Omega SA facts for kids
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Boutique on Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
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Formerly
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Watchmaking |
| Founded | 1903 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland |
| Founder | Louis Brandt |
| Headquarters |
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Switzerland
47°08′37″N 7°15′36″E / 47.14362°N 7.25998°E |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Raynald Aeschlimann (President) |
| Products | Watches |
| Parent | The Swatch Group |
Omega SA is a famous Swiss company that makes fancy, high-quality watches. It's based in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. Louis Brandt started the company in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1848. Back then, it was called La Generale Watch Co.
The company officially became Omega in 1903. Later, in 1984, it changed its name to Omega SA. Omega is now part of The Swatch Group, a big company that owns many watch brands.
Omega watches have been used in important moments. The British Royal Flying Corps used them in 1917. The U.S. Army used them in 1918. Most famously, NASA chose Omega watches for the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon in 1969.
Omega has also been the official timekeeper for the Olympics since 1932. It also times the America's Cup yacht race. Omega was a main partner for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Contents
Omega's History: From Small Shop to Global Brand
How Omega Started
The company that became Omega started in 1848. Louis Brandt founded La Generale Watch Co. in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. He built pocket watches using parts from local craftspeople. He sold his watches across Europe, especially in England.
In 1894, Louis Brandt's sons, Louis-Paul and César, created a new way to make watches. They made sure all the parts could be easily swapped. Watches made this way were sold under the Omega brand. The Omega brand became so successful that in 1903, it became its own company, the Omega Watch Co.
Growing and Changing Over Time
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Sadly, Louis-Paul and César Brandt both passed away in 1903. This left the large watch company to four young people. The oldest, Paul-Emile Brandt, was not even 24.
During World War I, the company faced tough times. In 1930, Omega merged with another watch company, Tissot. They formed a new group called SSIH. Under Paul-Emile Brandt's leadership, SSIH grew a lot. It bought or started about 50 other companies.
By the 1970s, SSIH was Switzerland's top watch producer. Omega was even selling more watches than Rolex, its main competitor. Omega was known for being innovative, while Rolex was famous for its classic mechanical watches.
However, things changed in the 1970s during the "quartz crisis". Japanese companies like Seiko started making watches with new, accurate quartz movements. These watches were cheaper. Rolex kept making expensive mechanical watches. Omega tried to compete with its own quartz watches.
Omega Today: A Modern Watchmaker
The watch industry faced big problems in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1983, two big Swiss watch groups, SSIH and ASUAG, merged. Two years later, a group of investors led by Nicolas Hayek took over.
This new group was renamed The Swatch Group in 1998. Today, The Swatch Group owns many famous watch brands, including Omega, Swatch, and Breguet.
Omega became very popular again by placing its watches in movies. For example, the character James Bond started wearing an Omega Seamaster in the movie GoldenEye (1995). Before that, he wore a Rolex. This helped Omega become a strong competitor to Rolex once more.
In 2022, Omega worked with its sister company, Swatch. They released a more affordable version of the famous Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch. This watch, called the "MoonSwatch", is made of a special material and costs much less than the original.
How Omega Makes Watches
Cool Inventions and Patents
Omega has made many important inventions in watchmaking:
- In 1892, Louis Brandt helped create the world's first minute repeating wristwatch. This means the watch could chime the time when a button was pressed. This special watch is now in the Omega Museum.
- In 1947, Omega made the first tourbillon wristwatch movement. A tourbillon is a complex part that helps make the watch more accurate by fighting against gravity.
- In 1999, Omega started using the coaxial escapement. This invention by George Daniels helps watches run smoothly with very little oil. This means they need less service and stay accurate longer.
- In 2013, Omega announced a watch movement that can resist very strong magnetic fields. Most anti-magnetic watches use a special cage. Omega built a movement from materials that are not affected by magnets. This makes their watches super strong against magnetic forces.
- In 2015, Omega introduced the Master Chronometer Certification. This means a watch has passed many strict tests for accuracy, water resistance, and magnetic resistance.
Winning Awards for Accuracy
Omega has a long history of winning awards for how accurate its watches are. These awards came from "observatory trials." These were competitions where watchmakers showed off how precisely their watches could keep time. Only Omega and Patek Philippe participated every year.
Omega's great performance in these trials gave the company a reputation for being very precise. For over ten years (1958–1969), Omega made the most certified accurate watches (called "chronometers"). In 1931, Omega even created the slogan "Omega – Exact time for life" because of its success in these trials.
Here are some of Omega's top achievements in precision:
- 1919: Won 1st Prize at trials in Neuenburg.
- 1925: Won 1st place at trials in Kew-Teddington.
- 1931: Omega won 1st place in all 6 categories at trials in Geneva.
- 1936: Set a precision record at Kew-Teddington that wasn't broken until 1965.
- 1950: Won 1st place for its tourbillon watch at the Geneva Trials.
- 1974: The Omega Marine Chronometer was certified as the world's first super-accurate wristwatch for marine use.
Famous Omega Watches
- Elvis Presley's Watch: A special Omega wristwatch once owned by music legend Elvis Presley sold for over $1.8 million at an auction in 2018. It was given to him by RCA Records for selling 75 million records. The Omega Museum bought it!
- Most Expensive Tourbillon: An Omega Stainless Steel Tourbillon watch sold for about $1.43 million in 2017.
- The Moonwatch: In March 1965, the Omega Speedmaster was chosen by NASA for all manned space missions. On July 20, 1969, Buzz Aldrin wore his Omega Speedmaster when he stepped onto the Moon. This made it the first watch worn on the Moon. Neil Armstrong, the first person on the Moon, left his watch inside the lunar module as a backup.
Omega's Role in History
Watches in Space
The "Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph" was first worn by astronaut Wally Schirra in 1962. NASA later chose it as the only watch certified for all its missions since 1965.
NASA chose the Omega Speedmaster after testing many different watches. All later NASA missions used this hand-wound wristwatch. Even though Omega watches were used on astronauts' wrists, the clocks inside the spacecraft were made by another company, Bulova.
The First Watch on the Moon
The Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph became famous as the first watch on the Moon. Buzz Aldrin wore his Speedmaster when he walked on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission.
While Neil Armstrong was the first to step on the Moon, he left his Speedmaster inside the Lunar Module as a backup. This was because the module's electronic timer wasn't working. So, Aldrin's Speedmaster was the first watch actually worn on the Moon. Armstrong's watch is now in a museum. Sadly, Aldrin's watch was stolen.
In 2007, Omega released a special edition of the Speedmaster Professional Chronograph Moonwatch to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Omega's Sponsorships
James Bond's Watch
Omega watches have been a part of James Bond movies since 1995. When Pierce Brosnan became James Bond, he started wearing an Omega Seamaster. The movie producers wanted Bond to have a more modern and sophisticated look. Omega was happy to have its watches featured in the popular films.
Later, Daniel Craig, who plays James Bond now, also wears an Omega Seamaster. In the movie Casino Royale, Bond even mentions Omega by name! Omega has released special James Bond limited edition watches to celebrate this partnership. These watches often have unique designs related to the Bond films.
Sports Sponsorships
Omega has been the official timekeeper for the Olympic Games many times, starting in 1932. They timed the 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014 Olympics. This partnership will continue until at least 2032.
Famous Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is an Omega Ambassador. He wears an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean watch.
Omega also supports sailing. They are the official watch for Emirates Team New Zealand, a famous sailing team. In 2007, Omega released a special watch called the Seamaster NZL-32 chronograph, named after the boat that won the America's Cup in 1995.
Omega also times golf events. Since 2011, Omega has been the official timekeeper for the PGA of America. They also sponsor other golf tournaments like the Dubai Desert Classic.
Images for kids
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Seamaster 120M Analog-Digital "Multifunction" was introduced in 1998
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The Omega Constellation "Manhattan" from the 1980s
See also
In Spanish: Omega (relojería) para niños
- Ernst Thomke
- Nicolas G. Hayek
- List of watch manufacturers
