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Omega SA

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Omega SA
Company typeMember of the Swatch Group
IndustryWatch manufacturing
Founded1848 by Louis Brandt
Headquarters
Bienne
,
Switzerland
Key people
Nicolas G. Hayek, Chairman
Stephen Urquhart, President
Websitehttp://www.omegawatches.com

Omega SA is a watch company based in Biel/Bienne Switzerland and is one of the more prestigious brands in timepieces. It is one of the most prestigious brands of the Swatch Group.

History

Omega Seamaster De Ville, an early "waterproof" watch, with automatic movement and date, in 14k gold

Founded at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland in 1848 by 23-year-old Louis Brandt who assembled key-wound precision pocket watches from parts supplied by local craftsmen. 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, troubled by irregular deliveries of questionable quality, abandoned the unsatisfactory assembly workshop system in favour of in-house manufacturing and total production control. Due to the greater supply of manpower, communications and energy in Bienne, the enterprise moved into a small factory in January 1880, then bought the entire building in December. 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, would ensure the brand's marketing success.

Louis-Paul and Cesar Brandt both died in 1903, leaving one of Switzerland's largest watch companies - with 240,000 watches produced annually and employing 800 people - in the hands of four young people, the oldest of whom, Paul-Emile Brandt, was not yet 24. Considered to be the great architect and builder of OMEGA, Paul-Emile's influence would be felt over the next half-century. The economic difficulties brought on by the First World War would lead him to work actively from 1925 toward the union of OMEGA and Tissot, then to their merger in 1930 within the group SSIH, Geneva. Under his leadership, then that of Joseph Reiser beginning in 1955, the SSIH Group continued to grow and multiply, absorbing or creating some fifty companies. By the seventies, SSIH had become Switzerland's number one producer of finished watches and number three in the world.

Weakened by the severe monetary crisis and recession of 1975 to 1980, SSIH was bailed out by the banks in 1981. During this period, Seiko expressed interest in acquiring Omega, but nothing came out of the talks. Switzerland's other watchmaking giant ASUAG, principal producer of movement blanks and owner of the Longines, Rado and Swatch brands, was saved in similar fashion one year later. After drastic financial cleansing and a restructuring of the two groups' R&D and production operations at the ETA complex in Granges, the two giants merged in 1983 to form the Holding ASUAG-SSIH. In 1985 the holding company was taken over by a group of private investors under the strategy and leadership of Nicolas Hayek. Immediately renamed SMH, Société suisse de Microélectronique et d'Horlogerie, the new group achieved rapid growth and success to become today's top watch producer in the world. Named Swatch Group in 1998, it now includes Blancpain and Breguet. Dynamic and flourishing, OMEGA remains one of its most prestigious flagship brands.

Omega watches in space exploration

The Omega Speedmaster, the iconic Moonwatch, selected by NASA for all the Apollo missions
Main article: Omega Speedmaster Professional

The selection of the Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph as the official watch worn by American astronauts was the subject of a famous space-race era rivalry between Omega and Bulova.

All subsequent manned NASA missions also utilized this hand wound movement wristwatch. NASA started selecting the chronograph in the early 60's and automatic chronograph wristwatches were not available until 1969.

However all the instrument panel clocks and time-keeping mechanisms in the spacecraft on those space missions were Bulova Accutrons with tuning fork movements, because at the time, NASA did not know how well a mechanical movement would work in zero gravity conditions.

First watch on the moon

The Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph was the first watch on the Moon worn on the wrists of Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin. Unfortunately this historically notable watch is now considered lost. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin mentions in his book "Return to Earth" that when donating several items to the Smithsonian Institution, his Omega was one of the few things that was stolen from his personal effects.[1]

Omega Watches and James Bond

The Omega Seamaster, a deep diving watch. The fourth button-like item (at 10 o'clock) is a helium release valve to allow helium out of the watch after diving at great depth. The watch is similar to that featured in recent James Bond films, in which this valve is transformed into improbable hidden gadgets.

Omega has been associated with the famous James Bond movie franchise since 1995. That year, Pierce Brosnan took over the role of James Bond, and the producers wanted to update the image of the fictional "super-spy" to a more distinctly sophisticated "Euro" look.[2]

Another reason for the change from the Rolex Submariner watches that Bond previously used to wear is the change in the business environment that surrounds modern high-profile films. Omega was amenable to participating in high profile co-promotions and product placements in the movies (something that the conservative Rolex company avoids).[3]

Its Seamaster 300M Professional Chronometer is the current official James Bond watch, used by Pierce Brosnan in each of his Bond movies since, but not including, GoldenEye. In the GoldenEye film, the quartz Seamaster 300M Professional, model: 2541.80.00 was featured.[4]

For the 40th Anniversary of James Bond (2002) a special commerative edition of the watch was made available where only 10,007 units were produced. The watch is identical to the model: 2531.80.00 except the blue watch face had a 007 logo inscribed across it. The band also had 007 inscribed on the clasp.[5]

Daniel Craig, the current James Bond of the film "Casino Royale" also wears the Omega Seamaster. In the film, he wears two different models, the Seamaster Planet Ocean in the first part of the film, and in the latter part (from travelling to Montenegro), he wears the "official" Bond-watch, the Seamaster Professional 300M. In connection with the launch of the film, Omega released a special 007-special of the Professional 300M, featuring the 007-gun logo on the second hand and the rifle pattern on the watch face. The face design being a stylized representation of the iconic gunbarrel sequence of Bond movies.[6]

Omega has also released another James Bond limited edition watch in 2006, a Seamaster Planet Ocean (limited production of 5007 units), similar to what Craig wears earlier on in the film, with a discrete 007-logo integrated on the second hand.[7]

File:Planetocean.jpg
The Seamaster Planet Ocean is currently Omega's newest version of the iconic Seamaster.
  • Bill Paxton first wore the Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch he received in 1993 in the movie Apollo 13, however he grew so attached to the piece that he continues to wear it throughout his new show Big Love.
  • Top Gear host and celebrity Jeremy Clarkson wore an Omega Seamaster Professional James Bond watch for a few years until due to lack of service it started acting erratically; he recently replaced the watch with a new large size Omega Planet Ocean.
  • NCIS actor Michael Weatherly aka. Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo used to wear a Rolex Submariner at the outset of the show but has since switched his timepiece of choice to the Omega Planet Ocean with the orange bezel.
  • In the movie War of the Worlds, actor Tom Cruise wore a vintage Omega chronograph that stopped running when the aliens first started to attack.
  • David James Elliott aka. Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. wears an Omega Seamaster Professional Diver in television series JAG.
  • Dennis Quaid wears an Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch in the movie "The Right Stuff"

Movements and the Co-axial Escapement

In 1999 Omega made history by introducing the first mass-produced watch incorporating the revolutionary Co-axial escapement - invented by English watchmaker George Daniels. Considered by many to be one of the most significant horological advancements since the invention of the lever escapement, the co-axial escapement functions with virtually no lubrication thereby eliminating one of the shortcomings of the traditional lever escapement. Through utilizing radial friction instead of sliding friction at the impulse surfaces the co-axial escapement significantly reduces friction, theoretically resulting in longer service intervals and greater accuracy over time.[8]

On January 24th 2007 OMEGA unveiled its Calibre 8500 and 8501, two movements of completely in house design featuring the Co Axial escapement. These movements feature a bi-directional rotor, two barrels that provide the watch with a power reserve of 60 hours, and they are COSC certified.[9]

Watch models

A list of the current Omega watch models: Gents' Collection

Ladies' Collection

Vintage Collection

One of the most sought after vintage watches (of any brand) is the Omega Constellation 'Pie Pan'. It is referred to as the 'pie pan' because of the shape of its face (an inverted pie pan). That particular Omega Constellation has an in house designed and produced movement with COSC official Chronomter Certification.

Miscellaneous

References

  1. ^ Nelson, Alan A. The Moon Watch: A History of the Omega Speedmaster Professional, NAWCC Bulletin via [1], February 1993 issue, Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
  2. ^ James Bond's Choice: The Omega Seamaster, Commanderbond.net, 2004-03-29, Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
  3. ^ The 007 Connection, Chronocentric, Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
  4. ^ Watch Selections James Bond, Omegawatches.com, Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
  5. ^ Magzan, Lara., The business of Bond...James Bond, CNN/Money 2002-11-25, Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
  6. ^ Zydel, Devin., Omega Presents James Bond Exhibition In Geneva, Commanderbond.net 2007-01-06, Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
  7. ^ Zydel, Devin., Omega Casino Royale Limited Series Planet Ocean Watch Announced Commanderbond.net 2006-11-05, Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
  8. ^ Woodward, Phillip. Performance of the Daniels Coaxial Escapement (.pdf), British Horological Institute Horological Journal, August 2004, Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
  9. ^ Omega SA, OMEGA unveils its exclusive in-house manufacture movement and launches its new Hour Vision collection, via Swissmadewatches.net, 2007-02-09, Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  10. ^ Ambassadors, Omegawatches.com, Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
  11. ^ Official Timekeeper Omega unveils the Vancouver 2010 Countdown Clock, Olympic.org, 2007-02-13, Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
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