OMEGA
In 1848, Louis Brandt opened a watchmaking workshop in the Swiss village of La Chaux-de-Fonds. After Louis Brandt’s death, his two sons took over the business and, under the new name of Louis Brandt & Fils, moved it to Biel/Bienne, where it is still located today.
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In 1894, the brothers released a calibre that would determine the company’s future – the 19-ligne calibre. Using new methods, it was extremely precise, and what was more, every component could effortlessly be replaced by any watchmaker in the world.
The Brandt brothers named this achievement OMEGA, and eventually changed the company’s name to OMEGA Watch Co. By 1903, OMEGA had become the largest manufacturer of finished watches in Switzerland. In 1932, OMEGA became the first watchmaker to time an entire Olympic Games, and has since been the Official Timekeeper at almost all Olympic Games.
OMEGA watches were known for their precision and innovation, which is why they were widely used in many domains. The OMEGA Medicus watch, a model used during World War II to measure pulses, would become known as the “nurses’ watch” for the help it provided to medical staff.
In 1957, the brand launched a three-piece Professional line: the Speedmaster (also known as “the Moonwatch”), developed for space exploration with NASA, the Seamaster 300, destined for underwater discovery, and the Railmaster, able to resist magnetism more than 1,000 gauss. The company is certainly recognised around the world, and OMEGA watches have been worn by many stars, the most famous probably being James Bond himself.
