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10 February 2022, 07:20 AM | #1 |
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Omega Seamaster GMT (2234.50) or Tudor GMT?
Hi All,
I am considering a new watch. I currently own the NTTD, but I have never really got on with it because it has no date or gmt function (both which I use daily); in addition, it is almost impossible to see in low-light situations. Accordingly, it's pretty but relatively useless at its job. I have surveyed the forums and there are a number of posts asking for Tudor GMT to non-GMT Seamasters, but nothing about the 2234.50 -- they seem quite unpopular (apart from the great white, which I don't really like) My dalliance with GMTs is long and a bit disappointing. I have owned several 1675s and 16753s -- all of which seem to give up on me for the same reason (stalling) and require thousands in Rolex servicing. I have had some Bremont GMTs, but they're really thick and I like a bracelet (Bremont's bracelets don't match their case). I have had a 2535.80.00, which I liked apart from the blue dial, the short gmt hand, the diver's bezel, and the fact that it was the ugliest watch I have ever owned. I have also tried a Seiko SNR033 (for about a week before I sold it), but I can't get into the spring drive thing and the cases are much too big. I have also tried the Tudor, but I found that it had a funny 'top-heavy' balance and flopped around on my wrist dreadfully. I am willing to give it another go, though, as it ticks all the boxes. I'd consider a 216570, but they're too much coin for me at the moment and the bezel isn't functional. My perfect watch would be a 1675 with a less fragile movement in it (I have had 4 now -- all of them failed in the same way). They are the perfect blend of proportions and aesthetic preferences for me. However, they are not really an option, as I have a pretty hard life, they're very expensive, and in my experience, not terribly reliable. Accordingly, I am looking for something that is more robust and also a traveller's gmt around 40/41mm. So I am considering going back to the Tudor or trying a 50th Anniversary Omega, which I believe has a modified ETA movement in it. The Tudor has their new movement which has suffered from some date wheel issue. However, a 12 month old Tudor (with a brand new movement to fix the date wheel issue) is the same price as an SMP300GMT -- and is 24 years younger! I don't really care about the vintage thing; I like watches because of the way they look not their vintage. Nevertheless, I am a bit reluctant to go with the Omega due to the bezel and wavy dial (neither of which I like). The question is, which which would you choose and why? The Tudor or the SMP? (I'd love to post photos -- I have lots to share -- but since we left Tapatalk, I have been unable to do so because the website always objects to my photo sizes for some reason).
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The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. SS Submariner no date 1992 (sold); SS GMT II 2007 (sold); SS GMT II C 2008 ('M' series) (sold); SS Sub C 2011 (sold); BB GMT 1971 (sold); Omega 50th GMT |
10 February 2022, 08:20 AM | #2 |
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I have a 1675/3 GMT, which I do adore but as you say, it would be nice to have working lume on the watch and something I like to look at. I too am interested in the OSM 2234.50 and did try one on at the Real Real that wasn't working, and had no box or papers but they still wanted $2800 for it. Nope! IMHO, it does look nice in the flesh and fit my 7.25" wrist perfectly.
There are actually 3 versions. The 2534.50 with butterfly clasp, 2234.50 with standard bracelet and clasp and I think just a brushed finish, and a 2536.50 special limited edition Jerry Lopez version with a graphic on the case back showing the Hawaiian islands and some hibiscus flowers. He was a surfing legend back in the day. I like that last one most of all but they don't come up often with only 999 produced. I will be interested to see comments on this topic too. |
19 February 2022, 05:44 AM | #3 |
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Between those two id take the tudor probably but im holding out hope for bb58 gmt.
I've tried on a Tudor GMT on a nato and have also tried the NTTD. I am also looking for a nice travelers watch as well and love the Pepsi look but have been disappointed as there seems to be not a lot of affordable/attainable options out there. There are a lot of Desk-GMT's that dont have real GMT movements (jumping hour hand etc) and can be fragile, which is disappointing. I recommend taking a look at the worldtimer from omega, they can go for less than MSRP when used and I believe the CEO of Omega wears one (at least on one video I saw in fall 2021) and they look great in person. Also, iirc grand seiko make real GMT movements and some of their GMT models can be quite affordable, dont know if they are tough though. I wasn't terribly impressed with the Tudor in person (especially on the stock nato strap) as the legibility of the dial doesn't perform as well as the GMT Master II IMHO. I was also not terribly impressed with the newer GMT explorer as I cant really relate to cave exploration and the orange 24hr hand isnt my cup of tea. Also anyone who's been intimately involved with rock knows that a Rolex+Rock would not mix... You may also want to take a look at Monta, and farer (who dont make real GMT's but have some cool dials nonetheless) |
24 February 2022, 10:46 AM | #4 | ||
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I have considered Monta, but I don't like their crowns or the kinked GMT hand; they're also not a traveller's GMT. I reached out to them to see if they would lume their bezel, as they have for their other bezeled watches -- they will not, and they were quite rude about it, which surprised me.
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The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. SS Submariner no date 1992 (sold); SS GMT II 2007 (sold); SS GMT II C 2008 ('M' series) (sold); SS Sub C 2011 (sold); BB GMT 1971 (sold); Omega 50th GMT |
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24 February 2022, 10:51 AM | #5 | ||
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BTW, loving the handle! Big Whovian here! LOL
__________________
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. SS Submariner no date 1992 (sold); SS GMT II 2007 (sold); SS GMT II C 2008 ('M' series) (sold); SS Sub C 2011 (sold); BB GMT 1971 (sold); Omega 50th GMT |
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3 April 2022, 08:14 AM | #6 |
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I recently went through a similar decision and went with the Omega 2534.50. I just prefer the sword hands and the Seamaster case.
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3 April 2022, 11:52 AM | #7 |
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I did indeed buy one just recently, a 2534.50. I like it but it is probably something you should try on first to see if you like it. The lume is great on this watch! It burns bright into the wee hours of the morning. That was definitely one of the criteria for this watch—solid lume. And it does not disappoint, even if it is somewhat old. It is a travelers GMT too so very easy to set and change the date.
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3 April 2022, 03:23 PM | #8 |
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I'd pick the Tudor GMT without hesitation.
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The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life. |
3 April 2022, 05:15 PM | #9 |
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Expand your horizons and check out the vast range of Grand Seiko GMT's
They are leading the rest on design and models at the moment. Plus if you travel they will not make you look like a neon sign saying rob me. Also a JLC Reverso duel time travel is a nice take on the GMT theme |
4 April 2022, 03:39 AM | #10 |
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I wouldn’t get an Omega Worldtimer. All those will be rendered inaccurate when legislation passes in US to do away with turning clocks back in the fall.
They’re already wrong half the year anyway, so that’s always been something I don’t like about them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
4 April 2022, 12:10 PM | #11 | |
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Quote:
__________________
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. SS Submariner no date 1992 (sold); SS GMT II 2007 (sold); SS GMT II C 2008 ('M' series) (sold); SS Sub C 2011 (sold); BB GMT 1971 (sold); Omega 50th GMT |
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4 April 2022, 12:21 PM | #12 | |
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The Reversos DT are nice as a dress watch, but much of my life is spent wrenching on Land Rovers or putting up cedar roofs on heritage properties -- I need something pretty robust.
__________________
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. SS Submariner no date 1992 (sold); SS GMT II 2007 (sold); SS GMT II C 2008 ('M' series) (sold); SS Sub C 2011 (sold); BB GMT 1971 (sold); Omega 50th GMT |
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4 April 2022, 04:13 PM | #13 | |
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Omega Seamaster GMT (2234.50) or Tudor GMT?
Quote:
I’m not sure I’d consider the Worldtimer a dress watch. Quite the contrary, at 43mm it’s quite large for a dress watch. Plus, it’s way too complicated. In general a dress watch should have a clean, simple look without complications. A Worldtimer keeps track of all 24 time zones at once, and lists a corresponding city for each time zone. For example, New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, Beijing, Dubai, Moscow, etc. Problem is half of those don’t have Daylight Savings time and never change their clocks. So when you look at a Worldtimer, you’re never quite sure it’s really accurate on a city by city basis. When you shift the Worldtimer setting by 1 hour to adjust time for NY, LA or London, then it’s not reflecting the right time in Tokyo, Beijing, Moscow or Dubai (none of those countries change their clocks). Compounding the problem is that different countries change to daylight savings time on different dates, so in March and October, those Worldtimers are totally messed up. Finally, the USA is doing away with changing the clocks altogether. We’ll only be on Daylights savings (not standard time), so that renders the Worldtimer even more screwed up. They’ll need to completely re-design them. The worldtimer complication is really cool, but it’s only useful if every country on the planet agrees to stick with standard time. An Apple Watch or G-Shock can accurately keep track of time in all cities if that’s what you really need. A GMT is great for keeping track of two time zones. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk UI |
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4 April 2022, 07:45 PM | #14 |
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I'm surprised the new Black Bay Pro hasn't come up in this conversation yet (or did I miss it in the responses above?). If I'm looking for a traveler's GMT on a bracelet then this is probably my pick right now.
Longines also just introduced a new model featuring traveler's GMT functionality. |
5 April 2022, 04:04 AM | #15 | |
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5 April 2022, 05:37 AM | #16 | |
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I do think this is a sharp watch, though. Such a shame it's not 13.5mm thick.
__________________
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. SS Submariner no date 1992 (sold); SS GMT II 2007 (sold); SS GMT II C 2008 ('M' series) (sold); SS Sub C 2011 (sold); BB GMT 1971 (sold); Omega 50th GMT |
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5 April 2022, 05:53 AM | #17 | |||
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Quote:
Quote:
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__________________
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. SS Submariner no date 1992 (sold); SS GMT II 2007 (sold); SS GMT II C 2008 ('M' series) (sold); SS Sub C 2011 (sold); BB GMT 1971 (sold); Omega 50th GMT |
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5 April 2022, 08:08 AM | #18 |
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I get 24 hours out of my Apple Watch 7. Only takes about 20 to 30 mins to get to 100%. Newer versions are a huge improvement.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
5 April 2022, 08:15 AM | #19 |
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That's interesting to know, but I still have to take it off! I am looking forward to when they are kinetically or solar charged and I don't have to take it off at all. I imagine we're not that far off that now -- I have seen kick-starter campaigns for kinetically charged wrist watches already.
__________________
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. SS Submariner no date 1992 (sold); SS GMT II 2007 (sold); SS GMT II C 2008 ('M' series) (sold); SS Sub C 2011 (sold); BB GMT 1971 (sold); Omega 50th GMT |
5 April 2022, 09:07 AM | #20 |
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Both watches are very good but the Tudor GMT has always been a watch I really like.
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7 April 2022, 11:13 AM | #21 |
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Omega Seamaster GMT (2234.50) or Tudor GMT?
Here’s what I went with in the end. Full set from SwissWatchExpo — a bit more than I was hoping to pay, but everything seems in good order… apart from the box, but this vintage fall apart when you look at them anyway! There’s a bit of an issue with import duties, but I’ll discuss that when I’ve resolved it!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
__________________
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. SS Submariner no date 1992 (sold); SS GMT II 2007 (sold); SS GMT II C 2008 ('M' series) (sold); SS Sub C 2011 (sold); BB GMT 1971 (sold); Omega 50th GMT |
7 April 2022, 08:54 PM | #22 |
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Congratulations.
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7 April 2022, 09:11 PM | #23 |
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Stunner of a watch. Congratulations!
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8 April 2022, 03:34 PM | #24 |
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Thanks!:)
I will review SWE when I resolve the shipping issue.
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The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. SS Submariner no date 1992 (sold); SS GMT II 2007 (sold); SS GMT II C 2008 ('M' series) (sold); SS Sub C 2011 (sold); BB GMT 1971 (sold); Omega 50th GMT |
8 April 2022, 04:35 PM | #25 |
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Congratulations!
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9 April 2022, 01:55 AM | #26 |
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Looks great but as you know I am biased! It's been a few months for me now and still love it. Funny that you have a 16753 too!
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9 April 2022, 01:00 PM | #27 |
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Omega Seamaster GMT (2234.50) or Tudor GMT?
[QUOTE=TimeLord2;12100807]Looks great /QUOTE]
Thanks, I’m actually quite surprised how different it looks in person to the way they look in photos. Sadly, I don’t have the 16753 any more. It was a mistake to sell it, but I needed funds to complete my Masters. I sold it only 4 years ago for $6,900 CAD, and they seem to be fetching $20,000US or more now. I never seem to sell anything well (I had a 2007 16710 with the 3186 movement in it and traded it in with an AD for a 116710 and only got $3,000 in trade!. My 116710 I sold to finish my bachelors and only got $7,000CAD for that too)! I think it’s fair to say that the 16753 was the prettiest watch I’ve ever owned, but I’ve had quite a bit of trouble with the 1575gnt movements. Both my 16753 and my 1675 stalled and after repeated repairs by RSC never seemed to run for long before they stalled again (I assumed my life is a bit too rough for them). The Omega is surprising me. The 1675/753 is the most comfortable watch I’ve ever owned, I can get the bracelets to fit perfectly and they’re incredibly well balanced, but the 2234.50 is the second most comfortable watch I’ve owned — way more comfortable than the 2535.80, which had a different movement and seemed not to be as well balanced. I’ve owned many watches, but the 2535.80 was my least favourite (I never got over the blue dial and diving bezel) — I only had it a month or so before trading it; the 2234.50 is a massive improvement in terms of both looks and fit. As I get older, I appreciate lume more and more. Without any exaggeration, this 2234.50 has the best lume of any watch I’ve ever owned — it’s a magnificent thing at night. My only criticism is the lack of a lume pip. The photo below was taken with only an iPhone — no fancy exposure or iris settings. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
__________________
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. SS Submariner no date 1992 (sold); SS GMT II 2007 (sold); SS GMT II C 2008 ('M' series) (sold); SS Sub C 2011 (sold); BB GMT 1971 (sold); Omega 50th GMT |
9 April 2022, 02:15 PM | #28 |
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You have had some amazing watches! Glad you are enjoying this one. I'm also surprised by how long the lume lasts, basically all night. Not so with this one, completely dead lume. I got this 1675/3 from my Dad in 1989. It's gone through various stages of upkeep but since it was serviced last year it's less than 1 second fast per day. A watch I would never be able to afford myself with current pricing and 3 kids—actually young adults at this point but still at home.
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9 April 2022, 02:48 PM | #29 | |
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I have realised that its unlikely that I’ll have any chance of getting back into a 1675 or 16753. I find them to be a much more proportioned watch than the 2234.50 with a more sophisticated style. However, they’re also 30/40 years older and a touch less robust. I shall have to make do with my lesser (but still remarkable) Omega. In some ways, I think it is a more suitable watch for me and my lifestyle, but we’ll have to wait and see! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. SS Submariner no date 1992 (sold); SS GMT II 2007 (sold); SS GMT II C 2008 ('M' series) (sold); SS Sub C 2011 (sold); BB GMT 1971 (sold); Omega 50th GMT |
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2 May 2022, 09:20 AM | #30 | |
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omega , seamaster , smp300gmt , tudor |
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