Omega Seamaster HEV and other silly things youtubers say 

Great content. However, as to easy adjust bracelets on certain watches like integrated bracelets that prioritize seamless connections, they are available on some offerings on the high end, including the VC overseas, ALS Odysseus, Czapek Antartique, and even the new Patek Nautilus (which still surprisingly still has pins on the bracelets). I think we'll be seeing more over time.

I know you're a relatively new RU-vidr in the watch realm, but I honestly feel you're already one of the best, have really been enjoying your insights and reviews.

Remove the helium escape valve and replace it with a laser beam. Now that would get some use !

I feel the same way about the HEV as I do about the Panerai crown guard/lock. It’s ugly; I hate it; it’s the reason I’d never buy one; and I hope they never change it. Because it’s iconic, some love it, and everything doesn’t have to be calibrated to suit my individual tastes.

Excellent as always… your fresh perspectives and interesting analysis are really elevating you above other channels. Keep the variety coming 👍

This video is just an example of why I love this channel so much! I'll make sure to keep these points in mind when shooting future videos 😆

Excellent, perceptive insights as usual. Agree 100% on the need to state the value for money proposition. I like many watches, but unless I see value for money, I won’t buy.

Listening to a man with education, knowledge, intelligence, subjectivity and class is so refreshing. Such a pleasure to watch this channel. But the Omega escape valve has to go . Like a mole on a face. Enough of the stupid valve.

Good show as always. I follow a lot of watch channels, but you are definitely one of the three I would take watch shopping with my money.

One of the best analysis you’ve done - love the thought that goes into these

Love the HEV point. Though I want the 90's ass bracelet too.

Interesting what you are saying about watch sizing. For MANY years I didn't wear a watch, I was working as a rock climbing instructor, and a watch would have got destroyed in no time. I recently started wearing again.....Doxa Sub 300T, I found in my current job as a supermarket shelf stacker, that I was constantly catching the Doxa, bashing it against things......Switched to a Rolex Sub.....Hardly ever banged it on anything, now I'm mainly wearing a Seagull 1963 Chrono, most days at work, it's so much slimmer than either that it never gets cracked against a fridge shelf, same with my Vostock Amphibias! A small size difference makes a HUGE difference to the wear experience!

Couldn't agree more on the needless comments about lug width particularly. My Grand Seiko's 19mm lug width 'concerned' most reviewers, though it does not negatively impact the wearing experience at all. Would love more videos on this topic. John Allen 😊

Love your unique style and uncommon sense on evaluating the watch market. You said it best that the most in demand specs for watch sizing are 37-40MM, 47MM lug-to-lug, lug width 20 or 22MM, and a height of under 13.5MM!

So much common sense in the midst of cacophony of noise.I love my seamaster because it stands out in the crowd of other dive watches because of the unique identity conferred by the helium escape valve.I would never nedd to use it but without that unique thing i would have never bought my seamaster, same goes for the aluminum bezel of my speed master, its classic understated dial ,Omega knows it better than the youtubers who pass silly aesthetic judgements. These judgements if implemented will kill the identity of Omega. Just as the reverso can never change its design and survive in the market or cartier tank.Classics are never to be tinkered with.Its like changing the last act of shakespeares King Lear which Dr. Johnson tried but never suceeded.Love from India

‘The Tudor Black Bay Pro is too thick’. Turns out it isn’t, for me. Great watch, wears really well.

I'm new to the hobby, so it's interesting to hear people opinions about watches, especially when I can't articulate my feelings about a certain type or design. Btw, I like these kinds of videos, it's light, fun, and not too serious. It feels like spur of the moment for you ... wait....ARE YOU ON VACATION? 👺

Agree with you about the SMP Diver: the escape valve HAS to stay but it’s time to overhaul the bracelet.

Another fab video, and a really great idea to "debunk" some of the BS that watch RU-vidrs say. You could possibly devote an episode of this to the views of a certain loudmouthed Irish-Dutch chap.

Great viewpoints and agree. The measurements complaints, esp thickness, are ridiculous. I call these people ‘specs snobs’ - they are just sheep agreeing w influencers. I guarantee most have never tried on a > 15mm thick watch. I’m avg sized, own 2 - BB Pro and Helm Komodo. PS - stop watching those 2 🤡 Theo and Harris.

It’s hilarious to read watch enthusiasts stating: “No on-the-fly adjustment? Pass!” as if they routinely turn into The Incredible Hulk during the day. I just micro-adjusted my Tudor Black Bay Heritage’s bracelet but that’s only because my wrist size shrunk after losing weight (which took *months* to do, btw).

The use of « this watch is an xyz killer » is really killing me to the point I don’t open the video anymore

At least in die another day the watch detonator was the helium valve. That i can use. Would get arrested but fun feature.

Great to see a fellow saffa pumping out great and thoughtful content. Well done sir thoroughly enjoy your channel.

At this point Omega can’t fix the seamaster 300m without cratering the pre owned values causing bad mojo with current owners. They probably need to keep the watch as is and add a skin diver with more desirable dimensions to the lineup. I’ll be the first in line to buy an omega skin diver based on the vintage model (see Dan Henry who offers a homage.)

At 4:35 Mike says it is perfectly reasonable to express your voice that Swiss watch prices have been raised too high too quickly. I would go one step further: it is perfectly fine to not buy the brand at retail until the prices fall to a more reasonable level! Many Swiss brands are raising retail pricing thinking that the grey market prices will increase. Newsflash: the brand should be more concerned in increasing its market share, not the watches price on the grey market! This may work in the short run when demand is high, but the only way for consumer's to voice their opinion is with our wallets by NOT BUYING the brand. Then supply increases at the retail level where the brand has only 2 choices: build fewer units, or lower prices/have flash discount sales to bring consumers back to the brand.

Case diameter sizes are totally subjective, absolutely. I think "The Mountain" from Game of Thrones would look pretty ridiculous with a 38mm watch on his wrist.

I changed the bracelet to a forstner bullet bracelet on my omega . The taper is perfect and the watch looks beautiful. The original bracelet is outdated but has its charm. The omega is a beautiful watch.

Another point with thickness, which I agree can make or break a watch: a lot watches have domed crystals and sloped bezels which can add a lot of girth, but this will impact wearability less than a watch with thick sides. Especially with slab sides. This is why Tudors can sometimes wear thicker than an Omega even when the numbers would suggest otherwise.

I don't know how this idea that prices don't matter became more popular. Maybe it's people who earn their living from watch sales directly or indirectly not wanting to deal with the fact that a fewer people can even think about buying many modern watches.

Absolutely agree with you on the Omega. Replace the bracelet but keep the valve. You make a fair point about the pricing that Adrian brought up too. Seems the man has let the industry get to him a bit and he has no empathy for the average guy. Some G-shocks and other ranges are hand assembled by very skilled technicians. I watched a video about it the other day where they spoke to some guy who works with these MR-G and Oceanus models and he had to have worked at Casio as a master watchmaker for over ten years before they let him touch those. Its crazy to thinks there are extremely well finished and specialty assembled/manufactured Casio's that are done by hand in Japan. Size is highly subjective... What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another.

Mineral Crystal. unless your life depends on the crystal breaking completely it should never be used. Give me plastic over that.

The association between screw-down crowns and more than 30 meter depth-rating is something we hear way too often on RU-vid. And it is not true. I personnaly like the fact that my Formex Essence, which I don't wear on a daily basis and has a fairly modest power reserve, has a push-pull crown. It makes for a much smoother time setting when the watch is dead.

Other great brands near, or in the price ranges mentioned: Monta, Dufrane, Dryden, Haim, Helm, Raven, Axios, Atlantic, Tsao, Hemel

VC has a hidden easy adjustment on their butterfly bracelet

Enjoyed your answers.

Speaking of over-emphasis on objective measurables, the focus on power reserve doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I have a couple of watches with 70-hour reserves, and while it's kinda nice that when I switch back to those watches it's more likely they'll be running, it's not enough to make it a selling point -- to me, at least.

One that springs to mind is complaining about the lack of lume on a seconds hand, so they can see its working during the night. When the second hand passes an hour marker you can see its running, just wait 5 seconds 🙄

I never understood people’s gripe with the HEV. Doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Actually, I like it. It plays into the childhood fantasy of having a real dive watch capable of going to dangerous depths. I like the 90s bracelet, too - perhaps because I’m a 90s child. I had the pleasure of recently handling both the SMP 300 and Heritage 300 in periwinkle blue. And while I thought they were both beautiful, and I considered purchasing them, I opted for the Pelagos 39 instead. They’re both too large for me. Hence my wish is for a 38mm to 40mm Omega SMP 300. If they’d release one, I’d buy immediately. Several RU-vidrs have asked omega for the same thing.

Absolutely agree with all your comments!

Bravo!! Finally discussed that value for money is not just about price. Some mircobrands are offering more value for money (Christopher Ward, Lorier, Raven) over established brands. That is the problem that people are buying some watches for the name not the value. Just like the saying goes, "A great brand is better than a bag of riches." Rolex understands this and saw that raising prices were hurting the brand and decided to get in front of it by controlling the secondary market. Great video.

You would not complain about the price of something unless you really wanted it, that much is clear. If you didn't care a great deal you'd shrug it off any buy something else. The interesting thing about veblen goods is that the more you complain, the more it signals to your fellow man that this is a really hot item. This increases the desirability of said item to others, because if they can get it and you cannot, it gives them status and superiority... "I got one.. you couldn't get one...". This all cements the structure of the veblen price curve. Putting it succinctly. The more you complain, the more desirable it becomes. More desirability equals more demand equals higher price. Wow! Mind... blown. It's been like that since childhood. Take for example, the toy that child A is playing with. Child B starts crying as child A has it and he doesn't. Child B throws a tantrum. Eventually child A is bored of the toy and puts it back in the toy box. Child B sees this but now strangely feels no great desire to play with it any more. Us watch enthusiasts tend to be more kidult than adult. Then there's the social aspect of complaining. It's something old women do (the stereotypical "Karen"), and men do once their testosterone levels drop. It's not a good look - shed a tear and move on.

No gimmicks. Just honest unbiased perspective. Thoughtfully curated. Keep up the great work 🍻

Outstanding content. Much appreciated

This is such an intelligent and interesting channel that I can't believe you have only 8k subscribers! I thought I'd misread it and it said 80k - although the superb videos would justify far, far more than that

Regarding the extendable link that the VC overseas does... rumour has it, Christopher Ward are about to do the same on the twelve. It's a game changer in my opinion

Stick indices are superior to all other indices. Similarly, stick-like hands are superior to Rolex' "Mercedes" hands and Tudor's "Snowflake" hands. And the reason for both statements is that the former (stick, straight) features make reading the time accurate and instant, whereas the latter are playing games to see how much they can obfuscate the dial. When you put circles, squares, numerals, and other "blobby" objects, the 30 degree points on the dial are no longer absolutely clear.

The Seamaster bracelet is the most comfortable I have ever tried on.

Fit is subjective, however if the trend towards more moderately sized watches sticks around, which seems quite likely, the twenty or so years where the fashion was for very large watches comes off as an outlier. Also, in the last teeny years, the demand for mechanical watches have grown and the general public, arguably is better educated today. Their tastes are more nuanced and there’s a greater appreciation for the horology and work that goes into a fine watch. What started off the boom for big watches? Arguably, it had less to do with watches and more to do with a need to flex. Arnold and Sylvester wore them in a few movies, got the ball rolling. Product placement became understood as a great motivator. Perhaps that’s grown a bit old. I would argue that watch, lug to lug aside from about 38-40mm is already a large watch. Maybe 38-41.5, while anything about an XL. That might leave a 34-37.5 decidedly medium. XL’s will still be around, but the understanding and needs of today’s watch buyers are more nuanced and there’s less need for a watch to be the center of attention to be of interest. Regards.

For me, easy-adjust bracelets are key. Where I live in the Bay Area has tons of microclimates that in 1 day I go from hot to cold and foggy in an hour. I avoid integrated bracelet watches for this reason and prefer straps, which I can and do adjust through the day.

Fantastic content..well done sir.

Damn it was over to soon, more more more of this great content

I fully agree with regards to the Seamaster helium escape valve. Although many RU-vidrs criticise it to no end, it does not bother me a bit and in fact I like this second crown as it’s part of the Seamaster’s DNA. At times, people are excessively pedestrian and boring in that sense.

Just recently discovered your channel and subscribed, great content. Between you, Britt Pearce, and Teddy Baldasarre, the best watch content IMO. As far as the Seamaster, i agree on keeping the HEV but changing the bracelet. I would just add that the bezel needs to also be improved to have better grip. Thank you.

Another really insightful video. Whats your thoughts on the Omega AT shades not having a easy adjustment bracelet? Should it be easy to get an excellent fit? Just waiting on one from an AD currently

another issue is omega movement is thick, causing all the watches become thicker.

Great Video. To the Point. Greetings from Santa Barbara.

I've always enjoyed your videos and the insights they offer but this one I find very fascinating! Love how you name drop other channels (some are my favorites) too. Maybe this is has been said somewhere before but are you a lecturer by day? The way you present and deliver your arguments is top notch.

“ The Perfect 3 Watch Collection”-I’ve seen most RU-vid’rs do this and I find it utterly ridiculous. I have around two dozen watches (unsure on exact number at this time) and the idea of paring down to 3 watches? I’m afraid that ship 🛳️ has sailed.

Great video. Would disagree that it's not technically possible to have an easy adjust bracelet that is seamless. It's definitely something that can be engineered, but I think it would be more difficult

Usually well considered statements, but quick adjust already exists in integrated bracelets.

The older models around 2008 got it right, aluminium bezel , better hands, smaller valve, especially the black bond collectors edition❤

Another brilliant video!

Absolutely fantastic ❤

A thinner case would be fantastic for the Omega Seamaster 🌊 I also agree that the helium escape valve is not an issue, it is an integral part of the Seamaster DNA.

I would like Hublot too if they sponsored my music tours and gave me thier watches for free during events.

Nice stuff!

I don't mind a HEV...but for gods sake, does it need to be that big?

Nothing humbles one faster than having the slightest interest in a Patek 😂

The apple wach bracelet is the best, sleek flush clasp and micro adjustments by the links. The clasps are becoming too big now.

Two videos in one weekend.. what is this? christmas?

Brilliant

In the first 5 seconds I thought Darth Vader was hosting this video.

I’d love to know what you think of the Explorer 40. I’m a small watch guy but it looks better on my 7 inch wrist than the 36. Purists keep telling me it’s an awful size. I was once like them! I too was a small watch or bust guy. What happened to me.. ?

Do you agree that IWC had customized heavily on the 2892/SW300 or 7750/SW500 in their watches? IWC watches are also expensive too.

What about power reserve? 40 hrs, 70 hrs or 120 hrs?

Ooo. If there was one piece of advice I could have given you (not that I'm in any position to do so) it would be: have nothing to do with other watch-content RU-vidrs. I don't know what it is about this hobby, but we seem plagued with fragile egos and insecurities. (I'd love to see a thesis on it, but I'm guessing that you can only buy a luxury watch after you've reached an above-average income, and the people who reach this income believe it's because they made the right choices, which leads them to think they're simply right about most things, so others who disagree are objectively wrong: hence conflict.) Tim Write started as friends with Marco, then they had a petty feud and don't talk anymore. Tim Write started as friends with JJ, then they had a petty feud and don't talk anymore. Higgens started as friends with both: feud/not talking. Oisin started as friends with Britt: feud/not talking. Oisin started as friends with Nico: feud/not talking. JJ started as friends with Oisin: feud/not talking. Austin Daniels seems always to have disliked TGV, for some reason. Paul Thorpe said recently that he's getting, "The kicking of his life," from other RU-vidrs. Absolutely everyone hates Marcello. And Archie ... oh, dear lord, Archie. So compiling a list of what other watch-RU-vidrs have said and giving your opinion of their opinions is ... interesting. I'm only saying all this because your channel is great. Would be sad to see it devolve into drama-sludge.

The Seamaster desperately needs a huge overhaul. It’s too thick and needs to go back to a 41mm and lose the bracelet and skeleton hands. Its bezel action is a joke too and all Omega’s have out of date power reserves. 70 hours plus is the standard now. Omega has had an awful few years in general with very little in terms of releases and the whole catalogue is looking very thick and out of date. Omega better have a big 2024 or they will be in trouble.

I disagree about the Seamaster; tapered bracelets are visually weak. A bracelet needs some strong brand appeal otherwise get a strap.

Omega seamaster when you almost have enough money for a sub

Hev isn't the only defining feature different, the laser etched dial, wire lugs, the hands differentiate it. Get rid of the silly hev.

0:24 *Seamaster 👍

When youtubers say things like Adrian said, we should not talk about watches are to pricy ( it might be because he's got to get to Rolex parties and get's pens and stuff as souvenirs and free Golf-travel holidays to Scotland, like the doctors got from the Stacklers family) I get annoyed because I can feel and see more clearly how anyone is getting bought on RU-vid and they act like Ed Sheeran and John Mayor.

I do not think Rolex is playing it safe or that they are boring. They are just a brand that made several of the most iconic watches in history so they are simply not in a position to play catch up with others and find them selves. They have design language of their own just like eg nomos or omega has their own. Are those boring as well? AP is not boring for making hideous attrocities? Rolex is just well established and too well known but it is not boring. So I think you made a silly remark, one of your rare ones to be honest. Keep up the good work

I own a Seamaster NTTD. It is very thin. It feels like a feather, and the bracelet is fantastic. Your generalized assessment of Seamasters fails to distinguish between models. Some Seamasters are perfect.

Sorry Tudor and Rolex are not boring they are the best looking watches on the market

100% agree on the Bracelet needing to go, and HEV needing to stay on the SMP300, but the HEV needs to change shape dramatically and the whole watch needs to change design way more than Omega will do unfortunately. The PO looks great currently so why does the SMP300 look like its Art Deco cousin from the past??!!

By definition a luxury item almost has to be overpriced. A decent steel Seiko is about $500. A fake Tudor is about $500, you need a loop and a good eye to see it's fake. A fake Rolex is about $500, you need a loop and a good eye to see it's fake. A fake Patek is about $500, you need a loop and a good eye to see it's fake. There's a message there, can you work it out? Obv I'm not talking about $500,000 watches.

Watch sizes and the current trend for people to make blanket statements about no one needs a watch bigger than 40mm etc etc are what really irritate me. A 40mm might look huge on their child sized 6inch wrist, but everyone has a different size, and there's no such thing as one size fits all, so its really not going to look huge on my 8.25inch wrist is it. We are all different, but too many people in the watch world, RU-vid'ers and enthusiasts, make such blanket statements purely based upon their own personal experience and needs.

The almost obsessive need to tier or rank watches, usually subjectively, seems to be borne out of the reviewers egotistical assumption of their own importance. Yes you Nico. And how does the tier work anyway? By my reckoning Casio and Seiko can be at the same level as Patek if I base my judgement simply on what I would wear in public. Actually I will rank PP well below many other watches based on that criteria because I would only wear a PP at home or in very discreet company. And another thing - Is the whole RU-vid reviewers genre too stressed for attention? Are all of you guys competing for views and subs with too much saturation? Yes you Andrew.

LOVE THE HEV

Rolex and tudor are sooooo Boring.

I disagree completely with your commentary on Hublot. If there are good watches with the movement that Hublot has taken and regulated as it has in the Classic Fusion, then it isn't disqualified from being a "good watch." That it doesn't fit your value calculation is an entirely different matter. And in your calculation you seem to ignore the fact that some people who buy watches use the relative expensivity as a part of their calculation.

Extra Silly Addition . . . Your wrist is a valueable real estate which could be wearing a health monitor (which also tells the time) to spot any potential illnes before you are aware. It is better to fix medical problems early rather than more drastic courses of action later. Professors at the likes of Standford University etc. are more fanatical and sometimes wear about 6 health monitors . . . For more health-consciouse people a health monitor on both arms is likely to become normal. Is this another reason why traditional watches will become less popular?

Adrian Barker is as interesting of a RU-vidr as he is a watch collector - obtuse and uninspiring.

I love the HEV. Make it even bigger! If anything else, just to trigger all the snowflakes! LoL 😊

Rolex is better than all three that you mentioned so give me a break I’d rather have a Rolex any day than patek or vasaron or AP if they were all price, the same I would still fix the roller

Britt Pierce needs to get her teeth fixed first 😂

You’re missing the point. Whether Rolex wants to be part of the holy trinity or not is irrelevant. What Rolex really wants to do is consistently raise prices until they are similar to the Holy Trinity. This point is obvious. That’s why Rolex launched the CPO programme to support secondary market prices to make their new watches attractive to customers knowing it will retain value or go up in price. All these are to help Rolex sell more watches and continuously raise prices until they are at the same price point as PP, AP and VC but sell over 1 million units a year. This is what Rolex is gunning for ultimately

Ed Sheeran bought that Hublot after his first album. He didn’t buy it after having $100 million in the bank as you suggested. He bought it before he really got into watches and fabulously wealth . Some people are willing to pay for something they like. That’s just how some people are.