Omega watches become famous because of its rich history in the world. Omega watch involve in many historic event and well-recognized around the world. Omega SA is based on Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, a Swiss luxury watch timekeeper that establish its name in every aspect of luxury events. Omega watches use in different event by combat units, Nasa, Olympic Games, and also celebrities and politicians like James Bond and John F. Kennedy.
Omega was first founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland in 1843 by a 23 year old Louis Brandt. Louis Brant assembled pocket watches by a key-wound precision watch. The watch is sold over England by a chief market. After Louis Brandt died in 1879, his two son, Louis-Paul and César take-over selling Omega watch, but it turns out anomaly and abandoned their shop.
A huge supply of energy, supply in demand in Biel/Bienne, the company moves to small factory in 1880. In December of 1880, they bought the entire building. They move to a bigger building in Gurzelen area after two years and still its factory today.
The first series of their watch are Gurlzelen, calibres and Labrador bringing its name to become famous in the world.
The two brothers died in 1903. Their legacy were still remained and they produce 240,000 watches annually with 800 employees. The company handles by their four siblings, one of them is Paul-Emile Brandt as early as 24.
Brandt influence the making of watch in Switzerland because of great leadership and architecture of Omega watches. They pursue in making watches especially in the financial crisis cause by World War 1. They continue in making watches with Tissot until merging in 1930 into group called SSIH.
The group continues to grow and produce more quality watches, establish more group like Lanco and Lemania. In 1970, the group became the number one producer of watches and top three in the world.
Continue in their market with their rival Rolex, some company comes into play in quartz making watches like Japanese company Seiko and Citizen. Omega still compete in these company while Rolex concentrating in 1970s.
Another company that merge with Omega are Allgemeine Schweizerische Uhrenindustrie AG, another watchmaker giant in Switzerland, in the time of monetary crisis between 1975 to 1980. The company completely merge in the year 1983, and continue to make more quality watch that dominant in the market.
After two years of merging, the company taken over by some private investor. The group called SMH, Société de Microélectronique et d’Horlogerie. Because of event, SMH became the world most top producers of watch over the decade. In 1998 the group called Swatch that makers of Omega, Swatch, Breguet and Blancpain.
Different of market strategies are implemented by Omega to take the market share and became a lead competitor of Rolex. Some of their marketing strategies are alike in Rolex marketing strategies like high price, tight control in pricing by the dealer, and advertising. Some of Omega advertising is in the movie like James Bond. The productions switch its brand from Rolex in to Omega until the recent film of James Bond.
Some of the well-known watches of Omega are Calibre 2500, invented by the English watchmaker George Daniels in 1999. This is one of the breakthrough in watch making, using radial friction on the lever escapement rather than sliding friction resulting to almost non-lubricating escapement in watch. In 2007, Calibre 8500 and 8501 (or Omega Speedmaster) used by NASA to its Apollo exploration. The watch was built by two co-axial movement that perfect to its operations.
The first watch on the moon was “Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph,” wear by Buzz Aldrin, although Neil Armstrong was the first set his foot. Neil Armstrong didn’t wear his watch because he left his Speedmaster in the spacecraft as a substitution watch because Lunar Module was malfunction. Neil Armstrong’s watch is displayed in National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. while Buzz Aldrin’s watch believe to be lost.
Many watches are produced by Omega and in 2007, Omega releases its Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph. The watch is sold to a limited 5,957 pieces around the globe. The watch have a unique features for the first hand-winding Omega Speedmaster.
Source: Omega History Wiki
My family is quite traditional. We try to keep what our parents taught us. And this has been also passed on to them from their parents as well. From family recipes to how we bring up our children. Here are some of the traditions kept in our family:
Luxury Melt 