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Nexus9

NON Trusted Dealer Review, and pics of my new Planet Ocean

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Nexus9

Although TS Watch International is not a trusted dealer on this site, it is on another site, and ended up on my short list when I was shopping for the new Omega Planet Ocean 600m Chronometer.  I was particularly interested in the fact that OMF had introduced a new V2 version of this watch, but most of the TDs were still in the dark about it - some weren't aware of the new V2 at all (can you blame them?  They try to keep track of hundreds of makes and models) and some had the the new V2 advertised with the stainless strap, but couldn't tell me if the black/orange web strap was V2 or not.

On February 27, Miffy at TSI was the first one who promised that she could deliver the new V2 with the rubber strap, and was coincidentally at least $20 less than the closest competitor, so on March 3  I rolled the dice and sent in an order via credit/debit card.   Within an hour I had an order confirmation showing the order number, dollar amount, shipping address and link to the watch I was buying with a photo, all confirming that we were on the right track.  

On March 7 (four days!) I received an email from Chris at TSI with a link to my QC pics, saying I had 24 hours to respond or the watch would be shipped.  Thank God that email didn't land in junk or something, because even with the low resolution photos on the website I could tell this was not the watch I wanted or expected.  Here's the first watch:

Miffy-2.jpg

Even in the photo you can see the poor fill quality on the bezel and that nasty gap in the strap.  This looked more like a $95 DH Gate watch than a $400 V2.  

So I wrote back to both Miffy and Chris and explained my concerns, thinking that this is the part where I piss them off and say goodbye to my $400 forever, but I got a very nice response from Christina, to wit:

"Dear friend,
 
We will send back to factory change one, once get will resend QC pics for you check.

Best regards,

Christina

Hm.  Seems okay.  Let's see what happens next.

So then, the days went by...  a week, two weeks...  and I thought, this is either really good because they're actually going to OMF and getting a new watch this time, or this is really bad because I'm never going to hear from them or my $400 again.  But on March 27:

Dear Jon,
Order 35926 please check the QC .
Best regards
Miffy

THIS watch was noticeably different, even in the photos.  I could see that Miffy had deliberately taken closeup pictures of the bezel and the strap - she was listening, and really making an effort to get it right.  This watch looked really good to me, so I confirmed the order on Friday the 23rd, and on Saturday the 24th, I got an email from Miffy saying the watch would be shipped on Monday.  I settled in for another two week wait and tried to put it out of my mind.

On WEDNESDAY I got a notice from DHL saying they would deliver a package the next day - Wow! Didn't expect that!  And the next day, there it was. 

And today, here it is:

A nice shipping box with lots of authentic looking Omega stuff:

006.jpg

 

017_2.jpg

 

010.jpg

 
013.jpg
 
 
I was really happy with the rubber strap, I've seen some pretty cheap looking versions of this:
 
017.jpg
 
 
024.jpg
 
Take a look at the lettering detail here - this has definitely improved in the V2:
 
031.jpg
 
Here you can see the VrO2 detail - very nice.
 
035.jpg
 
And here's what it looks like when I wear it to work every day now:
 
061.jpg
 
 
So overall, a nice transaction with TSI after a little hiccup - they were very accommodating and trustworthy in the end.  I saved about $30 over other dealers and got a nice watch, which has more to do with OMF and their efforts to refine this Planet Ocean into something really beautiful.  The bezel is sharp, but the sticks are still too fat, the ZrO2 hologram is improved, the strap was really surprising - it looks solid with no gaps anymore.  The date wheel used to be a lot dimmer on the early versions, but now stands out, very visible.  
 
I like it!

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zikzak

Looks sharp! Nice to see TSI worked with you on getting you a properly 'finished' example from OMF.

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Franksie

Lovely watch matey, eyeing this one up for my second purchase. My first one is not even here yet! Oh how this grabs you. 

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Jibuti
15 minutes ago, Nexus9 said:

On March 7 (four days!)

well...all I can say is ...blimey....

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dwagner309

How's it running? Still good?

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rwifreak

I am also curious how this one is still running, it is a modified 7750...if so....curious?

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Nexus9

Update:

The first sign of a problem was that about a week after purchasing I used the chronometer function, and although all hands/dials moved correctly, when I stopped it and reset to zero, the hour hand on the right hand dial (hours/minutes) did not reset to 12.  And it never has.  That was kind of disappointing because I paid for the most expensive V2 version of the watch because that dial was supposed to be fully functional. 

Several times in the last six months I have given the watchband a "trim", as (small) orange threads appeared.  By September the run time on a full winding had shortened to 14-15 hours, as evidenced by the time the watch stopped when I took it off on a Friday night for the weekend.  At some point when winding it manually I heard and felt a "click", and winding became more difficult, requiring more effort.  I can actually tip the watch slowly from side to side and the winding wheel (sorry, don't know all the right terms) will not fall to the low side.  At this point, (mid-January, eight months after the $400+ purchase)the run time is about 3-4 hours, and I need to reset it every morning.  Disappointing.

The finish is still very nice, the bezel rotates smoothly.  I think the orange in the bezel is one of the best applications for this watch that I have seen.  I've had (a few) people ask me about my watch - it does catch your eye.  But overall, when I can buy a ten year Seiko for $49, its rather disappointing to pay more than $400 for a watch that is gradually grinding to a halt in less than a year.  

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Rx4Time

I'm sorry that your watch is not functioning as expected.  A movement service will help revive it, although the chronograph subdial issues with it skipping and not resetting will probably always be an issue. 

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Realism
1 hour ago, Nexus9 said:

Update:

The first sign of a problem was that about a week after purchasing I used the chronometer function, and although all hands/dials moved correctly, when I stopped it and reset to zero, the hour hand on the right hand dial (hours/minutes) did not reset to 12.  And it never has.  That was kind of disappointing because I paid for the most expensive V2 version of the watch because that dial was supposed to be fully functional. 

Several times in the last six months I have given the watchband a "trim", as (small) orange threads appeared.  By September the run time on a full winding had shortened to 14-15 hours, as evidenced by the time the watch stopped when I took it off on a Friday night for the weekend.  At some point when winding it manually I heard and felt a "click", and winding became more difficult, requiring more effort.  I can actually tip the watch slowly from side to side and the winding wheel (sorry, don't know all the right terms) will not fall to the low side.  At this point, (mid-January, eight months after the $400+ purchase)the run time is about 3-4 hours, and I need to reset it every morning.  Disappointing.

The finish is still very nice, the bezel rotates smoothly.  I think the orange in the bezel is one of the best applications for this watch that I have seen.  I've had (a few) people ask me about my watch - it does catch your eye.  But overall, when I can buy a ten year Seiko for $49, its rather disappointing to pay more than $400 for a watch that is gradually grinding to a halt in less than a year.  

First, what you have is a chronograph, not a Chronometer... Completely different qualifications.

The watch that you bought is based off a modified Asian 7750... The most finicky movement in the repworld.

Some of the stuff you did to your watch is a big no-no to seasoned A7750 owners.

Next time please do read up on your purchase. Currently, your best bet is a service or contacting your dealer for a resolution (if it's still covered - probably involving getting it back to China)

Last but not least, while it's a $400 watch, the only reason why anyone would pay for that price it's because it's close to a super rep.

 

Edited by Realism

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Rx4Time

This is what I was eluding to.  The movement in your watch has a modifier plate to move the subdials location.  This is a custom part with gears of variable quality. The reason it will not reset to 12 is it's skipped a few teeth upon reset previously so the only option is to have the hands reseated and don't use the chronograph again.  The low power reserve is probably due to debris combined with improper lubrication.  A movement service will solve all but the skipping gear.

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Aren

What Realism said...and I would stop winding it until you get a service.  If you are getting resistance when you wind it, it's not a good sign.   The stem could come off in your hand if it breaks.  

Winding resistance could be a problem with the keyless.    When you turn the crown, the keyless works the gears that wind the mainspring.   Also, the 7750s have extra gears for the dials. 

I think your best bet with a  A 7750 is not to use the chrono functions - at all.

Winding it could make things worse.  Best to find someone to service it as Rx4Time suggested.  It may be hard to find someone to service a rep.  Some of the  A 7750  guys here can probably help you locate someone to look at your watch. 

Good luck!

Edit:  Check out the repair section here on the forum main menu.  Katt is in the US, but unless something has changed,  Katt does not work on A 7750 watches. 

 

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Nexus9

{First, what you have is a chronograph, not a Chronometer... Completely different qualifications.

The watch that you bought is based off a modified Asian 7750... The most finicky movement in the repworld.

Some of the stuff you did to your watch is a big no-no to seasoned A7750 owners.

Next time please do read up on your purchase. Currently, your best bet is a service or contacting your dealer for a resolution (if it's still covered - probably involving getting it back to China)

Last but not least, while it's a $400 watch, the only reason why anyone would pay for that price it's because it's close to a super rep.}

Well, there's a dose of Realism for you!  :o)  Thanks for your input and support.

No, I am not a seasoned rep watch owner, and I'll probably never invest that much time into it - just a fun pasttime I get involved with now and then. I think I already apologized in one of my posts for not knowing all the right terms (chronograph/chonometer).

I would definitely be interested to know what stuff I did to my watch that is a big no-no, if you wouldn't mind sharing.

Last but not least,  I think we all buy things for different reasons - they just might not be your reasons.

Aren, Rx4, thanks for your input.

Greg - Thanks for the user guide!

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Nexus9

Greg - also just found your

Movements found in replicas - a quick FAQ

post, thanks for the info.

 

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BadApple

Unfortunately Greg passed away recently. His guides will last for ever. 

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Redemskis

Wow!

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

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