OMEGA DE VILLE, AUTOMATIC, VINTAGE 1960s

Omega De Ville Manual Wind: Timeless Elegance in Mechanical Motion

Origins and early evolution
The Omega De Ville manual wind line was born in 1960 as an integral part of the Seamaster model family, designed to offer a refined alternative to the robust sports models that dominated Omega’s catalog. This historical period coincided with the growing demand for elegant watches in urban settings, where slimness and discretion were synonymous with sophistication. In 1967, after seven successful years, Omega granted the De Ville its independence as an autonomous collection, marking a strategic shift towards Geneva dress watchmaking. This change reflected the brand’s vision: to create pieces that merged Swiss precision with clean aesthetics, exclusively produced in the workshops of Geneva, a city symbolic of world watchmaking excellence. The transition solidified the De Ville as a symbol of discreet elegance for discerning professionals.

Technology: Movements that defined an era
The heart of these models was the calibre 620, a manual movement that revolutionized watchmaking engineering in the 1960s:

• Ultra-thin profile: With only 2.7 mm thickness (the thinnest from Omega at the time), it allowed for cases with sleek lines barely exceeding 6 mm in height, ideal for sliding under formal shirt cuffs.

• Certified precision: Equipped with 17 jewels, a Breguet spring and thermal adjustment in five positions, it offered 42 hours of power reserve and an accuracy of ±30 seconds/day, rivaling larger chronometers.

• Unexpected robustness: It incorporated Incabloc shock protection systems, bridges designed to withstand torsions, and curved plexiglass crystals that mitigated daily scratches.
  This mechanism laid the foundation for developments like the calibre 625 (with date) and the 635 (chronometer), proving that slimness did not compromise performance.

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