Manufacturer: Omega Year: 1974 Reference No: RS 711.1900 Movement No: 35.190.344 Model Name: De Ville "Jeux d'Argent" Material: Sterling Silver Calibre: Manual, cal.625, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Sterling Silver Omega bangle bracelet, max length 170mm Clasp/Buckle: Sterling Silver Omega hinge clasp Dimensions: 40mm width x 25mm length Signed: Dial and bracelet signed Accessories: Accompanied by Omega Extract of the Archives confirming production on October 14, 1974.
Catalogue Essay
Omega's Jeux d’Argent range was a peculiar and unusual collection released during the 70's. At the time, gold prices were rising steadily, as a result, some manufacturers turned to steel or plastic, Omega tried silver and it had some success. Several models were available, all of them displaying a typical flamboyant, post-war style. During this period Omega experimented with unconventional materials and shapes taking inspiration and under the influential design of Andrew Grima, probably one of the most underrated jewellery and watch designer of the late 60's. Grima's collaboration with Omega started in 1969 with his first collection, About Time, which even to today's standards remains unsurpassed in sculptural design, audacity and ingenuity. Omega viewed Grima's collaboration as transformational, and that he single handedly added a new dimension to jewellery watches that were not entangled with the constraints of time but rather connected with fashion.
Omega's rich history begins with its founder, Louis Brandt, who established the firm in 1848 in La Chaux de Fonds. In 1903, the company changed its name to Omega, becoming the only watch brand in history to have been named after one its own movements. A full-fledged manufacturer of highly accurate, affordable and reliable watches, its sterling reputation enabled them to be chosen as the first watch company to time the Olympic Games beginning in 1932. Its continued focus on precision and reliability ultimately led their Speedmaster chronograph wristwatch to be chosen by NASA in 1965 — the first watch worn on the moon.
Key models sought-after by collectors include their first, oversized water-resistant chronograph — the reference 2077, early Speedmaster models such as the CK 2915 and 2998, military-issued versions of the Seamaster and oversized chronometer models such as those fitted with their prestigious caliber 30T2Rg.