Omega Watches
Precision in Chronographs and Chronometers

Omega watches were founded in 1848 by Louis Brandt. The watches were produced with the aim to surpass others in high precision timing. His two sons took over the company after his death and created their own in-house manufacturing system. They focused strongly on producing their own calibers.

After these two sons passed on in 1903, their eldest descendent Paul Emile-Brandt at age 24 took over the company. Even at that young age, he was able to turn the then 800 workers workshop to new heights. He merged the company into the SSIH group in 1930 which later took in many other brands within its umbrella.

It also became the first independent company to be the official timekeeper for Olympics in Los Angeles in 1931. The next breakthrough was in 1965 when their Speedmaster Professional was declared by NASA as flight-qualified for all their manned space missions. The first walk in space by astronaut, Edward White, was wearing the very watch.

Then in 1969, the first astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, used their Omega watches to land on the moon. Another test on the watch company was the Apollo 13 explosion of their service module in 1970. The astronauts had to fly back their craft with total power supply cut with limited oxygen supply. Their ability to re-enter earth’s atmosphere was done with the help of Speedmaster watches that helped them earn the Snoopy Award, a high honor given by astronauts to their suppliers.

Now the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch has evolved but retaining its classic and timeless design as in 1965. It includes mechanical hand-wound chronograph, luminous hands and markers on a black dial and a hesalite crystal that does not shatter into pieces when broken. Its transparent sapphire crystal at the caseback bears the inscription “The first and only watch worn on the moon”.

There is another attractive design under this Omega watches series is the Speedmaster Broad Arrow. It was originally developed by the company but produced by Fredric Piguet. It uses a COSC-certified chronometer movement with column-wheel chronograph.

It is available in limited edition versions in 18 karat gold and skeletonized dial with platinum case as well as non-limited editions made of stainless steel.

The Speedmaster Professional Moonphase and Speedmaster Day-Date are beautiful designs worth taking a look and understand the mechanisms behind these two Speedmasters.

The other range of Omega watches collection that the company emphasizes on is Constellation, Seamaster, and De Ville. The Seamaster 200 meters made a new record in 1988 as it was worn by the French submarine team during the Fare mission descending as deep as 4,400 meters in the Atlantic Ocean.

Another version of Seamaster that has gained popularity is the Seamaster Aqua Terra. This is a model that has a classic look but with more ruggedness. It uses a 1950s inspiration where the long markers are presented in applied gold. Its self-winding movement uses their own caliber 2500 movement with Co-Axial escapement.

Find out more about Seamaster Professional Diver 300 MT Chronometer, the diving watch with a very sporty design.

The De Ville collection symbolizes the traditional watchmaking styles. The De Ville Co-Axial Chronograph houses the 3313 self-winding chronograph caliber. Its mechanism ensures precision operation of the functions and a free-spring balance for regular stability.

The next De Ville model is the De Ville Co-Axial Power Reserve that uses 44 hours of autonomy. It contains two subdials which is the power reserve at 6 and the small seconds at 9.

Looking at Omega watches range of limited editions then we would have to focus on their Omega Museum. For example, the Limited Edition 2003 that resembles the 1945 complex instrument dial to improve its chronograph.

It has pulsometer scale, tachometer scale, and a telemeter scale with chronograph minute counter at 3 and small seconds at 9. The movement is a 3200 caliber with manual-winding column-wheel chronograph.

The Omega Museum Collection Edition 2001 has a much different appeal to me because of its gray brushed flange with red engravement of Abrabic numerals and markers.

The Omega Museum Collection Cosmic 1951 is yet another unique design since it uses a square case and a dark blue dial. Its case is made of 18k red-gold and it includes a full calendar function including a moonphase.

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