Our selection of Omega Watches

Omega's History

Omega's predecessor, La Generale Watch Co., was founded in Switzerland in 1848 by Louis Brandt, who made pocket watches out of pieces supplied by local craftsmen. He sold his watches from Italy to Scandinavia through England, his most important market.
In 1894, his two sons Louis-Paul and César developed a revolutionary fabrication system that made it possible for components to be interchangeable. Watches developed with these methods were marketed under the Omega brand of La Generale Watch Co. By 1903 the success of the Omega brand led the La Generale Watch Co to spin off the Omega brand as its own company, and the Omega Watch Co was officially established in 1903.

Louis-Paul and César Brandt both passed away in 1903, leaving one of Switzerland's largest watch companys in the hands of four young people, the oldest Paul-Emile Brandt who wasn't even 24 yet was the great architect and builder of Omega. His influence would be felt over the next half-century as the economic difficulties brought on by the First World War would lead him to work actively towards the union of Omega and Tissot, then to their merger into the group SSIH Geneva. The SSIH group continues to grow and expand, absorbing and creating fifty companies, including Lanco and Lemania, manufacturer of the most famous Omega Chronograph movements. By the 1970's, SSIH had become the largest Swiss producer of finished watches and the world's number three. Up to this time, the Omega brand outsold Rolex, its main Swiss rival in the luxury watch segment.

Omega's Design

Omega has been a well-known brand around the world for their innovative, forward-thinking watches since 1894. As a result of their message, they have become the Olympic Games' official timekeeper. Omega is celebrated for their elegant yet sporty design and are known for their durability and excellence.
Omega's motivation is straightforward: they want to make better timepieces. From the first moon landing to professional diving sessions to the Olympic Games, the Swiss watch brand is driven by a quest for precision and performance.

Omega's Company

After drastic financial restructuring, the research & development departments of ASUAG and SSIH merged production operations at the ETA complex in Granges. The two companies completely merged forming ASUAG-SSIH, a holding company, in 1983. Two years later this holding company was taken over by a group of private investors led by Nicolas Hayek Renamed SMH, Société de Microélectronique et d'Horlogerie, this new group over the next decade proceeded to become one of the top watch producers in the world. In 1998 it became the Swatch Group, which now manufactures Omega and other brands such as Blancpain, Swatch, and Breguet.

Omega's brand experienced a resurgence with advertisement such as in the James bond 007 movies; the character that had worn the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M with the movie Goldeneye (1995) and has stayed with the latter ever since until swapping it for the Omega Planet Ocean and Aqua Terra. Which was successful in increasing Omega's market share and name recognition.

Omega's Value

Omega has raised its recommended retail prices several times in the last few years, making them more expensive to purchase brand new. When this happens, secondhand market prices tend to follow. Perhaps not at the same rate, but usually slowly but steadily.
This is especially true for limited edition watches. These are typically produced in small quantities, and when production ceases, the only way to obtain one is to search the used market. However, bear in mind that just because it's a limited edition doesn't mean it's a good investment. For a watch to be an investment, it must have a high demand in the secondary market, which is not always the case with limited edition watches.