Introducing the Omega DeVille Hour Vision BLUE for Orbis

Blue is the new black. That was something we heard a lot this year at the SIHH and Baselworld. Many watch brands introduce watches with a blue dial and we at Monochrome do fancy some of them. IWC on the other hand, introduces an annual limited edition with a BLUE dial that is dedicated to a good cause, like this one. Now Omega also introduces a watch with a striking blue dial, and dedicated to a good cause. The Omega DeVille Hour Vision Blue is dedicated to the world’s only Flying Eye Hospital, named Orbis.

Omega chose two to launch two blue dial version of the Constellation and the DeVille Hour Vision on which we’ll focus here today. When the DeVille Hour Vision was introduced in 2007, it was THE watch that introduced Omega’s Co-Axial calibre 8500/8501. It was the first calibre with the new co-axial escapement and these movements were entirely created in-house. The Omega DeVille Hour Vision features a unique case with a 360° see-through case-body which is set in a robust 41 mm stainless steel outer case.

Inside ticks omega’s Co-Axial calibre 8500, a self-winding movement that is an officially certified chronometer. What we like so much about it, besides the great  movement with co-axial escapement, the case with sapphire ring in the case-band, and the link to the Orbis program, is the sun-brushed blue dial. Hoovering over that dial are 18K white gold facetted hour, minute and seconds hands. The date window is at 3 o’clock.

But wait… there’s also a version with a date AND month display! And just to be clear, that version also has the words “annual calendar” printed on the dial.

The Annual Calendar edition of the watch is powered by the Omega’s new Co-Axial calibre 8601. The date has only to be adjusted manually once a year, on the first of March. Both versions have a black calendar disk with white font, for either the date and/or the month.

The De Ville Hour Vision Blue and the new Hour Vision Blue Annual Calendar were created to raise awareness of the life-changing work done by a remarkable organisation, called Orbis. Orbis International is a non-profit organisation fights preventable blindness and eye disease. A part of the profits from the of sale of these watches are donated to Orbis to support its Flying Eye Hospital, which delivers high-quality eye care to some of the world’s most remote and developing regions.

If you want to combine your passion for fine watches with a good cause, than look no further!

Omega also produced a film with Orbis, called Through Their Eyes. It documents Daniel Craig’s visit to the Flying Eye Hospital when it was in Mongolia and movingly records the Orbis team treating young patients and changing the lives of families forever. Here’s that movie, but make sure to sit back. It’s 26:30 minutes, and worth every minute of your time.