Omega watches
by David Barth
written March 29, 2003
Omega
This high value watch is manufactured by the Swatch Group.
Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet and symbolizes accomplishment and perfection - qualities that have been inherent in every Omega watch since the
company's foundation in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 1848. The brand's reputation for innovation and quality has led to numerous awards over the company's
150-year history, starting as early as 1900 with the Grand Prix at the Paris World Fair and continuing with the world precision record of 97.8 points at the
Kew-Teddington observatory in England in 1936.
Omega has been the official timekeeper at no less than 21 Olympic Games, bringing numerous innovations to Olympic sports over the years, such as the first
electronic time keeping at the Helsinki games in 1952 - the same year in which the company was awarded the Olympic Cross of Merit for its outstanding
contribution to sport. On account of its precision and reliability, Omega's Speedmaster watch was chosen by NASA as its official chronometer in 1965 and
4 years later was the first watch to be worn on the moon, when, on 21 July 1969, Neil Armstrong made his giant leap for mankind. In more recent years, Omega
has continued to build on its reputation for precision and innovation, presenting the world's first self-winding wristwatch with central tourbillon (launched in 1994)
and the revolutionary coaxial escapement sur developed in conjunction with renowned English master watchmaker George Daniels first offered in limited series in
1999. With this illustrious watchmaking tradition behind it, Omega has an ideal foundation for further pioneering achievements in the new millennium.
In 1848, at the age of 23, Louis Brands opened a comptoir d'etabilissage, a sub-contracting sales office for watch manufacture. In 1880, the two brothers César and
Louis-Paul Brandt rented a floor in a Bienne building to set up a modern watch production unit. Among the names they chose for their watches were "Helvetia",
"Jura", "Celtic", "Gurzelen", and "Patria". With the introduction of the "Labrador" lever movement in 1885, the watches achieved a precision of within 30 seconds a day.
In 1889, four years, later, Louis Brandt and Fils became the largest producers of watches in Switzerland, with a production rate of of over 100,000 watches. But this
fact did not stop the exclusivity of the watches they produced, e.g. the minute-repeating wristwatch, developed in 1892 in partnership with Audemars Piguet, and
probably the first wristwatch of its kind.
A completely new procket-watch caliber movement became a brilliant market performer when it went into production in 1894. It's major points for salability were in it's
easily interchangable parts, and it's simplicity of construction. The company's banker, Henri Rieckel, suggested the name "Omega" for the new watch. The
overwhelming success of the "Omega" name led to it being adopted as the sole name for all the watches of the company from 1903.
The Omega name made it's sports debut at the international ballooning contest for the Gordon Bennet cup in 1909. Britain's Royal Flying Corps decided to choose
Omega watches in 1917 as their official timekeepers for it's combat units, as did the American army in 1918. Omega had their first victory at the observatory timing
competitions in Neuchatel in 1919 with their chronometers winning the competition. This was continued with a score of first places right up until 1971. The 1933,
1936 and 1946 competitions were some of Omega's most noteworthy.
SSIH was formed in 1930 through the merger of Omega and Tissot. SSIH also purchased companies that produced movements and finished watch brands in the lower
price segment. ASUAG was a Swiss watch manufacturer holding company founded in 1931. It gradually expanded through the purchase of watch companies. The
companies it had cquired that made movement-blanks and firms that manufactured finished watches eventually merged to form the ASUAG subsidiary, General
Watch Co. Ltd. (GWC).
In 1957, the "Omega Speedmaster" was created. After rigorous evaluation and testing, NASA decided to use the "Speedmaster Professional" chronograph
wristwatch in 1965 as it's official timekeeper. In 1967, the one millionth chronometer was certified.
On 21st July 1969, astronaught Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on the moon. As he made the famous steps quoting "one small step for man, one
giant leap for mankind", he was wearing his Omega Speedmaster Professional chronograph. In 1972, Omega recieved their two-millionth chronometer certificate.
In 1974 the legendary "Megaquartz" marine-chronometer had a daily timing variation of just two thousands of a second, in a trial lasting for 63 days.
In the 1970’s, foreign competition, in particular the Japanese watch industry, was causing sales declines of both companies, ASUAG and SSIH, and they faced
liquidation. Some foreign competitors were interested in purchasing the Omega, Longines, Tissot, and other brands.
Nicolas G. Hayek, the CEO of Hayek Engineering and eventually to become the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Swatch Group, received an
assignment to assess the chances of survival and to develop a strategy for the future of ASUAG and SSIH.
In 1983, as a result of the famous Hayek Study, ASUAG and SSIH merged to become SMH. To combat competition in the low-cost market, SMH designed a low-cost,
high-tech, artistic emotional watch - the Swatch. Through a brilliant marketing strategy and a low-cost watch containing only 51 parts compared to over 100 parts for
traditional watches, in 1988 SMH Group became the world’s largest watch making company (See Swatch).
OMEGA owes a large part of its watchmaking excellence to the quality of its movements. The most well-known is Chronograph Calibre 861 which, since 1968, runs the
OMEGA Speedmaster Professional. It is the only movement to have functioned on the Moon and is composed of more than 125 parts. Its construction requires more
than 1,000 operations.
On the 18th of May, 1983, Omega recieved it's 100,000th official rating certificate for quartz chronometers. A museum for the company was opened on 16th
December 1983. In 1995, presentations were made of the first automatic wristwatch with a centrally mounted tourbillion. Omega is continuing to demonstrate it's
innovation, with it's newest addition to the company's collection in 1999, with the new 2500 caliber movement looking to replace the traditional Swiss-lever
escapement.
Omega's watchmakers have developed the "coaxial escapement", a creation of the English master-watchmaker, George Dianels, for series production in wristwatches.
The combination of the new escapement and a newly developed free sprung balance aims to eliminate the basic impediments to accurate regular timekeeping. The
effect of the thickness and viscosity of lubricant on the balance's amplitude has been virtually eliminated. The new coaxial escapement consists of three
components: a coaxial wheel, an escape wheel, and a lever with three pallet stones, unlike the conventional pallet-lever and escape wheel of the lever escapement.
This has extended service intervals to around 10 years.
In the Greek alphabet the letter Omega has been synonymous with accomplishments and perfection for 2,500 years. In watchmaking, the Omega brand is at the
forefront of know-how, design and human achievement. It has perpetuated the qualities of its Greek name for over 150 years.
Founded in 1848, Omega watches can be found today in space, at sea, in stadiums, on Formula 1 and CART circuits, on fashion runways, at evening galas, and
wherever men and women venture. From the Speedmaster Professional, the only watch worn on the moon, to the elegant Constellation, Omegas have been the
watch of choice of personalities like Cindy Crawford, Martina Hingis, Ernie Els, and 007, James Bond.
It was Omega in 1970 that introduced the first Quartz calibre Beta 21, launching the Quartz revolution in watch making. Omega's commitment to excellence has
earned them the privilege of being the official timer of the Olympic Games 21 times and being designated the official watch of American astronauts and Russian
cosmonauts.
In 1965 the mythical Speedmaster was chosen as the NASA official chronograph, and in 1969 it landed on the moon attached to the wrist of Neil Armstrong. It
helped save the Apollo XIII mission crew, and for this received the Snoopy Award.
Watch models:
Seamaster
Speedmaster Professional