To the Moon and Back
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In 1848, Louis Brandt from the Swiss town of La Chaux-de-Fonds established a small watch factory, which would later grow to become one of the largest in the world. Already 40 years after its founding, the company was the largest watch manufacturer in all of Switzerland with a production of approximately 100,000 watches per year. Omega is known for producing everything from quality everyday watches to highly durable diving watches and not least NASA's official moon watches. The company's development in both design and technology through the 20th century has meant that Omega is still one of the most influential watch companies in the world. Omega's iconic models and movements include the Seamaster (1948), Constellation (1952), Genève (1953), Speedmaster (1957), Railmaster (1957), De Ville (1967) and the Co-Axial escapement, which was introduced by George Daniels in 1976. During the 1960s, When NASA was choosing which watch should adorn the astronauts' wrists, they tested watches from all the major Swiss manufacturers. The only watch that met all the tough demands was Omega's Speedmaster – even today's astronauts continue to be equipped with this renowned watch. However, this is not the only significant model that the company has made. The Seamaster was launched in 1948 and has since been presented in countless editions, sizes and materials. It is still worn today by divers around the world, and the fact that the watch has appeared in several James Bond movies has only further contributed to its fame. |
