Thoughts on a Omega De Ville Prestige as a first luxury watch? Would be ~$7.5K USD at retail. Some friends have said great things about Omega as a starter, whereas others say it’s not worth it over a Rolex Oyster Perpetual (which would be similar in cost).
I personally love how clean the design is, the use of gold, and the thinner band as it links the watch … find the Rolex band design to be too chunky.
More details on the watch here: https://www.omegawatches.com/watch-omega-de-ville-prestige-co-axial-chronometer-39-5-mm-42420402002001
Visual Storyteller
Not my cup of tea at all. Very dated look in my opinion, however if YOU like it, more power to you!
Would be surprised if you can’t find these heavily discounted on the 2nd handed/grey market. Have a look before you buy this in a boutique, I expect you’d take a bath as soon as you walk out the door.
Gotcha on pricing / second hand option. Can you share more on the dated look comment? Curious to learn what styles are “in” and if they’d resonate with me is all.
Visual Storyteller
really do not like two-tone
Rolex OP probably a better optn
also check out aqua terra
Really it’s a personal preference thing.
If you’re concerned about holding value, two tone historically won’t hold its value as much (at least in the near term) if you ever go to resell it (because less people want it), but that can also be used as a negotiation point to get a discount at an AD.
But the big point is if it’s to your style and you will enjoy wearing it forever, than I wouldn’t give a second thought to the resale value really.
Rising Star
I think there’s better watches out there for the price but watches are personal. If you like it then get it. IWC, JLC, Tudor, also may be worth a look.
Ah okay gotcha, thank for the recs!
+1 aqua terra. Can also grab a nice planet ocean or speedmaster in this price range
Yes-agree on the sort of outdated stylings- I’m not usually a fan of designs that attempt to mimic old or “vintage” styles. This looks like a beautiful watch- but the two tone, flat bezel, and antique markers are referencing the 40’s-60’s that perhaps would look perfect on an actual vintage piece rather than trying to make it look “modern”.
If you like this style- try finding a beautiful patina-ed vintage Rolex OP Bubbleback that has been recently serviced.
My next watch will be a 1940’s/50’s era certified Rolex.
I think this one is gorgeous:
https://www.chrono24.com/rolex/rolex-bubble-back-3130-18k-yellow-gold--id20418324.htm
Gotcha - helpful to know, thank you!
Rising Star
You could also check out the Tudor 1926 which has a similar styling but at a significantly lower price
Helpful - many thanks!
Pro
I'd go look at it in person. I was just checking this out, the quartz version, on behalf of a family member who's looking for a gift. The two tone looks way better in person than it does in the renders, but ultimately two tone is always a personal decision. I preferred the non-two tone versions, myself, but this particular line has myriad combinations so if you like the general design, there should be something available to suit your tastes. The details and craftsmanship of this felt high quality to me in hand, though I did not look at the mechanical version. You can still get this at a ~15% discount if you buy from an AD and not direct from an Omega boutique
As for the brand, Omega is a personal favorite so maybe I am biased, but they have always given me top notch service and the timepieces are a great value.
Pro
If you buy from an AD (authorized dealer) the only difference is really the buying experience, and possibly price, depending on brand and model. If you buy a new Omega watch from an AD, it will have full warranty and come from Omega in Switzerland. Buying from a boutique is a fun experience, but you won't get a discount there, if that's important to you. They might throw in other perks though, like some brand swag, or an extra strap or two. I like going to the boutique because they have more complete selection of models in their cases, so it's easy to shop and try on for size. ADs in my experience have a smaller collection available to try on but if they sell a lot of Omega, they'll have the popular ones and can order for you if they don't have it in stock that day. If you buy pre-owned or from a gray market dealer, you may not get a manufacturer warranty. Or, you could get a warranty but it might have slightly dicier history, like it is not brand new or comes with an international warranty card from some small shop somewhere. Just kind of depends on the dealer and the watch. Jomashop, for example, does not offer manufacturer warranty but has larger price discounts.
Conversation Starter
It’s a nice watch, you might be able to find something nicer/updated in that price range, Cartier, jlc, etc but Omega has very nice watches got for it if you love it!
Gotcha - thanks!
OP- IMO, omega provides excellent value in the $4-$7k range. More so than Rolex and IWC. If two-tone is your preference then I’d suggest also looking at the Cartier Santos line and going grey market
Gotcha - appreciate the heads up!
Beautiful. If you prefer it to the Rolex go for it and don't look back. Your notes about the preference and comparison make perfect sense.
If you like thin and two tone, I’d definitely look at the Cartier santos medium. Just got it myself and I think it might actually be better than my Rolex