Omega Watches
Belonging to a category of Swiss luxury timepieces, the Omega watches are manufactured from Bienne, Switzerland. Considered as one of the more popular and well-known luxury brands in the market, Omega watches gains worldwide recognition not only because of its elegant look but durability as well. There is likewise much recognition associated with Omega watches like being the official timing device for the Olympic Games.
One of the reasons why Omega watches have become so recognizable and popular on the consumer market is that it has been worn by some of the more popular figures in history. Personalities like John F. Kennedy, Buzz Aldrin, Prince William, Joe Biden, Nicole Kidman, George Clooney, Zhang Ziyi, Michael Phelps, Cindy Crawford, and Stephen Hesketh are just some examples. The company estimates that at least seven out of ten people are familiar with Omega watches.
Omega Co-axial Escapement
The Omega watches which is owned by the Swatch Group successfully developed in 1999 its own Calibre 2500. History was made when it delivered the first mass-produced watch that had co-axial escapement. This movement was invented by George Daniels, an English watchmaker.
This was considered by many in the industry to be a very significant advancement since the introduction of the lever escapement. The use of co-axial escapement meant that lubrication is no longer necessary and made Omega watches overcome the shortcomings of traditional lever escapement.
Co-axial escapement essentially reduced friction by implementing radial friction on the impulse surface rather than the conventional sliding friction. This meant that Omega watches had longer service intervals aside from greater accuracy in delivering time. By January 2007 Omega watches benefited from the new Calibres 8500 and 8501 co-axial movements making it truly a tough brand.
Omega in Space
Space exploration demands high quality and dependable equipment. This is a testament to the Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph which was used by American astronauts that went into space. The Omega watches which at the time were hand wound (automatic chronographs were introduced only in 1969) were used as early as 1960s. Despite having Bulova Accutrons for the spacecraft panel clocks and timing mechanisms, all astronauts were tailor fitted with Omega watches primarily because of the unpredictability of zero gravity on mechanical movement.
This means that Omega watches were the first on the moon as worn by both Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong. That means that this timepiece has a significant place in history. In fact, the Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph of Neil Armstrong is displayed in the National Air and Space Museum at Washington D.C. 2007 marked the 50th anniversary of this particular model of Omega watches and rightfully so, the company released the commemorative Moonwatch which had the hand-winding feature of the original model. Only 5,957 pieces of this edition was released to the consumer market.
007 Omega
Many people are not familiar with the fact that Omega watches has been used in James Bond movies from 1995. That was the year when Pierce Brosnan played the role and he used the Omega Seamaster Quartz Professional model. In succeeding versions the Omega Seamaster Professional Chronometer model was used. The choice of Omega watches was based on the intention of the producers to give the super spy a more sophisticated and modern Euro look.
Omega watches essentially replaced the Rolex Submariner which has been the trademark in previous James Bond films. This allowed the timepiece to maximize its brand awareness campaign and maximize the mileage of the extremely popular movie. A commemorative model of Omega watches was even released for the 40th anniversary of James Bond. It had a blue dial with the distinctive 007 logo inscribed across with a matching machined logo at the case back. The 007 logo was likewise inscribed on the band and clasp.
The Omega Seamaster remains the model of choice in subsequent James Bond films with the Omega brand being mentioned in one of the film versions. In 2006 a second batch of limited edition Omega watches were released to the consumer market using the Seamaster Planet Ocean model. The production was limited to 5007 units only and had a small orange colored 007 logo on the second hand as well as engraved on the case back and clasp.
Omega Sports
The overall recognition of Omega watches was not limited to the film industry. It has likewise frequently made its mark in the sporting world. It has been the choice of the Olympics as official timekeeper in 1932, 2006, 2008, and 2010 as well. In 2008 Omega watches were introduced in an Olympic edition with Michael Phelps serving as an Omega Ambassador. Omega watches have also been identified as official timekeepers for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
Aside from the Olympics, the Emirates Team New Zealand also uses Omega watches as its official watch with the Seamaster NZL-32 chronograph. The name was based on the boat that captured the America’s Cup in 1995 and developed with the participation of Team New Zealand skipper and Omega Ambassador Dean Barker. Some golf tournaments have also been sponsored by the company with Omega watches sometimes being included in the price pool.
Essentially, it is beyond debate on how much exposure Omega watches have gained. Unlike other timepieces that lose their market value and elegance once they gain widespread acceptance, Omega watches have successfully maintained their stature as luxury timepieces. Some of the more popular and elegant collections of Omega watches for Gents and Ladies are the Constellation, Seamaster, Speedmaster, De Ville, and Olympic among others.
