OMEGA De Ville Hour Vision Watches

OMEGA De Ville Hour Vision

The OMEGA De Ville Hour Vision debuted in 2007 as a watch purpose-built to show off the new Caliber 8500. The introduction of this watch would usher in a new era of high-precision timekeeping for one of Switzerland’s most technically advanced brands. The Hour Vision boasts unique sapphire crystal display flanks and a stunning dial design reminiscent of the Art Deco movement.

History and Significance to the OMEGA Brand

When OMEGA released the Hour Vision in 2007, it was a historic moment for the brand. OMEGA was already known for high-quality movements built with the watchmaker’s innovative and proprietary coaxial escapement. OMEGA was now making the transition to building their own movements completely in-house rather than modifying existing movements, usually from ETA. The Caliber 8500, a COSC-certified chronometer built from the ground up with the coaxial escapement in mind, was an important move in that direction. Though some debate whether the 8500 was a “true” in-house movement (it was built by ETA from original OMEGA designs), OMEGA considers it an in-house movement.

To show off the new caliber (which would soon make its way into most of the other lines on offer), OMEGA released the De Ville Hour Vision. As part of the De Ville line, it is essentially a dress watch. What makes the Hour Vision unique (and explains its name) is that portions of the case body are made of transparent sapphire crystal. This allows a view of the mechanism not only from the caseback (as is more common) but also from the sides through “windows” on the watch’s flanks.

For the dial, OMEGA needed to create something that could compete with the technical beauty of the movement on display. The final design consists of a dial with a subtle sunburst brush pattern and a grooved, rhodium-plated ring at the hour track. The polished ring takes advantage of the side windows, which allow in extra light that reflects off the ring. The striking visual effect gives the watch a lively sense of depth and movement.

Despite its striking looks and historic place in OMEGA history, the Hour Vision didn’t turn out to be a huge seller at its debut. When it was updated in 2017 to include the Master Chronometer-certified calibers in some models, it was also given a more traditional look. Only one model (433.33.41.21.03.001) retained the grooved ring and sapphire windows.

OMEGA De Ville Design and Features

Conceived primarily as a dress watch, debut models of the Hour Vision were mostly distinguished by the distinctive dial and the side windows showing the mechanism. They were precise, visually striking timepieces, but they weren’t tool watches. They didn’t have lots of complications or technical features, though they did include a date window at the 3 o’clock position. Over the years, more versions rolled out, including an annual calendar model and a chronograph model. The annual calendar displayed month and day at 3 o’clock and needed to be corrected only once a year on March 1. The chronograph introduced two subdials to the watch’s face and moved the date window to 6 o’clock to accommodate them. The Hour Vision has always been available in a choice of steel or OMEGA’s proprietary Sedna™ rose gold. Bracelets come in either leather or matching metal with a nine-row link pattern. 

OMEGA De Ville Collector’s Perspective

The Hour Vision never found a huge market the way many other OMEGA products did. As a result, it remains a comparatively inexpensive buy for interested collectors who want to own an important piece of OMEGA history. Good-quality secondhand examples are available starting below $4,000 while even many brand-new models are available for less than $10,000.

A few special editions of the Hour Vision have been produced, including a platinum skeletonized version. The OMEGA Hour Vision Blue (431.33.41.21.03.001) is a partnership with nonprofit ORBIS International to benefit their work combating preventable blindness in developing countries. Hour Vision fans looking for a special piece to broaden their collection should keep their eyes open for these two releases. The skeletonized version (431.93.41.21.64.001), in particular, warrants collector attention. Only 88 examples were produced. This extremely limited release takes the Hour Vision to its logical endpoint: showing the mechanism from all angles with a clear dial in addition to the see-through caseback and side windows. Prices for this extraordinary release reflect its rarity, at times running more than $50,000.