DeVille Tourbillon Master Chronometer No. 2

Omega introduced the De Ville Central Tourbillon in 1994 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the 1894 Caliber which gave the company its name. The De Ville Tourbillon Master Chronometer marks another milestone for the brand as its first Master Chronometer-certified, manual-winding central tourbillon wristwatch. Rather than positioning the tourbillon to one side of the dial, as is customary, Omega developed the Caliber 2640 with the cage placed at the very center, making its signature complication the visual and mechanical focal point of the watch.

The case is executed in a striking combination of two proprietary Omega alloys: 18k Sedna Gold, the brand's exclusive rose-gold alloy, and 18k Canopus Gold, its white-gold counterpart. The bezel is crafted from Sedna Gold, while the sun-brushed Canopus Gold dial is finished with black PVD, creating a deep gunmetal look that contrasts sharply with the polished gold hands, hour markers, and bridges.

Mechanically, the centerpiece is the black-ceramized titanium tourbillon cage, meticulously hand-finished with polished bevels throughout the cage, bridges, and components, and paired with bridges and a main plate crafted from 18k Sedna Gold. The cage completes one full rotation per minute, while the movement delivers a three-day power reserve displayed by an indicator visible through the case back.

What truly distinguishes this watch from most high-end tourbillons, however, lies beneath its aesthetics: Master Chronometer certification. Independently tested by Switzerland's Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), the movement undergoes eight rigorous examinations, including resistance to extreme magnetic fields, before earning certification. Rated to withstand magnetic fields of up to 15,000 gauss, this watch achieves an extraordinary level of performance for any mechanical timepiece, particularly one centered around a hand-finished, exposed tourbillon — a complication traditionally regarded as delicate and highly susceptible to magnetism.

Omega individually numbers each example as it is produced, with the present watch bearing serial number 2, making it the second completed by the manufacture. It stands as a remarkable synthesis of traditional haute horlogerie and cutting-edge engineering: a hand-wound, dial-side tourbillon built to some of the most rigorous independently verified technical standards in modern watchmaking.