Omega bags

In 1848, Louis Brandt set up a watchmaking company in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, which he registered as an “assembly workshop”. The dealer bought the various watch parts, rough movement and pocket watch case and distributed them between various workshops for assembly and finishing. The shortcomings of this system of subcontracting soon became clear, since watches’ quality and delivery time were very erratic.

Louis Brandt decided to perfect his apprenticeship in watchmaking schools in Germany and England.

His son, Louis-Paul, joined the company in 1877, changing its name to Louis Brandt & Fils.

Two years later, in 1879, Louis Brandt died and his two sons, Louis-Paul and César, teamed up to create a firm including all activities and industrialising production, which had previously been dispersed.

The first calibre produced by the firm was released in 1880, leading to several brands including Jura, Patria, Helvetia, Decimal and Gurzelen.

The firm achieved immense success and by 1886 it was producing 100,000 watches a year, had opened its first branch in Paris and employed 600 people.

In 1894, the Omega 19 calibre was released and its low price and perfection made it an immediate hit. The "Omega" brand was registered.

A whole series of innovations followed until 1909, when Omega was selected to provide timekeeping for the Gordon Bennett Cup balloon race. Business slowed down for Omega with the industrial crisis in watchmaking and the First World Was then disorganised production.

Omega recovered and launched two calibres which achieved immediate success. Two years later, Omega teamed up with Tissot and they shared the watchmaking market.

In 1932, Omega was asked exclusively to provide timekeeping for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, following its takeover of Lemania Watch and Co, a specialist in on-board instruments for the automobile and aviation sectors.

In 1943, the brand launched the Omega Automatique and became the first official watch supplier to the British Air Force.