Omega
Swiss watchmaker founded by Louis Brandt in 1848 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Part of the Swatch Group since 1985. Best known for the Speedmaster (first watch worn on the Moon, 1969) and Seamaster (official James Bond watch since 1995).
Omega is a Swiss watchmaker founded by Louis Brandt in 1848 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and incorporated under the Omega name in 1903. Part of the Swatch Group since 1985. Annual production estimated at 700,000+ watches, making it one of the highest-volume Swiss luxury brands.
Iconic collections
- Speedmaster: chronograph family, 1957. The Speedmaster Professional 311.30.42.30.01.005 ("Moonwatch") was worn on every NASA crewed mission to the Moon.
- Seamaster: divers and sport family, 1948. Multiple sub-lines: Diver 300M, Planet Ocean, Aqua Terra. The Diver 300M is the modern James Bond reference.
- Constellation: dress family, 1952. The "Pie-Pan" vintage dial is collected.
- De Ville: dress family. Includes complicated pieces (Tourbillon, Trésor, Hour Vision).
- Aqua Terra: sport-luxury within Seamaster.
- Globemaster: METAS Master Chronometer-certified pillow-case dress watch.
Technical innovations
- Co-Axial escapement: introduced 1999 (George Daniels' design), in-house production from 2007. Reduces friction in the escapement.
- METAS Master Chronometer: certification standard introduced 2015 with COSC, tests precision and anti-magnetism up to 15,000 gauss.
- Anti-magnetism: modern Aqua Terra and Seamaster lines use non-ferrous escapement components for resistance.
Price range
Speedmaster Professional 311.30.42.30.01.005 retails around €7,500. Seamaster Diver 300M from ~€5,500. Aqua Terra from ~€6,500. Complicated De Villes and vintage Speedmaster Pre-Moon references reach €50,000+.
Market position
Mid-luxury Swiss. Holds value better than mass-market Swiss brands, less than Rolex / Patek / AP. Strong vintage market for Speedmaster Pre-Moon (pre-1969 reference 105.012 and 145.012), Constellation Pie-Pan, and Seamaster De Ville references.
Related: speedmaster, chronograph, tachymetre.