Reply With QuoteTo my eyes, that really is a cracking job as long as it's a keeper!
Very nice, could the same be done with the blue version and the blue (Ti?) bezel from the PO..?
Dial with applied indices and logo is a huge improvement.
Since no one wanted to buy my bruised and battered 2002 2254.50 here http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...(Complete-Set) I thought I'd take the opportunity to breath some new life into it with a full service and refurb. And whilst I was at it I thought I'd do something that I'd always wanted to do - modernise the trusty old SMP to something a little more 21st century.
I've always been torn between the SMP and PO. Both are superb watches and each has its own advantages and disadvantages as a daily wearer. I've always loved the slim cases of the 1120-driven SMPs but have often found the oversized numbered insert of the 2254.50 a little garish and dated. The 2500 PO is stunning, but the case is a little chunky and the watch wears quite a bit heavier which can be a tad uncomfortable after a long day at work. So I thought I'd have my cake and eat it and combine the best parts of both watches with the following custom SMP mods:
-Brand new 'non-AC' dial from the 2230.50
-PO second hand
-PO crystal (the SMP had a few nicks in it anyway!)
-PO bezel and insert
So I received the watch back Friday last week and here are the results...
So have I committed the ultimate sin and messed with perfection? Maybe, but this may well be the best-looking Omega diver I've ever seen enjoy...
To my eyes, that really is a cracking job as long as it's a keeper!
Very nice, could the same be done with the blue version and the blue (Ti?) bezel from the PO..?
Dial with applied indices and logo is a huge improvement.
very nice
Great mod. Not absolutely sure on the insert and bezel but the hand and dial are make a tremendous improvement.
"Bite my shiny metal ass."
- Bender Bending Rodríguez
It's lovely I miss my Seamaster of the same model, worst move I ever made (watch collecting) selling that. What is a "non AC dial" though?
Nice update to the 2254. I fitted the 2230 dial and PO seconds hand to mine but still contemplating if I should spend the money on the PO crystal and bezel or not
I love the simplicity of the dial unmodified, but this really does work very well. Not 100% on the bezel but then I am very used to mine as it is.
If you dont want to keep the original bezel and insert I have a mate who is in need of one but doesn't want to pay Omegas price for it. PM me if you want to part with it.
Crackin mods. If only you could shave off the crown guards.
Last edited by gazzafaegreenock; 13th October 2014 at 14:24.
Nice! Well done!
Abomination IMVHO, the 2254 is a classic and should not be messsed with.
Nice. The PO bezel, insert and crystal ain't cheap. But then my stock crystal was scratched so I thought I may as well go the whole hog. The double AR coating definitely helps the dial 'pop' and you have to use the PO crystal with the PO bezel otherwise there's a small gap between the two that can act as a dust magnet.Originally Posted by Clarky
Nice update to the 2254. I fitted the 2230 dial and PO seconds hand to mine but still contemplating if I should spend the money on the PO crystal and bezel or not
As a financial investment the PO mods are a non-starter (I could've bagged myself a 2500D PO 42 for the total cost), but I genuinely intend this to be a 'keeper' so I'm happy to spend a bit of money on the watch to make it perfect. And the customised mods make for an interesting talking point - I love the fact that it is near enough unique (I think there are a couple of 2254.50+s floating around on WUS).
Two of my favourite watches combined.
But it leaves me feeling a little uneasy TBH.
Can't quite explain it.
Glad you like it though.
Really like the bezel and the indices - I opened up your old ad for a comparison of the pics, and I prefer your new version by miles.
Thanks mate much appreciated.
It's fairly easy to revert back to the old bezel and insert if I fancy a change up, but I think the PO insert really sets it off. And it's easier and more precise to turn which is a bonus ;-)
Looks great, you have created something that is truly bespoke and yours! Brave, yet not compromising often is!
Brave! I wouldn't mess with my 2254 though as I love it just as it is.
I think it looks great, who did the work for you?
Not sure you can 'very humbly' call something an abomination.
The holocaust was an abomination. This is a watch with some slightly different OEM parts.
Great job...though personally I like the original bezel a little bit more
Looks like a job very well done. My preference, however, would be to keep the original style bezel and insert rather than the PO one. Love the dial and hands though.
Last edited by Thorien; 13th October 2014 at 20:48.
Looks great, really like the bezel.
Don't worry I'm going to keep the original bezel for a change if I get bored of the PO insert. I actually like the scalloped bezel, but the insert just looks a bit '90s to me!
noun
noun: abomination; plural noun: abominations
a thing that causes disgust or loathing.
"concrete abominations masquerading as hotels"
synonyms: atrocity, disgrace, horror, obscenity, outrage, curse, torment, evil, crime, monstrosity, violation, bugbear, anathema, bane; bête noire
"in both wars, internment was an abomination"
•a feeling of hatred.
"a Calvinist abomination of indulgence"
synonyms: detestation, loathing, hatred, aversion, antipathy, revulsion, repugnance, abhorrence, odium, execration, disgust, horror, hostility, disdain, contempt, distaste, dislike
"he had a Calvinist abomination of indulgence"
antonyms: liking, love
Turning this on its head I presume its not possible to fit a 2230.50 dial to a PO? Just wondering what that would look like
That's a really nice result. I'm a PO-holic, but I'm a bit lukewarm when it comes to the SMP, although I appreciate the slim case. What you've achieved is, for me, the ideal SMP.
Love it, love it, love it. Great mod and using original parts too. Well done
Looks different and nice (IMO) like that and at least you have the usable original bits to put back if/when you fancy a change!
i really really like the dial and second hand mod, the indicies look great, not so sure on the bezel though just a step too far from the original for me.
It's a big win imo, the coin edge bezel is a big improvement, and I think the whole thing looks sublime, FWIW I'm not at all a fan of the modern SMP (can't imagine Swatch losing any sleep about that) but if it looked like yours I'd warm towards it. Shame about the HEV, but what can you do!
Great job on this one, I prefer the look over the original.
I'm not one for modifying watches and I`ve turned down a few requests to do so.
However, this SMP mod is the exception, I think it works nicely. The SMP bezel isn`t easy to use and the facetted edges are easily damaged and difficult to refinish. This is a far more practical solution. Using the PO glass also seems to solve the 'gap' problem.
The dial mod works well too. I`ve done a couple of these and I like them.
I find the SMP a much nicer watch than the Planet Ocean because it's slimmer. The SMP works OK on a smaller wrist because it's slim, and that adds to the appeal IMO.
Paul
Agree with the above, I think the bezel is the best mod on that - I have never liked the scalloped design of the 2254 and various bond references - the PO crystal gives it the correct emergence profile.
Dare to be different.
The only possible thing I would change about the watch are the crown guards, but that's a mod too far in my book. That and possibly a ceramic bezel. I wonder if the Liquidmetal LE bezel would fit?!
I've always hated the 2254 bezel and insert, so in my eyes your mod is an immense improvement on an otherwise lovely watch. The dial and bezel works really well together, and the PO second hand makes the 2254 hands stand out in a really cool way. The best of both worlds, and very much a successful mod. Enjoy it!
Great job, might have kept my 2254 if it looked like that. Well done!
Somewhere in a parallel universe is a bloke who's modded his watch to look make it look exactly like this universe's Omega 2254 :). Nice job, well done.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
I rather like that. My 2254.50 is my daily wearer, but I've always liked the look of the PO and particularly the bezel. Does the PO bezel fit on the 2254 without the crystal mod, and if so is it simple to swap the bezels over? Sorry for the noob questions!
Great question. Also, what sort of cost would it set me back - as I could see me doing this to one of my 2254's. 😀
It's just a matter of time...
A very nice personalised watch. Definitely a keeper
Yes it fits but there is a small gap between the PO bezel and the stock crystal so it's better to do both. From what I've read it's advisable to let a professional do the bezel swap as it's easy to do some damage with basic tools and elbow grease.
Parts, full service and refurb set me back £850, but I'm hoping to recoup some costs by selling the old parts. It's not a mod for the serial flippers amongst us ;-)Great question. Also, what sort of cost would it set me back - as I could see me doing this to one of my 2254's.
Love it. I love the original watch but I see this as what the PO should have been. I mice evolution.
I like the coin edge bezel from the PO but is there a noticeable vertical gap between bezel and watch case?
imho the 2254 dial and hands are better than the PO.
What would be interesting is if the ceramic bezel from new PO would fit the 2254?
or can you fit the 2254 dial and hands to the new ceramic SMP?
Nice work, I like it a lot as a slimmer lighter alternative to a PO. Expensive though. Having said that I really like how the 2254.50 looks in standard guise also.
That looks really nice!
Hi
Fantastic mod imho.
The dial is the key part: applied indices on the wave dial is a winner, one of the best dials Omega has made.
The slimmer number on the bezel make the dial stand out even more.
winner on all acccounts.
thanks
deano
Not sure the ceramic bezel is available to buy from Cousins UK as OEM yet and I think it would look a tad chunky on the SMP case.
Now if you could somehow get hold of a LM LE PO bezel that would be very interesting indeed ;-)
Looks very nice keeps all the recognisable seamaster DNA but makes it your own.
OP, do you know the part number of the "PO crystal" you used, please?
Yes. It maybe wasn't perfect but it was what it was for good reason and is considered a modern classic by many. For me it now doesn't know what it wants to be.
And that you love it is all that matters. I'm delighted that you're delighted with it.
Posting Permissions
