This Watch

Here we have a beautiful Omega Seamaster De Ville from 1970  model 165.008 Box & Papers Set with a curvaceous 34mm stainless steel that curves over your wrist with straight-angled flat-ended lugs. The Seamaster was first introduced in 1948 to celebrate Omega’s 100th Anniversary, it was an immediate success and is Omega’s longest-running model. Based on the waterproof designs used during World War 2, it was improved upon with the addition of an “O” ring gasket which improved its water resistance. Omega’s first diving record came in 1955 when diver Gordon McLean reached a depth of 62.5 metres (205 ft) in Australia, the engineers were so confident of the durability that they strapped one to the outside of an aircraft that flew over the North Pole in 1956. A lug-to-lug length of 38.5mm and a case thickness of just 7mm ensure a comfortable fit on your wrist, on the right side, is a signed crown, and polished and brushed surfaces transition with crisp lines. A smooth polished bezel holds the domed crystal above the silver dial with slender chamfered applied double and singular baton indexes infilled in black marking the hours, slim black sword hands complemented by a tapered sweeping centre seconds hand complete the attractive dial. At 12 o'clock we have the Omega motif, and “Automatic” printed underneath, the text is precisely printed at  6 o’clock with "Seamaster Deville". On the case back we have the embossed Hippocampus in the centre that represents Neptune the God of the sea, it was conceived by Pierre Borie after seeing a picture of Neptune riding a chariot pulled by seahorses, it is the reason why the seahorses are wearing a bridle, first seen on the Seamaster in 1958. Inside an automatic Omega Cal. 771, 24 jewels, beating at  19,800 beats per hour, an incredibly thin calibre for the time. The watch comes paired with an 18mm leather strap, and the watch comes with its Omega presentation box and paperwork including the original receipt, insurance certificate and service receipt from 1972.

Extra Points 

Founded by Louis Brandt in 1848, Omega started out as La Generale Watch Co., an unassuming, but international business.   It wasn't until 1885, when the company had been taken over by Louis' sons, that the first mass-produced caliber, the Labrador, was released.  By 1903, the company had renamed itself Omega and only two years later were they the official timekeepers at many sporting events across Switzerland.  Omega stepped onto an international stage in 1932 as the official timekeepers at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the first of over 20 Olympic Games. Omega were one of the 12 companies, now known as the Dirty Dozen, commissioned to produce watches for the British Military during the Second World War.  One of Omega's most iconic watches, the Seamaster, was introduced in 1948 to celebrate their 100th anniversary.  Over 70 years later, it is still one of Omega's best selling watches.  Omega made headlines in 1962 when Wally Schirra wore the Speedmaster as part of NASA's first crewed spaceflight programme, making the Speedmaster the first watch to enter space.  It was only a few years before the Speedmaster became the official chronograph for the American space missions and was worn by Buzz Aldrin as well as the Apollo 13 crew.  

This watch comes fully serviced by our on-site workshop and with a 12 month, non-waterproof service cover.

If you're looking for an affordable, attractive and reliable vintage watch, you'd be pushed to find a better example.  Slim design and a real dress watch indeed.  It is the perfect watch for the vintage watch newbie and a must have for every collector!  The iconic Seamaster is great first vintage watch. Today we understand the importance of keeping our box and paperwork together with our watch, but in 1970 that definitely wasn't an important thing to do and we have heard stories of people regularly not taking their boxes with them when they'd purchase a watch. The fact this incredible Seamaster De Ville comes with its box, paperwork, purchase receipt, insurance receipt and a service receipt from 1972 shows this was well looked after and a treasured possession. we love buying watches like this and to have the opportunity to service  them ready to be enjoyed like that again and likely become someone else's treasured possession!