Omega by Andrew Grima

Omega was founded in La chaux-de-fonds by Louis Brandt in 1848, although the company would not be named Omega until 1903. It is one of the most successful Swiss watch houses, both in terms of sales and historical significance.

Louis Brandt was already rather innovative before his Omega days. He developed the very first minute-repeater wristwatch with Audemars Piguet in 1892. Although Brandt died in 1903, Omega would not lose its innovative nature. Among its biggest accomplishments are the manufacture of the first tourbillon wristwatch movement in 1947 and the first large-scale commercial implementation of George Daniels’ co-axial escapement in 1999.

The biggest highlight in Omega’s history is undoubtedly the moon landing in 1969. Both Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin wore Omega Speedmasters on the lunar surface. But there is so much more to this Swiss powerhouse. They launched the very first dive watch with the Omega Marine, all the way back in 1932. That is some twenty years before the Blancpain Fifty-Fathoms and Rolex Submariner would redefine the category.

Omega has no shortage of hit collections. From the Speedmaster to the Seamaster and from the Constellation to the De Ville, with tons and tons of variations within all of those lines. You may opt for a yellow gold pie-pan Constellation or for a chunky Ploprof. There is something for everyone.

And that is before we go into Omega’s military history, including the Dirty dozen MOD-issued field watch. And we cannot forget James Bond, with his tricked out Seamasters since 1995’s Goldeneye.

No wonder then, that we love Omega so much!