1969 Omega De Ville Automatic 9ct Gold 32.5mm 162.5045
Ref: 162.5045
Specification
Lugs : 18mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : None
Case Material : 9ct Yellow Gold
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold “Watch Only”; therefore, it comes without an original vintage Omega box or original paperwork. It comes paired with a well-suited 18mm brown suede strap and pin buckle. The watch is from Circa. 1969 and is in worn vintage condition, but overall, it is in very fair condition, with sharp, well-defined edges to the case, as you can see from the photographs. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-fa2Fv1o1Spp9-rADY-ISzBZfyqA7xsJ?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 15:12 - https://youtu.be/Zn77B3bW_DE
The Watch
Here we have a 1969 Omega De Ville Automatic 9ct Gold 32.5mm 162.5045 with a 32.5mm tonneau-shaped 9ct Gold case sitting comfortably on your wrist with tapered lugs; in 1967, Omega launched the De Ville as a stand-alone line, a much more streamlined, varied, and younger feel than the Seamaster, it soon became Omega’s best-selling collection. Polished and brushed surfaces transition with crisp lines along chamfered edges, leading to a lug-to-lug length of 37mm and a case thickness of 10mm. On the right side is a signed crown. The radial brushed bezel holds a bevel-edged crystal sitting above a striking vertical brushed cream dial and applied single and double baton indexes mark the hours. At 3 o’clock, a framed date window and elegant baton hands are complemented by a tapered sweeping second hand, completing this stunning vintage dress watch. At 12 o’clock, we have the Omega motif and “Omega Automatic'' printed underneath and at 6 o’clock “De Ville''. On the reverse a screw-down case back, inside an automatic Omega Cal. 1002, 20 jewels, beating at 28,800 beats per hour. It comes paired with a well-suited 18mm brown suede strap and pin buckle.
Personal Note
I am often asked about where value can still be found in the vintage watch world and often I mention Omega at the top of the list. This wonderful 9ct gold Omega De Ville is the perfect example of what can still be found without breaking the bank. Featuring an impressive texture dial, and sharp case and is powered by the automatic Omega calibre 1002 which also features a quick set date. All of this in a watch from 1969, the year we landed on the moon, impressive stuff. I would not hesitate to add this amazing watch to your collection today!
The Brand
Formerly known as the La Generale Watch Co. in 1848, it was founded by Louis Brandt in La Chaux-de-Fonds. When he died in 1879, his sons carried on his dream. In 1880, they moved to 96 Rue Jakob-Stampfli, where they remain today. The brothers produced their first mass-produced calibre, the Labrador In 1885. Just a few years later, in 1892, they produced the first minute-repeater. In 1903, they renamed the company Omega until 1982, when they officially changed their name to Omega SA. During WW1, Omega watches were used as official timekeepers for the Royal Flying Corps and the US Army. In 1930, Omega and Tissot merged together to form Société Suisse pour l'Industrie Horlogère (SSIH) In 1931, another group was formed - Allgemeine Schweizerische Uhrenindustrie AG (ASUAG). Where SSIH was primarily French-speaking, ASUAG was founded by the more German-speaking members of the Swiss watch industry. In 1948, they introduced the first edition of one of its most symbolic watches: the Seamaster. Omega first introduced the Constellation in 1952. At the time, it was Omega's flagship timepiece. The first models had a Cal. 354 bumper movement in them. Later, in 1955, Omega introduced the Automatic Cal. 50x, followed in 1959 by the Cal.55x (no date) and 56x (date) versions. Many of the Constellations came with pie-pan dials, diamond indexes, and fancy lug configurations. All the gold Constellations of that time have the Observatory of Geneva hand engraved on the back. The stainless steel and stainless steel/gold versions had a gold medallion on the back with the Observatory of Geneva. The eight stars above the Observatory stand for the many exploits of Omega in the world Chronometer competition. Celebrating the fact that all Constellations are Chronometer Certified. In 1962, when astronaut Wally Schirra wore a Speedmaster on his Mercury Sigma 7 Mission, making it the first Omega watch to enter space. After rigorous tests, NASA used Omega for all their Apollo missions, including the 1969 Moon landing of Apollo 11. Today Omega is still an astronaut's first choice. In 1969, President Nixon famously said it was “too valuable” and turned down the first-ever all-gold Speedmaster Professional Deluxe. As a response to the ever-growing threat of electronic watches to the manufacturers of mechanical watches, Omega and many Swiss brands such as Rolex and Patek Philippe formed Centre Electronique Horloger (CEH). Prototypes began to appear in 1967 with their production starting in 1968. Then, In 1972, Omega introduced the reference 198.030, which included the Omega calibre 1250, a ‘tuning-fork electronic movement which was made under licence from Bulova. Later we saw a merger of SSIH and ASUAG into SMH, or Société de Microélectronique et d’Horlogerie. This merger took place in 1983. In 1992, the company acquired Blancpain, and in 1998, it officially rebranded itself from SMH to the Swatch Group. Then, in 1999, they purchased and integrated Breguet into the Swatch Group.