History of Omega
Many decades ago, the world-famous Omega company existed only in the imagination of a young but ambitious man named Louis Brandt. In 1848, he opened a small workshop where he personally assembled pocket watches from pre-made parts. After long winters spent in meticulous work, he would travel across Europe to sell his first creations. Other Swiss watchmakers, such as Tissot, followed a similar path.
As Brandt gradually established a successful business, he also raised his sons, who not only continued his work but transformed it into a large-scale factory. In 1879, they made the bold decision to relocate production to the city of Biel, which offered better access to energy and transportation. They also mechanized the manufacturing process, implementing a new system of interchangeable parts—an innovation for Switzerland at the time. This allowed Omega watches to be produced with higher quality and greater consistency.
Over the years, the company underwent several name changes. Initially called Louis Brandt, it became Louis Brandt & Fils when one of Brandt’s sons joined the business. After his passing, his two sons, Louis-Paul and César, took over and renamed the company Louis Brandt & Frère.
The brand’s iconic name, Omega, emerged in the late 19th century with the creation of the Omega 19-ligne caliber. This groundbreaking movement allowed for easy replacement of components without manual adjustments, making it highly sought after. Seeing its success, the company's banker suggested adopting "Omega"—the last letter of the Greek alphabet, symbolizing perfection and completion—as the brand name. The Brandt brothers embraced the idea, officially registering Omega as an international trademark in 1900. From that point on, all their watches bore the Omega name and logo.
Omega has achieved remarkable success, earning around 100 awards in watchmaking competitions, setting 72 world records for precision, and winning multiple Grand Prix awards at prestigious exhibitions.
Brandt’s descendants proved to be gifted entrepreneurs. His grandson, Paul-Emile, played a key role in Omega’s growth in the 20th century. However, the economic crisis led to a merger with another watchmaking giant—Tissot. This alliance later expanded into a massive holding company, which eventually became part of the Swiss conglomerate ASUAG-SSIH, now known as Swatch Group.
Popular Omega Watches
Pocket Watches
Omega began by handcrafting round pocket watches, similar to other mid-19th-century Swiss watchmakers. These early timepieces followed traditional designs, featuring classic mechanical movements housed in cases made of base or precious metals. Common elements included Roman or Arabic numerals, simple or ornate hands, and a separate small seconds dial.
With the shift to mechanized production, Omega significantly improved the precision of its watches, which was a major factor in the brand’s growing popularity. Following fashion trends, the Brandt brothers produced a variety of pocket watches—large models with bold numerals, miniature ladies’ watches, chain-attached pieces, and affordable as well as luxury options for different customers.
Some Omega dials stood out with additional markings for easier reading. Instead of relying on users to estimate the position of the minute hand, Omega introduced minute indicators at 5-minute intervals alongside traditional hour markers—an innovation ahead of its time.
Wristwatches
Since the early 19th century, wristwatches intrigued watchmakers as a promising development. Initially, they were simply pocket watches secured in leather straps, making them more wearable but not yet comfortable for everyday use. Despite this, wearing a wristwatch was considered prestigious, and owners would proudly display them in photographs.
In 1892, Omega released its first wristwatch with a minute repeater—a sophisticated mechanism that chimed the time on demand, allowing the wearer to check the time in darkness using sound cues instead of reading the dial.
Several early Omega wristwatches carried over features from pocket watches, including dual time scales—one marking 1-12 hours and the other indicating 13-24 hours in a contrasting color to prevent confusion. The brand also experimented with unique designs, such as rotated dials (often called “motorcycle” dials, with 12 positioned at an angle for easier reading).
Some early Omega wristwatches were designed specifically for the right wrist, possibly to cater to left-handed wearers or simply because wearing watches on the left wrist was not yet the norm in the early 20th century.
By the mid-20th century, Omega phased out redundant time scales, requiring users to read the dial with minimal markers—an approach still seen in Tissot’s modern minimalist clocks.
Waterproof Models
Understanding the impact of innovation on brand recognition, Omega sought new advancements. In 1932, the company made headlines with the launch of its first waterproof watch, the Omega Marine.
This was partly inspired by Rolex’s success. In 1927, British swimmer Mercedes Gleitze swam across the English Channel wearing a Rolex Oyster, proving its water resistance. However, Omega took it a step further, creating a watch that could withstand depths of 135 meters—an extraordinary achievement at the time.
Later, Omega introduced the Seamaster 600, capable of functioning at 500 meters underwater. It was famously used in Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s scientific research. Subsequent Seamaster models continued to be tested in extreme conditions and expeditions.
Chronographs
Omega became a leader in precision timekeeping, earning the role of official Olympic timekeeper in the early 20th century. In 1952, Omega unveiled the world’s first quartz electronic chronograph, accurate to 1/1000th of a second.
The most legendary Omega chronograph, Speedmaster, debuted in the late 1950s. In 1965, it passed rigorous NASA tests, becoming the only watch certified for space missions. In 1969, the Speedmaster was the first watch worn on the Moon, and in 1970, it played a crucial role in the Apollo 13 mission, helping the crew time critical maneuvers after onboard instruments failed.
In 1974, Omega introduced the Marine Chronometer, an exceptionally accurate wristwatch with a deviation of only one second per month.
Quartz Watches
Omega also played a key role in the quartz revolution. After developing its first quartz synchronization unit, the company launched Switzerland’s first quartz caliber, Beta 21, in 1970.
This was Omega’s response to Seiko’s groundbreaking 1969 Astron quartz watch, which disrupted the industry. However, Swiss watchmakers underestimated the threat of affordable quartz movements, leading to a market collapse. Over the next two decades, the number of Swiss watch factories shrank by nearly threefold, and Switzerland’s global market share fell to 15%. Omega, however, rebounded when SSIH and ASUAG merged, forming the foundation of the modern Swatch Group.
Innovative quartz models like Dinosaur (ultra-thin), Seamaster Titane (titanium), and Constellation Manhattanhelped restore Omega’s status.
Omega Hallmarks and Identifiers
Like many watchmakers, Omega marked its products with its logo and name, often in varying styles. Some watches feature just the brand name, while others show only the Greek letter Ω.
The winding crown often bears the Omega logo as a subtle but distinctive detail.
Early Omega watches didn’t always have branding on the dial, but serial numbers and internal signatures help authenticate them. A watch’s serial number can be used to estimate its production year using Omega’s serial number database. For example, a serial number 8249155 indicates a watch made between 1935-1939.
Some Omega watches also include the caliber number on the movement or dial.
From its 19th-century origins to its space-age innovations, Omega has remained at the forefront of luxury watchmaking. Whether it’s the classic pocket watches, the moon-landing Speedmaster, or the James Bond Seamaster, Omega continues to define precision and style.