Omega SA
Omega is a Swiss watch manufacturer, which produces high-quality watches in the upper price segment. The company was founded in 1848 and is now a subsidiary of the Swatch Group, based in Biel / Bienne.
History
The history of the Swiss watch manufacturer Omega dates back to the year 1848. This year, Louis Brandt opened in La Chaux -de-Fonds ( Canton of Neuchâtel ) an establishment for the manufacture of watches. The first watches produced there bore the brand name " Louis Brandt". After the founder's death his sons relocated production to Bienne. They took here on the industrial production of watches from individual parts. As early as 1898 employed " Louis Brandt & Frères " more than 500 employees that produced 100,000 watches.
In 1894, first appeared on the name Omega, with the one presented in the same year was named pocket. The name Omega should emphasize the exceptional quality of this clock, since Ω is the last letter of the Greek alphabet and is also a metaphor for " perfection ". Thus, this pocket watch was of exceptional quality and found in the professional circles of the time recognition.
Since 1903, finally, after the death of the brothers Brandt, the fortunes of the company were driven by the children. In the following years, Omega acquired an excellent reputation in the construction of watches for special applications, such as sports, divers and pilot watches. 1925 began working with Tissot Le Locle and 1930, co-founded the SSIH Group ( Société Suisse pour l'Industrie Horlogère ), under whose umbrella the company in 1932 Lemania was come. Today, Omega is part of the Swatch Group.
Brands / product lines
Omega has developed a number of innovative watches. The most important success models are Constellation, Seamaster, Speedmaster and De Ville. In the public perception Omega has to place some of its products highly effective advertising. Contributing to this are well-known personalities such as Michael Schumacher, George Clooney, Cindy Crawford or Nicole Kidman, who act as so-called Omega Ambassadors for advertising the brand. Michael Schumacher were even paid to several special models of the Speedmaster.
In the Summer Olympics 1932 in Los Angeles Omega was the official timekeeper of all Olympic disciplines for the first time. At the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki Omega was the first company ever to that used electronic timekeeping in sport ( with the Omega - time - recorders). Important developments in this regard were the Omega scope, the contact pad for time keeping in swimmers and the photo-finish camera Scan'O'Vision. Also at the 2012 Olympics in London Omega was the official timekeeper.
The Omega brand is still inextricably linked to the space program. One of the most famous watches ever is the Omega Speedmaster Professional. For the Apollo program, NASA initiated a selection process for the search for a suitable clock. According to a variety of hard tests, the decision was made for the Speedmaster Professional with manual winding, because there was no chronograph with automatic movement at that time. Often the myth is operated in this context, falsely, in zero gravity would a clock do not work with automatic winding. As a result it was used on several NASA projects, as well as on the Apollo 11 mission, and was the first worn on the moon clock. NASA remained faithful also lately the brand Omega. In a recent comparison, this time with more modern watches, the decision was made again to the Speedmaster Professional, and their sister model, the Speedmaster Professional X - 33rd
Omega is also known as the official sponsor of the James Bond films in which since Goldeneye 1995 represents the diver's watch Seamaster Professional 300 Bond's service watch. In Casino Royale from 2006 Bond bears for the first time a clock type Seamaster Planet Ocean.