Omega model

Omega De Ville: history, collections and official videos

The Omega De Ville is Omega's dress watch family, from slim manual-wind pieces of the 1960s to Co-Axial and tourbillon models today. This page explains its main lines, what drives the value of a De Ville and shows the official Omega videos about it.

Introduced: 1960, as part of the Seamaster line
Own collection: since 1967
Main lines: Prestige, Ladymatic, Trésor, Hour Vision, Tourbillon
First Co-Axial De Ville: 1999

De Ville Trésor Power Reserve | OMEGA – official video by Omega on YouTube

Where the De Ville name comes from

The De Ville began in 1960 as part of the Omega Seamaster line, according to one pre-owned dealer's guide; another source puts it more loosely in the early 1960s. In 1967 Omega made it a collection of its own, and the word Seamaster disappeared from the dial. The early watches were manually wound, and the first ones, made while the line still sat under Seamaster, had round cases. Because the De Ville is a dress watch, not a sports watch, it has always been about slim cases and clean dials.

The main De Ville lines

De Ville is a family, not a single watch. Omega's own site lists these lines today: Ladymatic, Trésor, Prestige and Tourbillon, with Hour Vision as a further line. Here is what each one is:

Prestige: the broadest line, for men and women, with Roman numeral or baton indices. Sizes include 36.8 mm and 39.5 mm for men, according to a dealer guide. Models range from quartz to automatic.
Ladymatic: first launched in 1955 as a watch for women and later brought into the De Ville range. It has a round case and a wave-like bracelet. Modern versions use the Co-Axial calibres 8520 and 8521.
Trésor: a slim dress watch whose design goes back to the late 1940s. Omega relaunched it in 2014. Recent versions include a 40 mm Power Reserve model and a 40 mm model with small seconds.
Hour Vision: introduced in 2007, with sapphire side panels in the case that let you see the movement. Omega's video manuals cover versions with the calibres 8500/8501 and 8601/8611.
Tourbillon: the top of the range, in precious metal. Omega presented a numbered De Ville Tourbillon edition in 2020.

Movements and milestones

Omega introduced its first tourbillon wristwatch in 1994, and in 1999 it made the first De Ville with the Co-Axial escapement. This is the point where many owners get confused: a De Ville from the 1960s or 1970s is a simple manual or early automatic watch, and a modern De Ville with a Co-Axial calibre or Master Chronometer certification is a very different, much more expensive watch. A Seamaster or Constellation can look similar, so check the dial and the caseback to see which one you really have.

What is an Omega De Ville worth?

The range is very wide. Value depends on the line, the movement (quartz, mechanical or Co-Axial), the case material, any diamonds, the condition and whether box and papers are present. Gold models, complicated models such as the tourbillon and recent Co-Axial or Master Chronometer watches sit at the top; common quartz Prestige models are at the other end. We found no documented auction result for a De Ville that we could verify, so we give no figures here. Look at the reference number on the caseback or lugs to tell which model you own.

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Official Omega De Ville videos

All videos come from the official Omega YouTube channel. They cover the Trésor, the Tourbillon, the Ladymatic and video manuals for several calibres.

More Omega videos, sorted by model: all official Omega playlists.

Sources (5)

SwissWatchExperts is not affiliated with Omega. Brand and model names are trademarks of their owners; the videos are embedded from the official Omega YouTube channel.

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Frequently asked questions

When was the Omega De Ville introduced?

One dealer guide says 1960, as part of the Seamaster line; another says the early 1960s. Omega made it a separate collection in 1967.

What is the difference between a De Ville Prestige and a Trésor?

The Prestige is the broadest, most common line, offered for men and women. The Trésor is a slim dress watch based on a late 1940s design, relaunched by Omega in 2014.

Which movement is in an Omega De Ville?

It depends on the era and line. Early watches were manually wound, there are quartz models, and Co-Axial versions followed from 1999, for example the calibres 8500/8501 and 8520/8521.

What is a De Ville Hour Vision?

A line introduced in 2007 with sapphire side panels in the case that show the movement.

How do I tell which De Ville I own?

Check the dial wording and the reference number on the caseback or between the lugs. These tell you the line, the movement and the era.

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