# My New Friday Watch... For Some Time!



## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Ive been looking at these for sometime... I even dragged Foz down to my local watchmaker when he was here and we inspected the one they had in... but sadly it wasnt what I wanted as it was a bit rough to say the least and it wasnt cheap... none of them are...









I asked about and reread all there was to find on the net about these and can detect most fakes at a couple of kms distance but I still didnt feel comfortable with what was on offer online or locally and then my wanted ads prompted a fellow forumer to email me reminding me I should just contact Watchco direct for an as new one... I did and yes it wasnt cheap... and yes it seems parts for these are getting harder to come by (although Omega remakes them periodically) and yes the prices of these do seem to be going up...

So what have I got... well its a warranted SM300 with all original Omega (either NOS or repair parts) and the cal 565 movt is fully serviced etc. Its got the American spec black date wheel and something I was most keen to get, an original rare NOS 20mm Omega mesh bracelet. Do I love it... just a bit! 





Sadly the lights not great here today so in order to get the reflection off the crystal I end up getting the lume showing on the hands...









NB. There has been some winging on some forums over the years that these are not 'real' Omegas. Just in case anyone was wondering - Watchco's watches are 100% Omega and Watchco are an approved Omega restorer and whos to say that some of the "original" ones for sale these days havent had a new movement, case, dial, hands, crown, bracelet etc as part of 30+ years of servicing...


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Well done Jon









I had one, it's one of the few watches I wish I hadn't sold .....









I took mine to Swiss Time Services in Essex when it arrived, it needed a bit of finesse to get it how I wanted ...... the owner of STS came out to see me when I went to pick it up .... he confirmed it was 100% and was amazed such a thing existed!

Fantastic bracelet as well


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## hakim (Sep 13, 2004)

Congratulations Jon!

One of my all time favourite watches. Timeless classic in my opinion.

Enjoy it! I can just picture your face smiling everytime you look at it!


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Thanks John, I can understand youd be sad you let it go. Its a good size for an oldie as well. Tho I took off the TGraph (now back from a fettle at Doxa Bienne and working well) and theres a defo diff in heft between the two!









I read what you wrote about yours as part of my research and was worried about what I might discover when I got it but have to say that so far I am impressed. I think Watchco's work has improved in the time since you had yours. But then theyve had a lot of practice at building them now as they seem to have done a fair few!









The bracelet is amazing really. I had a lonestar but this is way beyond that in terms of quality. Its got much nicer links and is much much thicker. It looks like it would be loose at the head in the pix but its not at all. JoT if you ever get one of these braclets, buy at least two of the extenders as standard its not very long at all - it only just fits my 7.75" wrist.

Heres another shot:





hakim said:


> Congratulations Jon!
> 
> One of my all time favourite watches. Timeless classic in my opinion.
> 
> Enjoy it! I can just picture your face smiling everytime you look at it!


Thanks mate, you need to get one of these... trust me. 

er, have you been rerouting the spy satelites again? tho to be honest ive been smiling continually since it arrived!


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## Russ (Feb 7, 2006)

Very nice! Designs like these really are from a golden age, I think so anyway.


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Russ, you are obviously a man of great taste!









I found out my printer came with an image editing tool...







I was contemplating buying something expensive for tidying up my pix as I generally dont even crop - i just move in closer - and im rapidly wishing to exceed my abilities so was gonna drop some cash and use technology to fix my defiencies







anyway I thought this was quite clever:


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## bowie (Mar 12, 2005)

a timeless classic, pardon the pun,

i like that very much.

bowie


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Thanks mate!


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## thorpey69 (Feb 8, 2006)

Stunning,i am very jealous


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## Bareges (Aug 18, 2005)

Beautiful watch Jon, didn't realise that variation existed.


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## dapper (Jun 18, 2004)

Well done! I like that a lot & the mesh looks superb


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## oldfogey (Nov 29, 2005)

dapper said:


> Well done! I like that a lot & the mesh looks superb


 +1!


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## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

Congratulations Jon, that's a lovely watch; everything about it looks classic! I'm sure this is definitely a keeper for you!







The bracelet looks very comfortable too.

Andrew.


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Very cool John and much better looking then anything else that might look similar IMHO


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Thanks for all your kind words everyone - much appreciated indeed. Its a shame were not all in a pub so you can try it on - these are amazingly crisp in real life.


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

JonW said:


> Thanks for all your kind words everyone - much appreciated indeed. Its a shame were not all in a pub so you can try it on - these are amazingly crisp in real life.


A group of watch nuts drinking in a pub trying on a rare beauty like that


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## foztex (Nov 6, 2005)

mach 0.0013137 said:


> JonW said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for all your kind words everyone - much appreciated indeed. Its a shame were not all in a pub so you can try it on - these are amazingly crisp in real life.
> ...


Flippin' gorgeous Jon, a real cracker. I echo the above sentiments, why on earth didn't you get off your bum and get it while I was about so's I could have had a fondle









Andy


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Ahh that would have been a good idea... Ooops sorry mate...


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Well done Jon, very very nice indeed


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## PhilM (Nov 5, 2004)

Very nice indeed, hope it makes you smile for years to come


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Thanks Phil n Jase...







I have to say this is one of the most comfortable watches I have... I know Im a huge fan of the huge ones but I have to admit that 38-42mm really is probably right for the majority of people - watches didnt get that size without reason it seems!







I laid this next to the TG earlier and whilst the bezels are pretty much the same size the cases are where the difference is... The TG has huge heft and could knock someone out but wouldnt fit under a shirt sleeve (and I will have to work again someday) but this would work equally well at work and at home... maybe its the thinking mans Rolex Sub?!


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## bowie (Mar 12, 2005)

i like that very much,the whole look of it just fantastic

well done jon

bowie


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## neil_s (May 29, 2006)

Yes, very very cool, especially the bracelet!

I guess you won't be tired of this one by christmas


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Thanks Bowie and Neil.

Sorry Neil - this ones a keeper....







I can defo recomend these Omega Mesh bracelets to anyone, expensive but well worth the dosh. they open like aircraft seatbelt buckles as well which is differenet....


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## makky (Jul 14, 2004)

mach 0.0013137 said:


> JonW said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for all your kind words everyone - much appreciated indeed. Its a shame were not all in a pub so you can try it on - these are amazingly crisp in real life.
> ...


That's far too nice for passing round the pub.

Someone might try the Guiness resistancy test


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Cheers guys... It should pass a GR to 200m.... although I would have thought guiness being thicker than water that maybe it might not get to the same depth... oh lets not get into the WR thing again...


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

One thing I neglected to mention is that this watch has the most perfect bezel... it ratchets without any slack and has no slop at all... nada, zip ie. zero slop. Its not too tight and not too loose. It feels right. Its bi diectional which isnt ideal but feels unlikely to be knocked round as its got a smoother outer edge than a modern bezel. The 10's numbers are also lumed... just what you need - I always wondered why manufacturers didnt do that!


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## Dave ME (May 7, 2005)

That's a real beauty!


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## makky (Jul 14, 2004)

JonW said:


> One thing I neglected to mention is that this watch has the most perfect bezel... it ratchets without any slack and has no slop at all... nada, zip ie. zero slop. Its not too tight and not too loose. It feels right. Its bi diectional which isnt ideal but feels unlikely to be knocked round as its got a smoother outer edge than a modern bezel. The 10's numbers are also lumed... just what you need - I always wondered why manufacturers didnt do that!


You're making us all very jealous


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## r1ch (Feb 2, 2004)

Jon.. lovely. What more is there to say


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## quoll (Apr 20, 2006)

It has been said before but....fantastic! What a beautiful watch.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Thats a lovely watch Jon. Which battery does it take?


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## deano42 (Jun 12, 2005)

Hi Jon

Nuff said about the watch, its a beauty.!

I expect that will be in the "inner circle" or your collection for quite a while...

...is this the one that has pushed the TSAR out of the collecton.???

That bracelet is a killer.!

Thanks

deano


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## Nalu (Nov 28, 2003)

Jon, I'm glad you went for it! I knew you'd be pleased with it on the wrist









I second your comments on the Omega mesh bracelet - worlds better than the original link that came on this watch. The Lonestars are OK, but not nearly in the class of the Omega. There are only two other mesh bracelets that could possibly match or better the original Omega. One is the latest production mesh bracelets which have a subtly improved catch to prevent accidental release - I've only seen a photo of the 24mm, not sure if they're doing them in 20mm. The other is Jurgen's 5mm (







) mesh - fantastic quality and the perfect counterweight to some of the heavier divers. Prolly too heavy for the SM300, but good for the likes of the DN and TG for example.

The SM300 is a tough watch to photograph. Lots of shiny and curved surfaces make for a challenge as do the high-contrast dial and bezel, but it is such a handsome piece that it rewards the extra effort! Well done mate


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## Steve264 (May 29, 2006)

sigh... Another grail....

Beauty, Jon.


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## Larry from Calgary (Jun 5, 2006)

Very, very nice Jon.


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## rock_bear (Nov 16, 2005)

Pine

Whimper

I WANT ONE!!!! where did you say it was from?


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

A thank you to everyone who commented, its much appreciated.









im still very much loving this watch and have noticed some nice touches the past few days. One of my pet hates is things that dont line up.... this includes sloppy bezels and hands. Ive already mentioned that the bezel on this watch is 'exact' but ive since noticed that the hands are perfect as well. There seems to be no slop in the movement at all and the hands line up exactly on the minute marker when the seconds hand reaches the 12... Watchco seem to have done a great job.









Ive also been playing with the torch like lume and took some pretty average pix im sad to say. If you charge the lume up with a lamp then the hands seem to be slightly brighter than the dial - this seems fairly normal these days due to surface area etc. but after about 30mins the hands calm down to be even with the hour markers and the bezel markers. It stays that way throughout the night and the lume is still glowing well enough in the morning to tell the time with. Ive yet to compare it to my Panerai but it seems its about the same for longevity.









FWIW the dial at night is simplified and one of the most readable dials Ive ever seen. good call Omega. 



The bracelet really is a work of art. The sprung loaded clasp is like a mini aircraft seatbelt, amazing. Ive not seen this design on any other bracelet but am happy to be proven wrong. Its a little fiddly to fasten and unfasten but worth it for the smile it brings when you use it.
























Silver Hawk said:


> Thats a lovely watch Jon. Which battery does it take?


It runs on human power... which I think is measured in KJoules... humans a bit big to fit in a watch tho, so this one wears the human on the outside...











deano42 said:


> Hi Jon
> 
> Nuff said about the watch, its a beauty.!
> 
> ...


Deano - yes this is a keeper - yep the TSAR is just one of the hit list that had to go so that I had wallet-room for it.











Nalu said:


> Jon, I'm glad you went for it! I knew you'd be pleased with it on the wrist
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Colin - yes I had the 1171 on one of my other Omegas... im not a fan. Its light and noisy and feels cheap. such a shame as Omega still make the 1171 - I just wish they would have upgraded it over the years.









I look forward to one day getting hold of some of the other mesh's - I think youre right the 5mm on a TG would be amazing... I'll consider getting one of those... tho the original Doxa b'let isnt bad, but its not really heavy enough for the brute that the TG is.  hmmmm thinking about it, any Doxa fitment would need to be ground down as istr the 750/TG case is 21mm or something similar... shame.

Im not sure if my SM300 mesh bracelet is the new type clasp - it does have the extra sprung loaded lock hole... is that the difference?

Yes the domed crystal is a killer as is the contrast - the crystal makes the dial look gloss but its actaully very very matt. The more you play the more you realise that there is a lot to see in an SM300 thats for sure....


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Those strap shots are great Jon, very clear, looks like a great design, Im glad the lume fades down and matches, one of my pet peeves is very missmatched lume..........


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Cheers Jase, it matches very quickly indeed. better than some of my other watches by a long way - even better its all still active and still matched some 10hours later.


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## bowie (Mar 12, 2005)

Jon can you please stop sending pictures of your fantastic looking watch it makes me green with envy,

drool has to be the watch of the month? year? wish i had one,i'am i jealous YES i am.

bowie


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Bowie, sorry mate...









Actually some of us discussed an idea a while back to rent out watches... a bit like Damon Hills F1 car club thing where you bung some cash in and get credits for borrowing a Ferrari, Aston etc.... I really think we should do this for watches....


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## Steve264 (May 29, 2006)

I now officially have the watch horn....
















I am not a great Omega fan, but twice this week I have been smitten. ohmigod.


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Steve, If its any help Ive found my taste in watches has moved around since Ive been perusing the forums. I used to be an Auto only man and then bought a few accutrons then a few manuals, then I decided it was 70s and NOS and then moved onto Seikos and then quartz and then... and then... its been an interesting journey and some of the watches Ive bought along the way are definite keepers wheras others I just wanted to own for a bit - some for a long 'bit'. Some. of course, Ive always hankered after yet others I had to be convinced of their charms... the SM300 was one of the latter. I always thought the Rolex Sub was better until recently I got a chance to handle the two back to back and came down in favour of the Omega - I already have a GMT2 and most Rolex's are pretty samey truth be known... It also helps that Omega support their oldr watches wheras Rolex are less keen to help with a 60s watch it seems, which is sad.

I must do a better lume shot for this watch...


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Ok, I spent some time getting the watch charged up, used a few clever settings on the camera and using a mini tripod etc... this is a much better effort I think...


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## makky (Jul 14, 2004)

JonW said:


> Ok, I spent some time getting the watch charged up, used a few clever settings on the camera and using a mini tripod etc... this is a much better effort I think...


WOW!!!


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Cheers mate. I sat down and read thru my camera settings the other day as I wanted to get a pic for the Laco sales post. When that one came out so well I figured I should redo this one. I also did the tritum tubes of the TSAR - its in the sales post and looks very bright indeed. Its only an old camera but with a steady tripod and a good LED lamp / torch and some perseverance im happy with the results.









The funny thing is that the SM300 seems a small watch on my arm after so many big ones, but at night because the bezel markers are luminous its a big as anything else I have, maybe even bigger!


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## makky (Jul 14, 2004)

I think the original MOD standard (66-4 part 1) only specified a lume pip at '12.

It looks fantastic with the extra bezel markers.


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