zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: I am looking at the DeVille for a dress watch
: and wondered how people here feel about this
: model because I never see much comment about
: it. In fact, I have posted asking for
: comments on a couple of forums and I just
: don't get much feedback. Is there a known
: defect that I should be considering. I
: realize it has the co-axial movement and
: that this is untested, but I haven't heard
: any problems with it yet either. If you were
: spending the money for a dress watch, would
: you buy the DeVille or another brand,
: perhaps Rolex, Girard Perregaux, Zenith,
: etc. Personally I like Omega quite a bit and
: have been heavily considering the DeVille
: but I am hesitating because there seem to be
: so few fans of this watch. What do you guys
: think? Thanks in advance.

The problem with the DeVille line is that it is generally considered to be overpriced. For example, the standard DeVille model has the exact same 2500 movement that is in the Aqua Terra (which also looks great as a dress watch). The Aqua Terra is $2850 on a bracelet, while the DeVille is $3580 on a strap. The Aqua Terra has a screw-down crown with 150 meters of water resistance and a sapphire caseback, both of which are lacking on the DeVille. So, what do you really get from the DeVille for that extra $700? Some feel the dial is nicer, but I think it's really a matter of personal preference.

The DeVille line was the first to use the co-axial escapement. When it was first launched, Omega overpriced the line, as they were promoting the benefits of the co-axial. Two years later they released the Aqua Terra line at a much lower price, and that line quickly became a big seller for Omega. You get far more "bang for the buck" from an Aqua Terra than you do from a DeVille.

To this day, Omega's behavior regarding the DeVille line really confuses me. It is already their most pricey line, yet every year when prices go up, the DeVilles increase in price more than any other line. As an example, the base DeVille went up $385 this year, while the Aqua Terra went up $55. If Omega isn't selling tons of DeVilles at the current prices, why do they keep raising the prices so much year after year? Clearly there isn't a great demand for DeVilles in the marketplace (at least not here in the US). Whenever I walk into an AD, I'm lucky to see one or two DeVilles among all the Seamasters, Speedmasters, and Constellations. If Omega is selling lots of DeVilles, I'd like to know who's buying them.

In a long-winded way I'm trying to say that the DeVilles don't offer the great value for the money that many other Omega models do.