The Omega De Ville that arrived today features a precious design produced during the transition period between hand-wound and quartz models.
It's a rare item with a modern and feminine watch design.
From the late 1970s, Swiss-made watches gradually saw the rise of quartz models.
Many watch brands, including Omega, began focusing on the production of quartz models,
ushering in what would later be known as the "Quartz Crisis."
This De Ville was produced just before that era.
It was manufactured for only about two years during the switch from hand-wound to quartz models,
making it an extremely rare watch that embodies the history of timepieces.
With a hand-wound movement inside and the exterior of a quartz model,
it is indeed a unique item.
One of the designs seen in this period is the use of analogous colors for the dial and indices,
creating a unified color scheme.
In hand-wound models, even when the dial and indices had the same color, the hands were often black,
a design choice made to ensure legibility.
From around this period, indices were given a brilliant mirror finish that reflected light,
and the combination of analogous colors for the dial, indices, and hands created a sense of unity,
which can be said to capture the mood of a glamorous era.
Furthermore, the De Ville notation also changed from uppercase block letters to a combination of upper and lower case,
enhancing its design appeal. Watches began to shift from being purely functional to items that brought joy to wear.
As many people started to prefer cutting-edge designs,
more watches began to emphasize design, but
the allure of mechanical watches, which represent a bygone era, is still hard to abandon.
It might be a Japanese way of thinking, but while respecting the merits of quartz watches,
the recent re-evaluation of the appeal of mechanical watches is partly due to
the ability to give form to the results of various trials and errors.
The Cal.625 used in this watch was produced from around 1972,
and is one of Omega's famous movements that supported an era.
Used mainly in women's models and men's dress watches,
it achieved mass production despite being a hand-wound movement.
Furthermore, with stable accuracy and high maintainability,
it continues to tick as an excellent Omega-like movement.
Considering these aspects, it might be that Omega products, which show a strong commitment to their movements
as well as their watch designs,
are a very good fit for the Japanese market.
And when it comes to vintage models, even though they are pre-owned,
we must not forget that they can be acquired at an affordable price.
Many new products currently sold for under 100,000 yen
are mostly fashion watches with inexpensive quartz movements.
A mechanical watch from a top global brand like Omega can be purchased for under 100,000 yen,
and with maintenance, it can be used for a lifetime.
There is no other item as attractive as this.
The value of a watch is not simply determined by its price.
There are many items within reach that offer more appeal than their cost.
If you are choosing among them, this De Ville is undoubtedly an excellent choice,
and one I can confidently recommend.
