Brand Spotlight: Omega

 

www.centralwatch.com

For hundreds of years, watch manufacturers have actively sought out to create the world’s perfect watch. As ambiguous of a statement that might be, many of these companies spend so much time innovating, that each new timepiece is that much closer to the desired idea of perfect. 

Of course, one brand has solidified itself as a top creator of timepieces for over 150 years -- oddly enough, their name symbolizes ‘perfection’ in Greek. Omega has been around since 1848 and in that time, has proven themselves as a watch company who represents all that it means to be of an exceptional quality. 

Interestingly enough, the first Omega branded watch wouldn’t be seen until the year 1900, used by British Officers in the Boer War (1900-1903). It was in 1892 that Louis Brandt & Frere would unveil the world’s first Minute Repeater Watch. The original base of the watch stemmed from an Audemars Piguet, with slightly modified internals. With a strike near the three, the watch would ‘chime’ the time in hours or minutes.

Many know Omega for their pivotal watch ‘The Speedmaster’, but we’ll get to that a bit later, as we venture back to the first huge accomplishment in 1900. The company would proudly be the official timekeeper of the Grand Prix in Paris, responsible for anything and everything time related. Even more remarkable however, Omega would go on to score a 97.8, a world record in precision timekeeping at the Kew Teddington observatory in 1936.

As the brand pushed for innovation in precise movements, they went on to represent the Olympic Games as the official timekeeper - over 21 times to be exact! It was in 1952 that Omega unveiled the world’s first electronic timekeeping system at the Helsinki games. Later in the games, Omega went on to be awarded the Olympic Cross of Merit for their ‘outstanding contribution to sport.'

With accomplishments such as these under their belt, it seemed impossible for them to do much more for the world. That changed drastically on July 21st, 1969 when Neil Armstrong stepped off of his spacecraft, and onto the moon’s surface. The Omega Speedmaster was officially the first watch to be worn on the moon, after Omega had signed on to be NASA’s official chronometer in 1965.

In more recent years, Omega has been hard at work, mastering the movement associated with self winding watches, as well as creating the high-fashion timepieces on the wrists of the world’s elite. With a long history of accuracy, reliability, and precision, Omega timepieces will continue to be around for years to come. 

At Central Watch, our professionals have been selling and servicing watches since 1952. From vintage timepieces to watch repair and watch straps, we are here to provide exceptional service for all of your watch needs. Home to a number of classic Omega timepieces, stop by our store in Grand Central to view our selection or learn more about our services.