Post by timelessluxwatches on Oct 15, 2016 10:34:28 GMT -6
Omega Globemaster Review
Today we look at the Omega Globemaster, which we've visited before in its steel/tungsten carbide variant. This time we're looking at the rather fetching Sedna gold model.
The Globemaster is certainly a breath of fresh air in the Constellation line of Omegas. The existing Constellation models are very hot sellers, perhaps the best selling within Omega's entire lineup, but they never really did it for me personally. The Globemaster, however, is a lot truer to the original Constellations of the 1950s, and I think that's for the better.
Specifically, the Globemasters are inspired mainly by the Constellations of the 1950s. In fact, the Globemaster nomenclature was actually just another name for the Constellation in the early American versions to bypass a trademark conflict.
The resemblance is quite prominent to those early watches. The pie pan dial, the gold star, and the applied hour markers are all inspired by Constellations of old. But while the Globemaster seeks a vintage look, it isn't a reproduction or reissue. Today's Globemasters are original creations which merely take inspiration from their predecessors, not unlike Tudor's Black Bay.
For instance, the Globemaster has a thoroughly modern amount of lume. This is actually quite a practical amount and more than you'd typically find in a dressy watch.
The 39mm case is really quite a good size for this watch in that it's modern but not too large. This particular model is Sedna gold, a proprietary blend of gold, copper and palladium. I'm not typically a fan of gold watches, but the Globemaster just works better in this metal than in the steel/tungsten carbide model. Having spent some time with it in person, I think the best Globemaster is this one, albeit at a not-insubstantial price increase.
The fluted bezel has been one of the most controversial elements of the watch. Generally speaking, I'm not a fan of fluted bezels as they're a bit too attention getting for my tastes, but it is in line with the overall look of the watch. This is also where I must give a nod to the steel Globemaster, which goes the extra mile by using super hard tungsten carbide for this component.
I wasn't planning on discussing the movement very much, having already spent a lot of time talking about both the 8500 family of movements and METAS certification, but this particular movement is one we haven't looked at much before. I personally call these Omega movements the "1" movements.
I call them that because these are movement designations that end in the number 1. This particular movement is the 8901. So what does the 1 do? Well, it makes it a whole lot prettier, which is saying something because the 8500s look wonderful to begin with.
Specifically, it adds this gorgeous gold rotor and balance bridge. This creates terrific contrast with the other bridges in the movement. It goes especially nicely with the observatory medallion on the back of all Globemasters.
The reason this is a member of the 8900s instead of the 8500s is because this watch has passed the METAS tests. I went into a lot greater detail with this in my recent Planet Ocean Master Chronometer Review if you want to read more, but the METAS testing is basically another layer of certification on top of the conventional chronometer rating. It's mainly focused on testing magnetic resistance, which is amazingly high on Master Chronometers, but it also tests stats like power reserve and water resistance.
Overall, the Globemaster in Sedna gold has done little to change my opinion of the Globemaster, but that's not really a bad thing since I loved the steel one too.
What did surprise me is how much nicer the watch looks in gold. It really fits the personality of the watch. From a scratch resistance perspective, however, it simply can't compete with steel to begin with, much less the tungsten carbide bezel in its counterpart. But then, this isn't really an aggressive sports watch you're going to take hiking or cliff diving, so perhaps this isn't actually that big of a difference. In either steel or gold, these are easily my favorite Constellation models out there today.
