hand should rotate at half the hour hand speed. The 2.5 second represents 24 divisions.

[Icyguava]

Hi,

IMO that sounds about right to me for the 24 hr GMT hand and the hour hand.

The GMT hand should rotate at half the hour hand speed. The 2.5 second represents 24 divisions.

Gosh...! There's certainly no better way to embarrass myself :dummy:

Thank you for your sharing. :cheers:

[asadtiger]

hey Guava!..welcome to TRF :)
theres no getting embarrassed here..I asked a load of stupid questions(still do) and good techy people here always have a good techy answer..even I didn't know this amazing thing Eddie pointed out, about 2.5 sec representing 24 divisions eventually..didnt notice it like that..hope you enjoy your new watch :)