The Omega Co Inc. history

By 1889, Louis Brandt and Fils became the largest producers of watches in Switzerland, with a production rate of of over 100,000 watches per year.

During this period, they continued to make significant innovations, like the minute-repeating wristwatch, developed in 1892 in partnership with Audemars Piguet, and quite likely the first wristwatch of its kind.

The famous Omega caliber became a brilliant market performer when it went into production in 1894.

With the introduction of their first series-produced calibers, Labrador and Gurzelen, in 1895 the watches achieved a precision of within 30 seconds a day.

Omega has a long-established reputation for innovation and quality, which 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.

1901 was the year the first watch was introduced which was especially made to attach to car and motorcycle fuel tanks

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.

1909 also sees Omega watches sold around the world on six continents

Omega launched the Armure watch in 1929.

Following a merger with Tissot in 1930 a new parent company, SSIH, Société Suisse pour l'industrie Horlogère SA, Geneva, was established.

1931 saw the first prototype automatic movement which used two weights to wind the movement in both directions making it a technological breakthrough.

Omega make their debut role as official timekeeper at the 1932 Olympic Games on Los Angeles.

In 1936, an Omega watch was awarded 97.8 points at the Kew-Teddington chronometer trials in England setting a world precision record.

From 1940 Omega became the largest watch supplier for the British armed forces

Then in 1947 Omega create one of the first Tourbillon movements which have rotating cages to offset the effects of gravity on their timekeeping performance

To celebrate its 100th anniversary in 1948, Omega released the Centenary, its first limited-edition chronometer-certified wristwatch with an automatic movement.

In 1952, Omega unveiled the series-produced Constellation, a family of watches originally destined for men fitted with calibre 354.

1957 saw the launch of the iconic Speedmaster chronograph watch, the Seamaster 300 divers watch and the Railmaster.

The King of Rock n’ Roll Mr Elvis Presley received his sergeant stripes in 1960, pictured wearing is Seamaster calendar

Because of its well-deserved reputation for precision and reliability, the Omega Speedmaster was chosen by NASA as its official chronometer in 1965.

The first models were fitted with calibres 351, 352, and 354 with bumper rotors and replaced four years later by calibres 500, 501, 505 and subsequently, in 1966 with calibre 561 for the date model, and eventually calibre 564.

In 1967, the one millionth chronometer was certified.

In 1969, the Omega Speedmaster was a part of the first trip to the moon, worn on the wrist of Buzz Aldrin.

Unlike many watch brands that were decimated by the arrival of quartz, Omega embraced the quartz revolution and presented three lines of watches with quartz calibres at the 1970 Basel fair.

He sported a digital Omega watch: the Time Computer LED, which was made in 1973—Omega’s first ever LED watch.

In 1974 Omega launch the Marine Chronometer, still to this day it remains the most accurate wristwatch in the world

Note that Omega began using ETA movements in some of its watches in about 1980.

But the most amazing fact is that his Omega Seamaster was guaranteed waterproof only to 30 meters! 1981: a French Jacques Mayol breaks a world's record in scuba diving without any breathing equipment near the Elba island, he submerges 101 meters deep and wears Omega Seamaster watch.

Ringo Starr was a famous fan of Omega. It was a gold and steel model from 1982 called the Manhattan—the first Constellation watch with claws holding the sapphire crystal in place.

On the 18th of May 1983, Omega received its 100,000th official rating certificate for quartz chronometers.

In 1984 an automatic version of the Manhattan was introduced alongside the regular offering of quartz.

Designed by Carol Didisheim and patented in 1985, the Manhattan featured a barrel-shaped case and was offered to both men and women in gold and steel and combinations of both metals.

More recently, Omega has continued to build on its reputation for innovation with the world's first self-winding tourbillon wristwatch in 1994, and the commercial introduction of the revolutionary coaxial escapement developed in conjunction with world-renowned English watchmaker George Daniels.

In 1995, the Constellation earned star status with its “My Choice” campaign starring model Cindy Crawford, tennis player Martina Hingis and a variety of personalities from the world of sports and the arts, including Robert Wagner.

After 5 years of development and tests, Omega presented a new Omega Speedmaster X-33 watch in 1998, which is now flight-qualified by both NASA and the Russian space agency MIR astronauts and cosmonauts.

The coaxial was first offered in limited series in 1999.

Omega is the official timekeeper for the America's Cup 2000 and for its champions, the Team New Zealand.

In 2003, the Constellation Double Eagle – launched at the Omega European Masters Golf Tournament – was upgraded with Omega’s first Co-Axial calibre 2500.

Specialities Mens Olympic Collection Beijing 2008

That same year, Omega was appointed official timekeeper for the Los Angeles Olympic Games, a function it regularly performed until it became the exclusive timekeeper for the Games in 2009.

It has been reported that George Daniels (who passed away in 2011) was not happy with Omega's execution of his escapement design.

"Hommage au Talent" and "Hommage à la Passion" 2012

In 2013 the Aqua Terra was born.

2014 saw the release of the Master Co-Axial calibres.

The big news, however, occurred after the introduction of Omega’s Master Chronometer certification in 2015.

"Hommage au Talent" and "Hommage à la Passion" 2016

"Hommage au Talent" and "Hommage à la Passion" 2017