Omega is historically one of the most significant watch brands in the watch industry today. Omega like most reputable watch brands is a Swiss luxury watchmaking company, having been in existence for about 170 years. The company is also a fierce competitor with the Rolex in demand and production.
Having carved a niche for itself in the watch industry in the areas of accuracy, reliability, and quality; Omega earned has several achievements and recognition. Since 1932 Omega has been the official timekeeping device for the Olympics. And the choice timepiece for NASA and the first watch on the moon in 1969.
These are just a few of their many achievements more would discuss later on, and innovations that have played a decisive role in shaping what has become staple genres of watches over the past several decades. These include the classic dress watch, diver’s watch, and chronograph watch.
EARLY HISTORY
The company known as Omega was originally founded by Louis Brandt in La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland in 1848. Omega started off in a small workshop, operating under the name La Generale watch & Co. Before it was incorporated under the name Omega in 1903 as “Louis Brandt et Frere – Omega Watch & Co. Later changed to the name we know the company has now in 1982, as Omega SA with its headquarters in Biel/Bienne Switzerland.
LOUIS BRANDT
Louis Brandt was a modest businessman, who specialized in assembling key-wound precision pockets watches and his timepieces to customers around the world. Establishing the brand's reputation across Europe.
BRANDT'S WORKSHOP
In 1879, Louis Brandt passed away and his business was in the care of his two sons, Louis-Paul and Cesar Brandt. His sons would eventually move the company operations to Bienne and improved on their father’s vision for the company.
LOUIS-PAUL AND CESAR BRANDT
The Brandt brothers developed a revolutionary manufacturing technique that allowed components parts interchangeable. This allowed them to expand their markets, and by 1889, the company had become the largest manufacturer of finished watches; producing 100,000 watches per year. The watches produced with this technique were marketed under the Omega brand of La Generale Watch Co. And in 1892, they created the first minute-repeating timepiece.
THE FIRST MINUTE-REPEATING TIMEPIECE
In 1903 Louis-Paul and Cesar Brandt died, leaving one of the largest watch manufacturing companies in Switzerland, with 240,000 watches produced annually and about 800 employees. The reins of the company were handed over to four young men with the oldest being Paul-Emile Brandt at the age of 24.
SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS
The quality of the Omega collection led to its global success which caused La Generale Watch Co. to rebrand itself around the Omega collection in 1903, the company was renamed to Omega Watch Co. The Omega watches boosted the company’s reputation, as it set and broke records repeatedly, and currently holds many of titles for the most accurate mechanical watches. This reputation for precision earned Omega its title as the official timekeeper for the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. And to this day, Omega continues to serve as the official timekeeper for the Olympic Games.
In 1948, Omega introduced the first edition of the Seamaster. The Omega Seamaster is a diver’s watch model. It was introduced to commemorate the company’s 100th Anniversary, it remains one of the favorites of the omega collection.
1962 was the year the first Omega watch entered space when astronaut Wally Schirra wore the Omega chronograph model named the Speedmaster. The Speedmaster would, later on, help the company seal an endorsement with NASA, making the Speedmaster the official chronograph watches for American space missions.
OMEGA SPEEDMASTER
In 1969, Omega made history as the first watch on the moon, when it was worn on the wrist of Buzz Aldrin. Also, in 1970 the Speedmaster helped the Apollo 13 mission astronauts return to earth safely.
Omega also preserved its reputation in pop culture as one of the famous watch brands in the world, when the company became the official watch for the James Bond franchise after Pierce Brosnan wore an Omega Seamaster.
OMEGA SEAMASTER 007 EDITION
NOTABLE INVENTIONS
In 1947, Omega developed the first tourbillon wristwatch caliber in the world.
In 1999, Omega made history by introducing the first mass-produced watch incorporating the coaxial escapement; invented by English watchmaker George Daniels.
In 2013, Omega announced the creation of the world's first movement that is resistant to magnetic fields greater than 15,000 Gauss, far exceeding the levels of magnetic resistance achieved by any previous movement
IN CONCLUSION
Omega, time and time again as proved its worth, setting and breaking its own records of impeccable precision. Crowned with significant collaborations and endorsements with notable corporations in the sports, space and pop culture. Surely not an easy feat to achieve and undoubtedly the Omega watch brand can be named among the famous watch brands in the world.
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