Exact time for life
Omega
Tagline
Net Worth
$1,900,000,000
Started in (City)
La Chaux de Fonds
Started in (Country)
Switzerland
Incorporation Date
01st December, 1848
Bankruptcy Date
-
Founders
- Louis Brandt
About
Omega SA is a Swiss luxury watchmaker based in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. Founded by Louis Brandt in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1903, the company was originally known as Louis Brandt et Frère - Omega Watch & Co.
Beginning
The company was originally known as La Generale Watch Company when it was founded in 1848 at La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland, by Louis Brandt. He assembled a key-wound precision pocket watch. He spent three decades establishing his watch store and building his company. He sold his watches from Italy to Scandinavia by way of England, his chief market.
Road to Success
His sons, Louis Paul and Cesar took over after he passed away in 1879. In 1885, the Brandt brothers released the Labrador, their first mass-produced calibre, followed by the first minute-repeating timepiece in 1892 and the 19-line Omega calibre two years later. This innovation brought a tidal wave of success in the watch industry. Following this, the company became the largest producer of watches in Switzerland, with a production rate of 240,00 watches produced annually and employing 800 people. The overwhelming success of the watch led it to be adopted as the sole name of all the watches of the company.
Challenges
Unfortunately, a few years later, in 1903, both the Brandt brothers died, within only six months of each other, leaving the company in uncertainty.
Paul Emile Brandt was only 23 and was the eldest remaining member of the family. He started working to keep the business on track. Two years later, the brand became the Official Timekeeper at sporting events across Switzerland. In 1909 they enhanced their worldwide success while serving as the timekeeper at the international balloon race, the Gordon Bennett Cup. The British Royal Flying Corps chose Omega watches in 1917 as their official timekeepers for its combat units, as did the American army in 1918. Omega was the first company to be entrusted with the official timekeeping of all disciplines at the Los Angeles games in 1932. One of Omega’s most noteworthy achievement was the world record of accuracy granted by the English observatory of Kew-Teddington in 1936. From sports to scientific scuba-diving, the Omega Seamaster line was created in 1948, this model was the most popular Omega watches. 1952 saw Omega being awarded the Olympic Cross of Merit for, "exceptional services to the world of sport." The Omega Speedmaster was created in 1957. After rigorous evaluation and testing, NASA decided to use the Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph wristwatch in 1965 as its official timekeeper.
Failures
Omega developed the slogan, “Omega-Exact time for life” in 1931 based on its historical performance at the Observatory trials. The brand has stayed true to this throughout the centuries. The company puts its focus on innovation and customer satisfaction above all. Thus, there were no major failures in Omega.
Achievements
- Omega is a leading watch brand.
- Omega was the first company to be entrusted with the official timekeeping of all disciplines at the Los Angeles games in 1932.
- One of Omega’s most noteworthy achievement was the world record of accuracy granted by the English observatory of Kew-Teddington in 1936.
Subsidies
- Omega
CEOs
- Raynald Aeschlimann