Omega History
Omega is now part of the Swatch Group. Omega has an illustrious history
- Speedmaster remains the only watch worn on the moon and Seamaster Professional
is the prefered James Bond's watch.
Omega history goes back more than
150 years ago. It all started in 1848, when the assembly workshop created
by 23-year-old Louis Brandt in La Chaux-de-Fonds gradually gained renown.
He travelled throughout Europe selling his watches from Italy to Scandinavia
by way of England, his chief market.
After Louis Brandt's death in 1879,
his two sons Louis-Paul and Cesar, abandoned the unsatisfactory assembly
workshop system in favour of in-house manufacturing and total production
control. Two years later the company moved into a converted spinning-factory
in the Gurzelen district of Bienne, where headquarters are still situated
today. Their first series-produced calibres, Labrador and Gurzelen, as
well as, the famous OMEGA calibre of 1894, ensured the brand's marketing
success.
Omega became part of Swatch in the Swiss watch industry restructuring which saw SSIH merge with ASUAG in 1983. Omega is Swatch Group's best known and best selling brand contributing about 22% of Swatch Group's total annual revenues, and sales is growing at double digit figure. Historical significance of Omega includes being the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games and Omega Speedmaster
Professional (ref. 3570.50.00) is the only watch ever worn on the moon.
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