Hi,

I'm interested in this watch De Ville Hour Visin Blue, Orbis edition and I can't find the information if it has a silicon balance spring (Si14) or not. On the official Omega webpage, one says that Omega is (will) introduce gradually this kind of balance spring to all 8500 caliber watches.

Thx in advance for your response,

Sharlo

 

Hi Sharlo,

By the time the Orbis Hour Vision came out, it should have had the Si14 hairspring. If in doubt, it will be listed on the pictogram card that comes with the watch

Chris

 

I have seen examples (on another forum) of cards for some watches not depicting the Si14 balance spring when the watch has it, so to be sure I would hack the movement and look for "Si14" engraved on the balance wheel.

Cheers, Al

 

Sorry none have hit my bench yet - just not enough volume of them out there yet that are out of warranty to have any come my way yet....

 

Hi,

I just want to close this thread with an answer ... and a happy one: I've got my first Omega and it HAS the Silicon Balance Spring ALTHOUGH it is not noticed ANYWHERE (as Archer pointed out) , neither on the web, nor on the pictogram card.


and when you look the movement



and some shots of the ''good'' side

 

That is a good looking watch, Sharlo. Congrats! I hope to get a diver with the 8500 one day.

 

So far, so good for the 8500. I hope, for OMEGA, you will not have any to work on for a long while!

 

Hi,

Thx for your nice comments.

I really don't know much about watches and their movements, but this caliber seems really awesome ... in a week it's off just by +1 second !? It's been worn every day for approximately 16h/day and I left it always to rest dial up (once I've tried crown down and in went +1/+2 sec after 8 hours). My previous automatic watch was a Longines grand classique and it was off by a minute or two after a week ... it's just not comparable. And I don't want to try to compare the look because this is really too much subjective topic (btw. I still love the 'thin' feeling of the Longines, but Omega just feels and looks better on my wrist ).

And thx also for other posts, I have impression I'm learning a lot about Omega watches, their history and their values.

 

Congrats on the ORBIS. I tried one on last year and it's still on my wish list.

 

Congatulations for this nice watch. If you put the watch away with the crown up you will see that the average will be even better than +1/+2 sec/day. Mine does it with -1 sec/week, and I wear it every day and let it rest with the crown up.

Have much joy from your watch, it is a marvelous time piece.

Kind regards,
Arno

ps. I have read somewhere that the anti magnetic from such watch 8500 with silicon balance is 1000 Gauss or more (but this is not sure), although it would be a great deal because in that case it equals the Rolex Milgauss.

 

It does not contain a Si 14 hairspring, they refer to it as a nivarox alloy, its the one of the only models they sell with a 4 year warranty without Si 14

 

I bought an new ORBIS, from an AD, about 2.5 years ago. It does not have the Si 14 balance spring. At first that bothered me but over time I realized it wasn't such a big deal. It is a beautiful watch but it has to compete with wrist time with my new SMPc!