: Hello everyone, been awhile since I've been on
: the site and was just browsing around and
: discovered that the 2531.80 is being
: discontinued. When is this supposed to take
: place? What are some of your opinions
: regarding the value of the current watch
: when this model is replaced. I have seen
: that they have upgraded the movement to
: co-ax, and added red lettering to the dial
: on the new model. Honestly, I think I like
: the current model better than this new one,
: just my opinion though.
The new model is model 2220.80, and it is in the shops in Canada already. I have yet to see one here in the US, though. Omega planned to release this watch worldwide by November to coincide with the November 17th release of the new Bond film. The last I heard from my former AD was that Omega planned to continue to produce the 2531.80 until January 2007.
As for the value of the current 2531.80, there are different opinions on the subject. Some believe that its value will drop initially, since people will want to buy the new model rather than the old. Eventually, as time passes, the watch may become a collector's item for die-hard Bond fans who want the original "Brosnan" watch. In my opinion, I don't expect this watch to appreciate in value very much in the near future. This has been one of Omega's best selling models for the last 10 years or so, so there are TONS of them in the marketplace. Even though it will no longer be manufactured, the fact remains that a lot of these watches are still sitting in dealer display cases. New and used models are also readily available on ebay and on the internet watch sales forums. When supply remains high, prices tend not to change much. Only time will tell if this model increases in value, but I wouldn't expect it to happen for many, many years.
I'm a bit torn myself over the new model. I like the new applied dial markers and Omega logo, and I also like the longer hands. However, that red "Seamaster" lettering has been criticized by a lot of people, and I'm not sure I like it myself. I do think the watch looked a bit cleaner with all white lettering. I'm also not sure the co-axial is worth the extra $900, since there is now a lot of doubt as to whether the co-axial escapement will really increase service intervals as Omega claims. Only time will tell if this is true as well. Here's another picture from an ebay seller from Italy:
