Omega De Ville Tresor – More than Meets the Eye (Live Photos & Price)

Although it’s best known for its sport models, Omega has always produced a large variety of timepieces that could be worn in almost any circumstance. During a visit at an Omega Boutique, I was surprised to find that my attention wasn’t focused on the timepieces I’m usually most impressed with. Yes, I saw the new Seamaster 300 in all its glory, I worshipped the Speedmaster once more, I was just torn apart by the Ploprof (happens to me almost every time, and then thoughts of selling a kidney come to mind). But what grasped my attention was a 40mm dress watch, luxurious but austere, well proportioned and so complete in every aspect: the Omega De Ville Tresor, a re-edition of a 1940’s watch produced by Omega.

Its ancestor, the archetypal Tresor, was an oversized watch (37,5mm) by the standards of the time, with a very simple 3-hand dial and a pink gold case. At its heart beat the legendary Calibre 30 (produced from 1939 up to 1963, in almost twenty variations). The Calibre 30 also became Omega’s first rose plated caliber. The Tresor had the Calibre 30T2, which was produced from 1949 onwards. It was manual wound, featured 15 Jewels, boasted 43h of power reserve and was beating at 18,000bph. It was produced either with a second’s sub-dial at 6 o’clock or a sweeping hand (30T2SC, 30T2SCPC variations) and during the many years of its production, it equipped a large number of Omega watches, military contracts, dress watches etc… And many people refer to the 30T2 as the Caliber 260, which is exactly the same thing.

Having what was undoubtedly one of the greatest calibers of all time at its heart, combined with an elegant design, the Tresor became an instant hit, especially in the South American markets. With all the respect due to the original edition, Omega reintroduced the Tresor during Baselworld 2014. The watch is simple and elegant, with a great movement, the Calibre 8511 – It chose to follow the archetypal Tresor in almost every regard, but with a modern twist.

Powering this latest Omega De Ville Tresor is the new Master Co-Axial calibre 8511 – a unique manual winding movement that features a 18K red gold balance bridge, a Si14 silicon balance spring, a three-level Co-Axial escapement and Omega’s exclusive anti-magnetic technology. This officially certified chronometer is made to resist magnetic fields greater than 15,000 gauss, augmenting the reliability and incredible chronometric performance. We’ve explained you previously how this technology worked, and once again, this a great move from Omega.

The Omega De Ville Trésor is water resistant to 3 bar (30 meters / 100 feet) and features a slim and elegant polished 40 mm case crafted from 18K Sedna gold (Omega’s own red gold), 18K yellow gold or 18K white gold. Beneath the sapphire crystal is the silvery opaline domed dial decorated with a vintage “Clous de Paris” structure. Complementing its domed curve, the hours are marked with applied domed 18K gold indexes. The effect is completed with matching gold hands, including arched minute and seconds hands. Announcing the remarkable new calibre inside the watch are the words “Master Co-Axial Chronometer” on the dial.

Having worn the watch during my visit at the Omega Boutique, all I can say is that I am impressed. My personal taste inclines more to military and tool watches, chronographs and diver watches in equal dosage. But the Omega De Ville Tresor has, in my mind, an unparalleled vintage appeal, sprinkled with a generous dose of high-tech specifications – combination that in my opinion is difficult to be applied successfully on a watch. Few manufactures can stay loyal to the character of the archetype when they reintroduce a model. Omega seems to found the right formula with this one.

The Omega De Ville Tresor is now available on the market for 10.250Eur in yellow gold and Sedna gold and 11.150Eur in white gold.