Omega
Although Louis Brandt founded the company in 1848, it was his two sons, Louis-Paul and César, who built it up to be a leading watch manufacturer. The name “OMEGA” came from a 19-ligne pocket watch movement that was produced from 1894 using industrial methods and replaceable parts. Ten years after the introduction of this movement, its name was adopted by the company.
In the early decades of the 20th century, OMEGA was a pioneer in the development of watch movements, winning numerous precision competitions such as those staged by the observatory at Kew-Teddington in England. OMEGA made its debut as Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games in 1932 and has presented numerous innovations in sports timekeeping technology ever since. The company currently has a contract to carry out this prestigious role until 2032, to mark its centenary in sports timekeeping. OMEGA is also linked with many individual sports such as golf, sailing, athletics and swimming.
Because it outlasted a number of its competitors in some of the most severe tests ever devised for a wristwatch, the OMEGA Speedmaster has a unique place in the history books, as the first watch to be qualified by NASA for space flight. This legendary watch was used on all NASA piloted missions, including all six lunar landings.
OMEGA has also revolutionised the very heart of watchmaking with the launch of the Co- Axial Escapement in 1999, and more recently, its Master Chronometer certification, approved by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), which sets the highest standards in the watch industry in terms of precision, magnetic resistance and chronometric performance.
