# Initial impression on the new Omega SMP ceramic blue bond (212.30.41.20.03.001)



## stockae92 (Feb 10, 2006)

To be honest, when I first saw the photo from Basel 2011, I hated the new Omega SMP ceramic. It lost the wave dial, the bezel insert doesn't look right, it just wasn't the SMP that I used to know. And then as the real life photo showing up online, things started to look different. It looks quite nice, still a lot different, but it also starts to good look. Then come the impulse buy ... and that's how it bought us here today.

In short, SMP C is still a SMP, just better.

Now I really like the glossy dial, it looks clean. The ceramic bezel is glossy as well and its a great match to the dial. The shade of blue is really nice and hard to capture by the lens. You have to see it in person and in different lighting to appreciate it.

The (double?) AR coated crystal just disppears, leaving you all the beautiful of the dial.

The shape of the case, the He escape valve at 10 o'clock, hour markers and the hands looks very familiar. There are added details to them which are 
nice touch.

The bezel seems taller than the old one. The bezel insert looks awesome, but the same complain as the old one, which is its still not as easy to grab as the other design.

The bracelet looks like the old bond bracelet, but it got thicker and now with screws + pin to hold the links. How it works is to use 2 tiny screws on each side to hold a pin to secure the bracelet links together. I can't say I like this better than the old pin and collar system. What gotten better is the more upscale feeling having screws and you won't lose collar or bend pin anymore, but those screws are tiny and not easy to handle. BTW, I never have problem with the old pin and collar system and think they are plenty secure. If you have to use screws, I still like the single screw used by other watch manufacturers better.

The clasp is also significantly different. Its shorter and flows with the bracelet better. Still doesn't have micro adjustment holes, and I wished they kept the "Seamaster" engraving on the it to complete the looks.

And then the lume. Omega is doing it right ... and wrong. The lume is white in day time and blue in the dark, except for the minute hand and bezel lume dot which both glow green. First the bad is that I am not a fan of the green lume mixed with blue lume. But the good news is that you don't notice it too much. They both glow in similar intensity and brightness. And as the watch (and me) stay in the dark longer, my eye tends to tell me they glow in similar color. I notice it more when the watch is in the dark room fresh out of the sun.

And I am glad to say that Omega is still doing lume right. The lume is nice and bright, and still brighter than Rolex (Sub C). Don't know how Omega do it, thumbs up for doing it right (white, blue and bright).

All of the above adds up to a beautiful watch, that fits like the old one (maybe slightly heavier but still very comfortable). Still the same good and bad about Omega SMP, but Omega made thw whole watch better.

+ bright lume
+ comfortable
+ good looks, Omega made it looks better than the old one
+ It looks cleaner than the old one
+ ceramic bezel insert looks great
+ movement exclusive to Omega (2500D co-axial movement)

- bezel still not as easy to use
- no micro adjustment on clasp
- not a true in-house movement from the ground up
- Just don't break the bezel insert, I imagine its not going to be cheap
- still can't shoot laser yet 

And then the pix:


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## Muddy250 (Jul 20, 2011)

Thanks for posting that. I too hated it when I first saw it, didn't grab me when I tried it while buying my PO but your great pics are making me look at it in a different light again. Don't know if I'll ever go for it but I wouldn't discount it.


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## RogerP (Mar 7, 2007)

Good review and nice pics - congrats on the fine new piece. Not sure why so many seemed to "hate" this model, save for the concept that those who own an existing model are often the harshest critics of its replacement. I think it looks terrific. I much prefer the clean look of the dial to all the waves and like the ceramic bezel very much in both black and blue versions. I do wish the date wheel on the blue matched the dial, however. It might be nice to have the cal. 8500 in this model, but I suspect it would result in a much thicker watch as well as a far more expensive one. There's the PO for those who crave both. I quite like the wearability and (comparative) affordability of this one.

Roger


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## GaryF (Dec 18, 2009)

Great write-up and watch. I actually like the green minute hand/bezel pip. Makes sense for a diving watch. 
I'm sorely tempted by this watch but the killer is the same thing that's really stopping me from getting the Speedy 9300- redundancy. I have the older version and I don't know if the new offers me enough that is different. I guess I could go black but it's the blue that I like.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Enjoy the watch and thanks for posting the pictures.


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## solesman (Dec 3, 2009)

A nicely written and informative review. I like the SMP-c blue a lot and if I didn't have the PO it would be a contender. Can't have 2 dressy divers sadly. 

Now I'm rambling too.

Enjoy in the best of health.


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## lieben (May 12, 2012)

do you think the bezel is easy to be broken?


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## sager (Dec 16, 2011)

Beautiful beautiful beautiful...

No more to say besides congrats


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## stockae92 (Feb 10, 2006)

Lets add another lume shot


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## Muffnbluff (Nov 15, 2011)

I'm having a tough time deciding whether I want a blue SMP-C or a 2220.80.

The SMP-C is a gorgeous watch, no doubt about it, but it definitely comes off as a little more dressy to me. I'm not sure if I'd rather have the 2220.80 because it has a little more sportier look to it.

WIS problems.


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## Perseus (Mar 25, 2010)

It's really hard to update an icon and I think they did a great job. I wish the ceramic wasn't so shiny but man does the dial look good! 

I really dislike screw bars. I've never had a probem with pins but twice had a screw come out on a Kobold bracelet and didn't know it! Thankfully the bar was still in place and the watch didn't fall of my wrist. Ever since then they make me nervous.


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## copperjohn (Feb 5, 2010)

Very nice. Picture number 2 really looks great.


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## Zidane (Feb 11, 2006)

Thanks for the review! 

Now comes the $1MM question: which one are you wearing more often - the Sub-C or the SMP-C? Any preference between the two?


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## RogerP (Mar 7, 2007)

Zidane said:


> Thanks for the review!
> 
> Now comes the $1MM question: which one are you wearing more often - the Sub-C or the SMP-C? Any preference between the two?


Very good question.

Roger


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## chris344 (Jul 31, 2011)

Another couple of lume shots


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## stockae92 (Feb 10, 2006)

Zidane said:


> Thanks for the review!
> 
> Now comes the $1MM question: which one are you wearing more often - the Sub-C or the SMP-C? Any preference between the two?


If I can only choose between the Sub C and SMP C, I would have to go with the Sub C because ...

(1) The tied to history of Submariner
(2) Triple lock crown
(3) Glidelock clasp
(4) More user friendly bezel

I know they are in two different price segment. But if I have to compare them by wearability and userability, I still tip the scale to Rolex Sub C.

Its also about the "user experience" about wearing the the watch. Here's the difference. When I am wearing the Sub C, I am kinda reluctant to put it back in the watch box and wear something else in rotation. And for the Omega, I would just do rotation when its about time. If you know what I mean.


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## typecase (May 5, 2009)

When I first I saw this watch I was disappointed that they removed the iconic waves, and had numerals on the bezel were the PO type, not the traditional SMP type. Further, I wish the date numerals matched that of the bezel and the printing on the face, a wide sans serif. Of the changes though, the waves are my biggest issue. But these pics make the watch look beautiful. Will have to try it on in person. I love that they finally have screws on the bracelet, but it sucks that the name of the watch isn't there anymore. Thanks for the great review.


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## Anon (Mar 12, 2008)

Some more minuses to add:

- the outer AR coating on the crystal is prone to scratches and also gets easily smudged
- the watch got heavier possibly because of the ceramics used. Aluminum is lighter.
- the clasp could be better designed or be left as it was.
- the lume fillings, even being more bright, lost their whitish tone and turned yellowish which makes the lume dots look "aged"
- the new bracelet adjustment using screws was a bad (unsafe) idea
- the bezel numerals could be smaller
- the watch case got a bit thicker because of the bezel


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## imranbecks (Oct 3, 2008)

With my recent purchase of the SMP 2220.80 and having chosen that one over the blue SMPc, I'd like to know if the lume brightness of SMPc is the same as the 2220.80 or is it brighter? Judging by the photos here, the lume of the SMPc does look really bright....


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## GTTIME (Jun 28, 2009)

I love it and think they did a great job.


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## keisuke_z (Jan 9, 2012)

imranbecks said:


> With my recent purchase of the SMP 2220.80 and having chosen that one over the blue SMPc, I'd like to know if the lume brightness of SMPc is the same as the 2220.80 or is it brighter? Judging by the photos here, the lume of the SMPc does look really bright....


I realize this is a much older post but... owning both the 2220.80 and the SMPc, I can safely say that the 2220.80's lume is definitely brighter, after the initial charge (with a 500lumen Surefire torch for 30 blinding seconds) than the SMPc. The blue is just not as bright as the green. That said, they do last about the same afterwards, so it's just that initial intense glow where the difference is.


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## asadtiger (Jun 23, 2008)

an absolutely stunning evolution of a great watch  congrats


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## Drksaint (Dec 30, 2012)

It's my favorite watch in my stable. As you stated that you are reluctant to switch the rotation of your sub when you wear it....that's how I feel about my smp


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## AFG08 (Mar 31, 2010)

I had the previous version of the Seamaster and never really liked the wave dial and ended up selling it. A couple of weeks ago I decided to buy a current SMP and could not decide on the black or blue dial. My previous one was black. After going back and forth for days, I went with the blue and no regrets, the color is great. I really like the changes Omega made with this watch.


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## jwilloughby46 (Nov 19, 2012)

Overall beautiful watch, couple things I wish they would of done on it though, which would of made it perfect:

• white date wheel (I feel with everything else being white it looks out of place) 
•Some sort of micro adjustment on the bracelet.
•The Seamaster inscription on clasp (was this a way for omega to save money on clasps, you can use one clasp for multiple watches because of no personalization?)

Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk 2


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## speedbird_500 (Apr 1, 2009)

I love the overall design. I don't own one so I can't comment on what it's like to live with daily but it's pure Omega


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## khoalety (Feb 2, 2013)

What a beautiful watch. I like either blue or black... where the dial surface is smooth instead of wavy.  If I can get a good deal of the wavy dial... I like it too.


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## mysharona (Feb 27, 2012)

stockae92 said:


> If I can only choose between the Sub C and SMP C, I would have to go with the Sub C because ...
> 
> (1) The tied to history of Submariner
> (2) Triple lock crown
> ...


Is funny... I own a blue smp c... Love it. But my 1979 Rolex datejust 16030 is the one that gives me the warm fuzzies. I'll wear the smp as "part of the rotation", but I'll go a week without taking off my rolex. It's funny how we can love a watch to death but have no problem letting it sit for a week or more while we spend time with our babies.

Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk


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