Amazing Omega De Ville “Emerald”, 18Kt yellow gold case and dial, faceted emerald-cut crystal, Omega 620 hand-wound movement, from 1972.
SPECIFICHE
18Kt yellow gold octagonal case measuring 24mm x 32mm
18Kt yellow gold dial
Original emerald-cut crystal
Corona originale
Gray alligator strap
Omega box and warranty
Omega 620 hand-wound movement inside
ANALISI
In the world of high-end vintage watches, few names are known Evoking with equal force the encounter between bold design and exquisite craftsmanship as Andrew Grima. A British designer of Italian-Scottish origins, Grima was a key figure in London in the 1960s and 1970s, renowned for revolutionizing the concept of the jewelry watch. Trained as an engineer before embracing design, he was recognized by the Royal Society of Arts and became the official purveyor to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, an exceptional honor for an artist with such radical lines. His distinctive style lay in the use of rough textures, hammered surfaces, rock crystals cut with inclusions, and cases with asymmetrical geometries, elements that broke with the canons of classical haute horlogerie to bring it closer to the sculptural avant-garde of the time.
It is precisely within this fertile creative context that the Omega De Ville Collection fits. Designed to connect with the high fashion concepts of the time, the De Ville line – which until then had been a hybrid of the more popular and recognizable “Seamaster” line on the international market – stands out for the innovative imagination of its shapes and details, revolutionizing the concept of classic watchmaking design. In 1970, Grima designed over fifty models, inaugurating the largest collection of jewelry watches ever designed by a single artist. The Grima style is immediately recognizable: bold dimensions for the time, finely crafted gold decorations that contrast with the often sober, square, minimalist, and “brutalist” cases. These aesthetic canons were joined by more surprising innovations for the period: the use of crystals made from precious stones such as beryl, smoky quartz, or zircon, capable of offering unique and unprecedented glazes and reflections. Grima’s artistic language imbues the watches with a mature personality, never betraying the canons of the classic watch in its primary function, blending the most radical artistic innovation with the Swiss chronometric tradition, elements that made Omega a protagonist of a period replete with success.
This marvelous “Emerald” grafts itself onto this tradition, emancipating Grima’s design towards more creative and baroque aesthetic solutions.
The dial is made of 18K yellow gold. The acronym “OM” surrounding the wording “Swiss Made” at 6 o’clock indicates its composition (“OM” stands for “Or Massif” in French). It is an octagonally cut dial whose entire surface has been treated with a “brocade”-style finish, featuring a refined design of swirling flowers and leaves, creating a three-dimensional surface texture that almost shimmers under the light. The composition evokes, through the use of a decorative pattern typical of the past, a marked lyricism and a sense of sweet melancholy. This “damask” decoration would overflow were it not for the counterweight provided by the rigidity and geometric design of the watch’s other elements. First, there are the gold baton indexes with onyx inserts; second, the rigid black pencil-shaped hour and minute hands. These elements connect the dial to the case and its spectacular sapphire crystal.
The crystal, in fact, is a concentration of craftsmanship and aesthetic grace. It rises above the dial like a thick body perfectly integrated into the overall layout. Its profile is cut like an emerald, with vivid edges and accentuated angles. The crystal continues on the dial, harmonizing with the underlying design through the refractions of light.
The 18K gold case, produced by the Geneva goldsmiths Artisanor SA (key hallmark number 20), is conceived as if it were a container within which the dial is placed first, followed by the sapphire crystal. Its octagonal shape perfectly matches the design of the components above, combining straight lines and sharp angles.
Under the gold caseback lies the hand-wound Omega 620 caliber. This movement was introduced in the early 1960s and was a key feature throughout the decade. It measures 17.5mm in diameter and is only 2.5mm thick; It has 17 jewels, runs at 19,800 A/h and has a power reserve of 42 hours.
This incredible jewelry watch comes with the original Omega box and the official retailer’s warranty, which dates it to December 1972.
