CHRONICLE T H E S TO RY O F OM E GA
FOREWORD I was a teenager in 1969 when two Apollo 11 astronauts became the first human beings ever to walk on another world. I was so impressed by the lunar landing that my parents bought me an OMEGA Speedmaster, which had already established its reputation as NASA’s chronograph of choice.
It’s hard to believe that more than forty years have passed since I received that Speedmaster and some thirty years since my father accepted the challenge to put OMEGA back on the right track. The responsibility has now been passed on to my sister and me and we are committed to ensuring that OMEGA continues to live up to one of Swiss watchmaking’s most amazing legacies.
It would have been impossible to imagine in the summer of 1969 that a little more than a decade later, the fate of OMEGA would be in my father’s hands. You may already know that in the 1980s, the Swiss watch industry was in a perilous position. OMEGA, the brand that had set every record at precision trials, created the first marine chronometer wristwatch, timed numerous Olympic Games and, of course, been part of all six lunar landings, was on the endangered species list. My father had a plan to revitalize the ailing industry and he paid particular attention to OMEGA. Returning its focus to the traditional mechanical movements that had made it one of the leading Swiss watchmakers throughout the 20th century, OMEGA started on its long, steady road to recovery. In 1999, with the industrialization of the Co-Axial escapement, OMEGA demonstrated that it had returned to its rightful place among the world’s leading watchmakers. And in 2007, with the launch of its proprietary Co-Axial movements, OMEGA was making the best mechanical watches in its long history.
Mr Nick Hayek President of the Group Management Board
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT In interviews I am often asked to reflect on some of the highlights of OMEGA’s long history. There are always certain things that come immediately to mind, like our relationship with NASA that made the Speedmaster part of six lunar landings. We are also proud of the timekeeping role that we have played at the Olympic Games since 1932. It’s hard not to include OMEGA’s dominance at observatory trials where our watches set so many precision records – far more, in fact, than any other brand. Innovative technology including the CoAxial movement which has signalled a revolution in mechanical watchmaking is another essential part of the OMEGA history. All of these are important but there are dozens of other stories which have also contributed to making OMEGA the company it is today. As I was thumbing through an advance copy of this book I was struck by how many highlights the brand has had over the past 160 years. I know that you will be as fascinated as I was. Enjoy your journey through the history of OMEGA.
Mr Stephen Urquhart President of OMEGA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Year
8 10 11 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 23 24 25 27 28 29
Named after a movement 1848 51, Rue de la Promenade 1879 The legacy continues 1880 Welcome in Bienne 1885 Birth of A Labrador 1892 A watch for your wrist 1894 An industrial revelation 1899 Battlefield tested 1900 Universal Expo Grand Prize 1901 Year of the motorist 1905 A sports timekeeping tradition begins 1909 The first precision balloon race 1909 All around the world 1915 OMEGA meets Lawrence of Arabia 1925 The birth of Art Deco 1929 A provocative but feminine symbol of the age of Art Deco 1929 Armure 1931 Six out of six 1932 Seventeen world records, one Olympic Games 1932 Wet and dry precision 1933 From Rome to Chicago 1936 Synchronized skiing 1936 97.8 points out of 100 1937 The influential OMEGA Medicus ladies’ watch 1937 A masterpiece for a princess 1943 Automatic watches 1944 Pass from 7 to 8 digit numbering
31 32 35 37 39 40 41 43 44 45 46
Event
00 These numbers correspond to points on the OMEGA World Map
49 50 53 54 56 59 61 62 65 66 69 70 72 75 76 77 78 81 82 85 88 90 94 97 98 101 103
1945 1946 1947 1948 1952 1955 1956 1957 1960 1960 1961 1961 1962 1964 1965 1965 1967 1967 1968 1969 1969 1970 1970 1973 1974 1975 1977
The Photoelectric “Eye” OMEGA’s luminescent ladies’ luxury . . . made in France! OMEGA creates the first tourbillon wristwatch One hundred years precisely A synonym for excellence The launch of the first Ladymatic One flight strapped outside / polar flight test A legend is born The King of Rock n’ Roll and his Seamaster Calendar To a future President Timing the space race TV Races will never be the same The first Speedmaster in space Out-of-this-world material for a World‘s Fair The NASA Certification A relaxing walk in space Stop it with your hand Its own identity: The OMEGA De Ville Destination North OMEGA on the Concorde SST The first journey to the Moon Lucky 13 Love from Snoopy “La Premonition des Tiroirs” It can’t be more accurate A watch for each wrist Out of Africa
104 106 109 110 111 112 114 115 117 118 121 122 124 127 128 129 130 132 135 136 139 140 143 144 146 148
1978 Speedmaster passes with flying colours – again 1978 Jewelled brilliance claims the Golden Rose of Baden-Baden 1981 19 metres to spare 1984 The most complicated table clock in the world 1985 Grand Prix Triomphe de l’Excellence Européenne 1985 Birth of a giant 1989 From North to South 1990 Scan’O’Vision 1993 OMEGA spends a year on Mir 1994 A Tourbillon that winds itself 1995 My name is Bond. James Bond 1995 The timeless beauty 1998 Beyond the Moon 1999 A revolution in mechanical watchmaking 2000 Omega ’s first corporate boutique opens in Zurich 2000 Timing live on Internet 2006 From the Moon to the Sun 2007 The watch that took 159 years to make 2008 OMEGA return at summer Olympic Games 2008 Si 14 the Silicon heart 2009 Liquidmetal, an unlikely partnership 2010 Revival of the Ladymatic name 2011 Supporting a Flying Hospital 2011 Growing the game around the world Back to the Roots WORLD MAP
NAMED AFTER A MOVEMENT In 1848 a young watchmaker named Louis Brandt opened his own business. Brandt’s sons, Louis-Paul and César, who had taken over the business following the death of their father, opened a modern manufacturing facility which enjoyed immediate success. A movement created in 1894 was introduced to the public in 1896. Every single component could be replaced without modification. Any watchmaker could therefore order parts from the factory and repair the calibre himself. The Brandt family decided to call this movement, which signalled a revolution in watchmaking, the OMEGA. In 1903, they gave the name to the company and the rest, as they say, is history. OMEGA would continue to create some of the greatest mechanical calibres in the history of horology, picking up countless awards for precision along the way and experiencing incredible adventures in space, deep in the ocean, at the world’s most prestigious sporting events and on some of the best-loved wrists on earth – like yours! But . . . it has always been about the movement.
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1848
1879 november 6th
51, Rue de la Promenade, LA CHAUX-DE-FOND “The nicest street in the largest village in the world”. 23-year-old Louis Brandt sets up an assembly workshop in the family villa. This is the birthplace of the company that will become OMEGA.
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A portrait of Louis Brandt
The legacy continues After Louis Brandt’s death, his two sons take over the family business.
Rue De La Promenade, 1848
Louis-Paul Brandt 1854-1903
César Brandt 1858-1903
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1880 January 1st
Welcome in Bienne Louis Brandt & Fils moves from la Chaux-de-Fonds, first to Route de Boujean 119 and soon after to our current location: Rue Jakob-St채mpfli 96. At this point they took control of the entire manufacturing process. 01
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119, Route de Boujean
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1892 A watch for your wrist The company creates the first minute-repeating wristwatch.
1885 14
Birth of a Labrador The brothers launch their first mass-produced calibre. Called the Labrador, it has a routine variation of less than 30 seconds per day.
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1894 August 1st
An industrial revelation The 19 line (OMEGA calibre), manufactured using groundbreaking industrial techniques. It will later give the company its name and establish OMEGA’s reputation.
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The original OMEGA Calibre, the company’s namesake
François Chevillet, the designer
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1899
1900 April 15th Opening
Battlefield tested Possibly the first OMEGA ambassador, a British artillery officer says of the brand: “Prior to my departure to Africa, I got a dozen OMEGA wristwatches. Their constant use during so many months of service was indeed a difficult test, especially when taking into consideration the extreme differences of heat and cold, together with continuous strong rain and sandstorms. The watches passed with flying colours.�
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Universal Expo Grand Prize The jury at the Universal Exposition in Paris awarded the Grand Prize to the entire OMEGA collection. 02
Le Temple Grec
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1901
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Year of the motorIST This year sees the introduction of the first watch made especially to be attached to the fuel tanks of motorcycles and also for automobiles.
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1905 A sports timekeeping tradition begins OMEGA served as official timekeeper at sixteen sporting events in Switzerland and abroad.
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OMEGA Chronotachimètre
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1909
October 30th Start
The first precision balloon race OMEGA is given the honour of timing the Gordon Bennett Cup – an international balloon race. It is the first time the brand handles the timekeeping for an international sporting event.
1909
All around the world OMEGA is sold the world around, with distribution on six continents.
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1915 OMEGA MEETS LAWRENCE OF ARABIA One of the first wrist chronographs “for aviators”, engraved with the symbols of the British Royal Flying Corps (the ancestor of the RAF) is worn by T. E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia.
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Lowrence of Arabias Chronograph wristwatch
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1925
1929
April 28th Inauguration
The birth of Art Deco OMEGA is part of the 1925 Paris Exposition Des Arts DĂŠcoratifs and is honoured with the Grand Prize at the birthplace of Art Deco.
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A provocative but feminine symbol of the age of Art Deco OMEGA presents a wildly non-conformist creation at the 1929 Barcelona Universal Exhibition, to be worn neither on the wrist nor on the finger but on the back of the hand. Its platinum case, set with diamonds and rubies, is attached to a ring with a chain of diamond-paved links and to the bracelet with a cord. The ring is set with an onyx and two baguette-cut diamonds; the bracelet’s diamond-set clamps are joined by black enameled gold links.
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1929 July 10th Patent
Armure Launch of the highly-robust watch, the OMEGA “Armure�. This super-shock-resistant watch features a classic square case equipped with a second sturdy case middle (the armour) which covers and protects the movement.
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1931
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Six out of six OMEGA sets an unbeatable six precision records in the Chronometer Trials at the Geneva Observatory.
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1932 July 30th Opening 13
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Seventeen world records, one Olympic Games OMEGA first assumes its role as Official Timekeeper when a lone watchmaker comes to the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games with 30 chronographs which are used to time all events. It is the first time a single brand has been entrusted with the timing of every Olympic discipline and is the start of a relationship which continues to this day.
The opening ceremony in Los Angeles
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1932 Wet and dry precision This year sees the introduction of The Marine, the first wristwatch designed for “Scuba� Divers.
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The 1932 Marine
11 bar pressure test
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1933 July 1st Start
From Rome to Chicago 24 teams from the Italian Ministry of Aviation race from Rome to Chicago with 48 OMEGA wristwatches for life-saving precision. 04
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1936
1936
February 6th Opening
July 31st End of Tests
Synchronized skiing During the Olympic Winter Games, OMEGA times the skiing competition with the simple yet effective method of placing one Chronometer at the start and one at the end of a race. There was no connection between the start and finish. The start time and start number of each skier was noted on a slip of paper and the same procedure took place at the finish line. After a few skiers had descended, the paper with the start times was put in the trouser pocket of the next skier in the hope that he would make it to the end of the course and take it to the race office.
97.8 points out of 100 A 47.7mm calibre adjusted by Alfred Jaccard sets the famous – and still unbeaten – world precision record in all categories at Kew – Teddington.
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1937 The influential OMEGA Medicus ladies’ watch The OMEGA Medicus ladies’ watch is not only the first in the world equipped with fixed central attachments for the strap (an innovation the brand patented in 1936) but is the first OMEGA ladies’ wristwatch with a central seconds hand. Because the central seconds display makes it easier to calculate pulses, it is also called “the nurses watch”.
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1937
1943
January 7th
A MASTERPIECE FOR A PRINCESS Dutch Princess Juliana receives an OMEGA jewellery wristwatch from Swiss Federal Councillor Giuseppe Motta on the occasion of her wedding. Its baguette calibre weighs only 2.13 grams and the balance spring is five times thinner than a human hair.
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Princess Juliana of Netherland and Prince Bernhard De Lippe-Biesterfeld
Automatic watches After 15 years of Research and Developpement, OMEGA launches its first range of automatic watches.
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1944
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November 10 “Contrôle de Marche” certification
PASS FROM 7 TO 8 DIGIT NUMBERING The ten millionth OMEGA is manufactured.
The 10.000.000th watch
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1945 48
The first independant photo-electric cells
June 16th Patent
The Photoelectric “Eye� OMEGA develops the first independent compact photoelectric cell. Transportable in a suitcase which went on to be used in the first F.A.T. (Fully Automatic Timekeeping) in the London 1948 Olympic Games.
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1946 OMEGA’s luminescent ladies’ luxury . . . made in France! A very rare model of French production is created by Maison Brandt Frères Paris. It is crafted from 18 Ct red gold and was the first watch to feature a “tubogas” bracelet, a feature later used by many brands within the industry. It appears in an advertisement with a characteristic drawing by the era’s leading fashion illustrator, René Gruau.
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1947 OMEGA creates the first tourbillon wristwatch Movement with Tourbillon had been long valued for the fact that their rotating cages offset the effect of gravity on timekeeping performance. OMEGA created the first tourbillon wristwatch, which won numerous prizes for accuracy in observatory competitions.
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OMEGA Tourbillon prototype 1946
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1948
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One hundred years precisely Marking OMEGA’s centenary, this year also sees the introduction of the Seamaster.
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1952
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A synonym for excellence Introduction of the first Constellation chronometer This watch would soon gain the moniter “The Swiss Watch�.
The Constellation insignia depicts on the Cupola of the Geneva Observatory
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1955 The launch of the first Ladymatic OMEGA’s first ladies’ automatic wristwatch was a success from its launch. It was valued for its elegant good looks but also thanks to its performance: OMEGA submitted a series to the official chronometer testing bureau and all pieces attained a rating certificate with a special mention for especially good results.
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1956 December 15th 05
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ONE FLIGHT STRAPPED OUTSIDE / POLAR FLIGHT TEST Arriving at Schipol Airport Amsterdam on December 15th 1956, Canadian Pacific Airways flight 302 completed the last leg of its Sydney - Nadi - Honolulu - Vancouver – Edmonton flight via the “Polar Route to Amsterdam”. Attached to the outside of the DC-6B was an OMEGA Seamaster. After nearly nine hours at a cruising altitude of 20,000 feet, where the average air temperature is -15 degrees C°, the Seamaster was examined by the captain, mechanics and airport officials who reported the watch to be in “perfect working order and keeping good time”.
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1957
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A legend is born The Speedmaster is launched _ The first watch to feature the tachymetric scale on the bezel, the source of its famous name.
The first Speedmaster CK2915
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1960 The King of Rock n’ Roll and his Seamaster Calendar Elvis Presley proves that an OMEGA Seamaster can be worn with almost anything. Presley received his sergeant stripes in January of 1960 and was discharged from the U. S. Army two months later.
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The name, image, and likeness of Elvis Presley appear courtesy of Elvis Presley entreprises, Inc.
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1960 To a future President Senator John F. Kennedy is given a prophetically engraved OMEGA Slimline watch by his friend Grant Stockdale. President Kennedy wears the watch during his inauguration on the 20th of January, 1961.
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John F. Kennedy and Grant Stockdale
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1961 May 25th
Timing the space race President Kennedy announces his support for the space program as part of a special address to a joint session of Congress saying, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.�
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1961
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TV Races will never be the same Launch of the “OMEGAscope�: An invention that for the first time allowed the time of each competitor to be superimposed directly onto a TV screen.
OMEGAscope and broadcasting equipment
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1962 October 3rd
The first Speedmaster in space Nearly two and a half years before the watch was certified by NASA for all its manned space flights, astronaut Wally Schirra wore his own Speedmaster on his Mercury Sigma 7 mission. 35
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Image courtesy of NASA
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1964 Out-of-this-world material for a World‘s Fair OMEGA presents the Moldavita, designed by Gilbert Albert, at the New York World’s Fair 1964. One of the brand’s most prestigious jewellery creations, it conveyed a vision of the future by pairing an extremely rare 7.5 gram gem-quality Moldavite – a type of glass formed following the impact of a meteor – set on the pendant and OMEGA’s smallest and most accurate lady’s automatic movement at the time.
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1965 June 3rd 37
1965 76
A relaxing walk in space Gemini 4, America’s first extra-vehicular activity is conducted by Edward White. From then, the Speedmaster accompanied each American astronaut with total reliability on all space missions, including six lunar landings, from Gemini project through Apollo and Skylab and is still a frequent visitor to the ISS.
March 1st
The NASA Certification NASA chooses the Speedmaster as its official chronograph, declaring it flight-qualified for manned space missions. It remains the only watch certified by nasa for EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) to this day.
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1967
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July 22nd 1st official use
Stop it with your HAND OMEGA introduced the touch pad, a revolutionary mechanism that responds to a swimmer's touch and has been used in every summer Olympic Games for almost four decades.
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1967 Its own identity: The OMEGA De Ville In 1967 the De Ville drops “Seamaster “ from its name and is immediately established as an important line in OMEGA’s collection .
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1967 logo
1980 Deville Logo “Chicago Skyline”
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1968
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April 19th reach the North Pole 06
Destination North After enduring 44 days at -52 degrees, explorer Ralph Plaisted uses his Speedmaster and sextant to configure the exact location of the geographical North Pole for the first time. “Every direction from where you are is south,� his pilot tells him when arranging a pick up.
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1969 March 2nd 1st Test flight
OMEGA ON THE CONCORDE SST There were 9 OMEGA timekeeping instruments aboard every one of the supersonic airplanes for use by the pilot, co-pilot and navigator.
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1969 July 21st
The first journey to the Moon On July 20th, the Speedmaster fulfills its destiny with the first of six lunar landings. 50
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Buzz Aldrin in the cockpit of the Lunar Module
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1970 April 17th landing
Lucky 13 After an on-board explosion on the Apollo 13 mission, it is the OMEGA Speedmaster that helps the crew return safely to Earth. Despite condensation, freezing temperatures and zero gravity, the crew’s Speedmasters did not fail them. With a multi-million dollar computer system lying useless, the Speedmaster proved invaluable for Apollo 13, delivering 14 exact seconds, 3 astronauts, and invaluable scientific research back to Earth.
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Moon 01
52 02 06
Earth 03 05
01 02 03 04 05 06
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Apollo 3rd stage moonbound Oxygen tank ruptures in service module Lunar Module Engine fires Lunar Module Engine fires 2nd time Lunar Module jettisons Service Module Re‑entry
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“HOUSTON, WE’VE HAD A PROBLEM HERE.” In truth Apollo 13 had several problems, all of them critical. Fleeing the damaged Command Module the crew evacuated to the tiny Aquarius Lunar Module to conserve power, fabricating a makeshift filter to absorb poisonous levels of CO2.
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1970
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October 5th
Love from Snoopy As a mark of gratitude from NASA’s astronauts, OMEGA is given the “Snoopy Award” for the critical role it played in the safe return of the Apollo 13 crew to earth.
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1973 “La PrÉmonition des Tiroirs” The unlikely fusion between OMEGA and Salvador Dalì.
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Image Rights of Salvador Dalí reserved. Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, Figueres, 2012.
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1974
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February 25th Certification
It can’t be more accurate The launch of the OMEGA “Marine Chronometer”: The world’s first wristwatch certified as a marine chronometer, with a routine variation of less than 2/1000 (0.002) seconds per day. To this day, the most accurate wristwatch in the world.
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1975 July 17th
A watch for each wrist Soviet cosmonauts and American astronauts use two Speedmasters to tell the time for the Apollo-Soyuz rendezvous, one set to GMT, the other to Houston or Baikonur time. From this time, the Speedmaster was adopted by most of the World’s Major Space Agencies. It is often seen today on the ISS.
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Thomas P. Stafford and Alexei Leonov
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1977 April 7th 07
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OUT OF AFRICA The 25th running of the East Africa Safari Rally, this race, universally considered the most gruelling race in the world, was timed by OMEGA at every stage over its nearly 3500 mile course.
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1978
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Speedmaster passes with flying colours – again The OMEGA Speedmaster Professional is flight qualified for a new generation of Space Shuttle astronauts after being retested. After re-certification, NASA was billed a symbolic 56 cents for 56 watches.
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1978
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Jewelled brilliance claims the Golden Rose of Baden-Baden Structura, a ladies’ jewellery set designed by Luigi Vignando, wins the prestigious Golden Rose of Baden-Baden prize. It combines 18 Ct yellow gold set with brilliant-cut diamonds and cabochons of black onyx. The wristwatch is fitted with the quartz caliber 1350, the smallest in the world at the time. Like the pendant’s chain, the watch is totally articulated, giving the whole set the grace of supple smooth lines. In total: 130 onyxes and 348 brilliant-cut diamonds (totallilng 7.77 carats) were used on the creation.
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1981 November 4th
19 metres to spare Free diving – Jacques Mayol wears a Seamaster 120 to a record depth of 101 metres in a free dive. Two years later, in October of 1983, he would reach a depth of 105 metres below the ocean’s surface. 08
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1984
1985 June 12th
The most complicated table clock in the world Created in a collaboration between OMEGA and Dominique Loiseau, this unique and richly symbolic masterpiece derives from Loiseau’s meditation on Man, Time and Eternity. With a height of only 18 centimeters and a maximum diameter of 9 centimeters, the Rose des Temps nevertheless comprises some 9,000 parts, each shaped, engraved and polished by hand.
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Inside to the Rose des Temps
Grand Prix Triomphe de l’Excellence Européenne OMEGA is awarded this prize in recognition of the quality, originality and aesthetics of its creations.
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1985
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June 27th
Birth of a giant Nicolas G. Hayek takes over the merged ASUAG and SSIH which were renamed SMH in 1986.
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1989
December 30th reach the South Pole
From North to South A southern star: Reinhold Messner uses a Speedmaster to aid his surface crossing to the South Pole. (From November 13th 1989 to February 12th 1990).
1990
June 15th Patent
Scan’O’Vision OMEGA opens up sports timekeeping to the mass market with the launch of a low-cost and popular version of the photofinish camera.
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1993 July 1st Launch at Ba誰konour
OMEGA spends a year on MIR The OMEGA Speedmaster started a full 365-day stay on the Russian MIR Space Station in July, to test the prolonged exposure to a 0G environment on the watch. It would orbit the Earth about 5840 times.
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1994
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A Tourbillon that winds itself OMEGA introduces the first self-winding central tourbillon wristwatch.
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1995 November 13th World premiere
MY NAME IS Bond. James Bond GoldenEye opens at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. On the wrist of the world’s favourite spy is an OMEGA Seamaster. 007 has not been without one since.
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“Grapling Hook” watch from “The World Is Not Enough”
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1995
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The Timeless Beauty As an OMEGA ambassadress since 1995, Cindy Crawford has been promoting OMEGA products longer than any of the company’s other ambassadors. She was chosen to join the “OMEGA family” for her fashion flair and because her style fits the brand perfectly. She shares many of OMEGA’s values, including quality, reliability and a strong sense of tradition. Cindy Crawford, with her dedicated approach to every endeavor, participates not only in advertising campaigns but is also actively involved in events and in product design – giving her personal input and helping to add the finishing touches. Her inspiration and opinions are of great value to OMEGA.
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1998 March 25th
Beyond the Moon The OMEGA X-33 is launched at the Huston Space Center after 3 years of Research and Development involving all the major Space Agencies. For the event, OMEGA arranges, for the first time, a live television and audio link with the crew of the Mir space station via the Houston Space Center, allowing their guests to talk with the crew. 58
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The X-33 Prototype
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1999 April 12th
A revolution in mechanical watchmaking OMEGA launches the first practical new mechanical watch escapement in some 250 years, marking a turning point for the brand and signalling a revolution in the art of mechanical watchmaking. Nicolas G. Hayek had secured the rights to develop the technology from inventor and master watchmaker George Daniels (1926 – 2011) who worked closely with OMEGA’s technical staff to industrialize the escapement.
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2000
2000
Omega’s first corporate boutique opens in Zurich OMEGA opens its flagship store on Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich. For the first time there is a retail shop dedicated exclusively to OMEGA products. In the years to come, the boutique concept will be an important part of OMEGA’s retail strategy.
TIMING LIVE ON INTERNET Invention of Livetiming, used to provide America’s Cup results in real time via Internet. OMEGA was the Official Timekeeper of the America’s Cup again in 2003. 11
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2006
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FROM THE MOON TO THE SUN OMEGA becomes a Main Partner in the Solar Impulse project. Solar Impulse, because of its enormous wingspan and relatively short fuselage, has low lateral (side-to-side) and directional stability. Its direction of flight can vary significantly from the direction of the fuselage. What’s more, the aircraft is sensitive to crosswinds on the approach because of its slow speed – about 55 kilometres per hour. Considering these elements led astronaut and Swiss aeronautics legend Claude Nicollier to design the OMEGA Instrument, consisting of light bars which indicate the true heading (flight path) or lateral drift on a horizontal scale of light bars and on two vertical scales, the angle of the wing. The light bars are very accurate, react instantly, and can be read easily by the pilot who can easily make necessary adjustments. To further assist a pilot who may be absorbed by other tasks or who may have been flying for several days, there is an alarm which reacts as soon as the normal values are exceeded. In addition to making a sound, it vibrates in the sleeves of the pilot’s flight suit.
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2007 January 24th Official Launch
The watch that took 159 years to make The OMEGA Hour Vision is the result of 159 years of innovative watchmaking. Its exclusive Co-Axial calibre 8500/8501 has been created in-house from inception. For a brand named after a series-produced movement, it marked a return to our roots.
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2008 33
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OMEGA RETURN AT SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES At the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, OMEGA delivers 420 tons of timekeeping equipment used by 450 timekeeping professionals and more than a thousand local volunteers. It is OMEGA’s 23rd Olympic Games as Official Timekeeper.
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2008
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Si14 THE SILICON HEART Named after the chemical symbol and atomic number of silicon, the Si14 balance-spring, working in concert with some of our calibres, now allows even greater precision. The physical properties of silicon which wholly composes the balance spring, together with its anti-magnetic properties reduce the rate of deviation of the watch. Watches equipped with OMEGA’s proprietary Co-Axial movements and fitted with the Si14 silicon balance spring offer such outstanding stability and reliability that they are delivered with a full four-year warranty.
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2009 Liquidmetal, an unlikely partnership OMEGA is the first watch brand to bond ceramics and an alloy called Liquidmetal. Swatch Group researchers collaborating with OMEGA’s product development team create a striking ceramic bezel whose numbers and scaling, made of the LiquidmetalŽ alloy, appear in stunning silvery contrast to the black ceramic background. The colour of the ceramic dial perfectly matches that of the bezel. The result is an aesthetic wonder only made possible by several new and innovative processes.
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2010
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Revival of the Ladymatic Name In 1955 OMEGA launched a watch it called Ladymatic. For the better part of a generation it was one of the world’s most popular automatic watches for women. In 2010, OMEGA revives the name for its new line of watches which blend aesthetic beauty and sophistication with the best women’s mechanical watch movement in the world. The new Ladymatic defines what a women’s mechanical watch should be in the 21st century.
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2011 Supporting a Flying Hospital Daniel Craig and OMEGA support ORBIS International and its Flying Eye Hospital which leads the fight against preventable blindness. The OMEGA Hour Vision Blue Wristwatch honours this remarkable organization which delivers eye care to some of the world’s most remote and developing regions.
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2011 144
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GROWING THE GAME AROUND THE WORLD OMEGA is deeply committed to growing the game of golf around the world. With its title sponsorship of some of the sport’s most prestigious events and its partnership with the PGA of America, OMEGA is involved golf on practically every continent. As golf’s popularity continues to spread around the world, OMEGA is proud to share in its extraordinary growth.
The Medinah Country Club course, Home of the 2012 Ryder Cup
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Movement 19’, 1894
Movement 2500, 1999
Movement 8501, 2007
Movement 9300,
2011
Back to the roots When the first watch to be equipped with a Co-Axial escapement was released in 1999, it signalled a revolution in mechanical watchmaking. Eight years later, OMEGA launched the De Ville Hour Vision. Its Co-Axial calibre 8500/8501 had been developed entirely in-house and it marked OMEGA’s return to its roots – it was again among the ranks of manufactures, companies that design and produce their own movements. More than a century after OMEGA took its name from one of its in-house mechanical movements, the company had come full circle. Today, it is creating some of the finest timepieces in its long history.
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Scale: 1: 1.5
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WORLD MAP
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General Events
Olympic Games
Completed Space Missions
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This map displays some of our most important moments.
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SPACE MISSIONS
GENERAL EVENTS 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
Bienne, our home town Universal Expo First Prize, Paris Gordon Bennett Cup, Zurich Rome to Chicago air race Polar Route to Amsterdam Geographic North Pole East Africa Safari Rally J. Mayol Free-dive record Geographic South Pole First OMEGA boutique, Zurich America’s Cup 2000 The Medinah Country Club
OLYMPIC GAMES 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34
Los Angeles 1932, 1984 Berlin 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936 London 1948, 2012 St. Moritz 1948 Helsinki 1952 Cortina 1956 Melbourne 1956 Rome 1960 Innsbruck 1964, 1976 Grenoble 1968 Mexico 1968 Montreal 1976 Lake Placid 1980 Moscow 1980 Sarajevo 1980 Calgary 1988 Seoul 1988 Albertville 1992 Torino 2006 Beijing 2008 Vancouver 2010
35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58
Mercury Sigma 7 Gemini 3 Gemini 4 Gemini 5 Gemini 6 Gemini 7 Gemini 8 Gemini 9 Gemini 10 Gemini 11 Gemini 12 Apollo 7 Apollo 8 Apollo 9 Apollo 10 Apollo 11 Apollo 12 Apollo 13 Apollo 14 Apollo 15 Apollo 16 Apollo 17 Apollo-Soyuz launch Huston Space center
15 26
24
31 13 12 04
23
22
12 14 19 01 10 02 16 28 29 20 25 18 03
54 30 27
08
11 32
55 34 41 35
51 54
43 36
39 21
42
45
38 37
40
33
47
44 07
EQUATOR
52 46 48 53 49
50
05 17
11
09
THANKS For more information about our history, please visit the OMEGA MUSEUM OMEGA MUSEUM Rue Jakob-Stämpfli 96 CH-2500 Bienne 4 Tel. +41 (0) 32 343 91 31 www.omegamuseum.com
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