Short answer
"Omega De Trèville" is a misspelling. The line is Omega De Ville. Counterfeit versions show up under both spellings on marketplaces and social feeds. A fake De Ville carries a quartz or low-grade automatic movement, a plated brass case, and dial printing that does not match any Omega reference. Genuine De Ville watches made after 1999 use a co-axial escapement. Fakes do not.
What the De Ville line is
Omega added the De Ville name in 1960 inside the Seamaster family. It became a separate collection in 1967. Current sub-families include Prestige, Trésor, Ladymatic, and Hour Vision. Case sizes run from 24 mm to 41 mm. Case metals include steel, yellow gold, Sedna gold, Moonshine gold, and platinum. The Prestige is the volume model, so it is the one most often copied.
Movement check
- Caliber 2500: co-axial escapement, 27 jewels, 25,200 vph. Introduced in 1999 in the De Ville.
- Caliber 8500 and 8501: 39 jewels, twin barrels, 60-hour power reserve, 25,200 vph.
- Fakes: Chinese quartz or a generic clone with no co-axial wheel. Rotor lettering is stamped, not cut, and the edges sit flat.
Open the case back or look through a display back. A co-axial escapement shows three pallet stones and a three-spoke escape wheel. A standard lever shows two stones. This one detail separates most fakes.
Case and case back
Measure the case across the 3 to 9 line. A De Ville Prestige 39.5 mm measures 39.5 mm, not 40 mm. Read the reference number on the case back and compare it to an Omega catalog photo. Genuine engraving has depth and sharp serifs. Counterfeit engraving is shallow and the font is wider. Serial numbers run 8 digits on watches made after 2000. A fake serial often repeats across many units of the same listing.
Crystal and dial
Omega etches a small Ω in the center of the sapphire crystal on many models. Shine a light at an angle. The etch is faint and only shows at certain angles. A printed or laser-burned logo that shows from every angle is fake. On the dial, check the date window and font. Genuine De Ville date wheels use a thin, upright numeral. Fakes use a bold font taken from a generic movement. "Swiss Made" sits at 6 o'clock and is split by the minute track. Fakes push the whole phrase to one side.
Weight and feel
A steel De Ville case weighs more than a plated brass case of the same size. Plating wears at the crown, lugs, and case back edges and exposes yellow metal underneath. Run a thumb over the crown. Sharp edges and flaking are signs of plating.
Price tiers
- Under $100: quartz, plated brass, snap case back, mineral glass.
- $150 to $300: automatic clone, gold plating, wrong dial font.
- $300 to $600: "super clone" tier, decorated ETA 2824 clone, sapphire glass, closer case finishing.
Genuine prices: a steel De Ville Prestige on a leather strap lists near $3,600. Pre-owned steel Prestige models sell for $1,400 to $2,600. Gold Trésor models run above $14,000. A price far below these numbers is the first signal.
Checks in 60 seconds
- Listen for one tick per second. That is quartz.
- Shine a light at the crystal center for the Ω etch.
- Read the case back reference against an Omega photo.
- Check the crown and lugs for plating wear.
- Compare the weight against a steel watch of the same size.