Omega

Who are Omega?

Omega is a Swiss watchmaker based in Biel/Bienne that began in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1848, when Louis Brandt set up a business assembling pocket watches. It is owned by the Swatch Group. This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a pre-owned Omega in the UK.

Omega makes mechanical and quartz watches and is best known for two families: the Speedmaster chronograph, worn on NASA’s piloted missions since 1965, and the Seamaster, the line James Bond has worn since 1995 (Swatch Group). It has also been the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932 (Swatch Group). Omega’s results are reported within the Swatch Group’s, which publishes annual reports for the group as a whole (Swatch Group).

The history of Omega

Omega’s history runs from a one-man assembly business in 1848 to one of the largest brands in the Swatch Group. The key dates are the Omega calibre (1894), the company taking the Omega name (1903), the merger with Tissot (1930), the Speedmaster (1957), the Moon landing (1969) and the Co-Axial escapement (1999).

Beginnings in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Louis Brandt started the business in 1848, assembling key-wound pocket watches (Wikipedia). The company traded as La Generale Watch Co. until 1903, and became Louis Brandt & Fils when his sons Louis-Paul and César joined in 1877 (Wikipedia).

The Omega calibre. In 1894 the two sons moved to manufacturing in-house, and one of their movements, a 19-ligne calibre, was named Omega (Wikipedia). It sold well enough that by 1903 the firm renamed itself the Omega Watch Co. Both brothers died that year (Wikipedia). The company is now based in Biel/Bienne (Swatch Group).

Mergers. In 1930 Omega and Tissot merged to form SSIH, a group based in Geneva (Wikipedia). Two years later Omega timed the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, the first of its many Games as Official Timekeeper (Swatch Group; Wikipedia).

The post-war collections. Omega launched the Seamaster in 1948 (Omega) and the Constellation, a series-produced family of automatic watches, in 1952 (Monochrome Watches). The Speedmaster followed in 1957, a chronograph with the hand-wound calibre 321, reference CK 2915 (Wikipedia, Omega Speedmaster). De Ville, first a name used on dressier Seamasters, became a separate collection in 1967 (Monochrome Watches).

Space. Wally Schirra wore a Speedmaster on the Mercury-Atlas 8 flight in October 1962. In March 1965 NASA selected the Speedmaster after testing several chronographs, and in July 1969 Buzz Aldrin wore his on the Moon during Apollo 11 (Wikipedia, Omega Speedmaster; Wikipedia, Omega SA). In 1970 Omega received NASA’s Snoopy Award for the watch’s role in timing a critical engine burn on Apollo 13 (Wikipedia, Omega Speedmaster).

The Swatch Group. SSIH merged with ASUAG in 1983. In 1985 Nicolas Hayek and private investors took over the combined group, which was renamed SMH and then, in 1998, The Swatch Group (Wikipedia).

Recent decades. In 1999 Omega put the Co-Axial escapement into a series-produced watch (Swatch Group). In 2015 it introduced Master Chronometer testing, approved by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS); the Globemaster was the first watch to pass (Omega). In 2018 Omega raised its warranty to five years (Deployant), and in 2019 it began issuing certificates of authenticity for vintage watches (Worn & Wound).

What is Omega known for?

Omega is known for the Speedmaster’s role in NASA’s space programme, the Co-Axial escapement (1999), Master Chronometer certification (2015), Olympic timekeeping since 1932 and the Seamaster’s long run in the James Bond films. Each point below is sourced.

The Moonwatch. NASA qualified the Speedmaster for its piloted missions in 1965, and Omega states it has been worn on every one since, including all six Moon landings (Swatch Group). The movement has changed over time. Calibre 321 was replaced by calibre 861 in 1968, and in January 2021 the Moonwatch moved to calibre 3861, with Master Chronometer certification (Wikipedia, Omega Speedmaster). Omega reissued the calibre 321 in 2019 (Wikipedia, Omega Speedmaster). The calibre matters when you compare two listings that are both called “Moonwatch”.

The Co-Axial escapement. The escapement is the part of a movement that releases the mainspring’s energy in small, even steps. The Co-Axial design is based on an invention by the English watchmaker George Daniels, and Omega was the first to put it into a series-produced watch in 1999 (Wikipedia; Swatch Group). Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why buyers ask who made the movement.

Master Chronometer certification. Every Omega Master Chronometer is tested twice. First the movement is certified to the chronometer standard, −4/+6 seconds a day for most sizes, the test that COSC carries out in Switzerland. Then the cased watch goes through eight further tests set by METAS, including exposure to a magnetic field of 15,000 gauss, with an accuracy requirement of 0/+5 seconds a day for most sizes (Omega). Our guide to COSC certification explains the first stage.

Olympic timekeeping. Omega has served as the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932 and develops timing equipment for the sports it covers (Swatch Group).

James Bond. Pierce Brosnan wore a quartz Seamaster Professional Diver 300M in GoldenEye (1995), and Daniel Craig later wore the Planet Ocean and the Diver 300M (Wikipedia). Omega describes the spy and his Seamaster as inseparable since 1995 (Swatch Group).

Which Omega collections are there?

Omega’s current range is built on four families: the Speedmaster chronographs, the Seamaster (which includes the Diver 300M, Planet Ocean and Aqua Terra), the Constellation and the De Ville dress watches. All four appear in the main menu of Omega’s UK site.

The collections table on this page gives the year each family began and a one-line description. A few points help when you are reading listings:

• Seamaster is several watches. A Seamaster Diver 300M, a Planet Ocean and an Aqua Terra are different watches built for different uses. The Aqua Terra is an everyday Seamaster rather than a dive watch (Swatch Group). Check the water resistance on the dial or caseback against the use you have in mind; our guide to water resistance ratings explains what the numbers mean.
• Speedmaster is several watches too. “Moonwatch” is the name for the descendant of the 1957 Speedmaster, but the Speedmaster family also includes other chronographs and the quartz X-33 (Wikipedia, Omega Speedmaster). Ask which calibre a Moonwatch has: 321, 861, 1861 or 3861.
• Generations. The Planet Ocean reached its fourth generation in November 2025, twenty years after the first (Swatch Group), and the Aqua Terra has been redesigned several times since 2002. Two watches with the same name can differ in size, movement and certification.
• Reference numbers. Each version has a reference number that identifies the exact model. The serial number identifies the individual watch.

Who owns Omega?

Omega is owned by the Swatch Group, a Swiss group that makes finished watches, movements and components and sells watches under 16 brands, including Omega, Longines, Tissot, Breguet and Swatch. Omega Ltd is based in Biel/Bienne. The Swatch Group publishes annual reports for the group as a whole.

The Swatch Group describes itself as producing nearly all of the components needed for the watches sold under its brands, and it runs its own distribution companies around the world (Swatch Group). Omega’s link to the group goes back to 1930, when it merged with Tissot to form SSIH. That company merged with ASUAG in 1983, was taken over by Nicolas Hayek and private investors in 1985, and took the name The Swatch Group in 1998 (Wikipedia).

In the UK, the group’s company is The Swatch Group (UK) Limited, incorporated on 26 October 1921 and previously named SMH (UK) Limited. It is registered for the wholesale and retail sale of watches and jewellery (Companies House).

Buying a pre-owned Omega in the UK: what to check

Check that the serial and reference numbers on the watch match its papers, that the papers and any service records are genuine, and that the watch is not recorded as stolen. For a recent watch, check its Master Chronometer certificate online. For an older one, Omega’s archive and authenticity services can confirm what the watch should be. Our guide to where to buy a pre-owned Omega compares the routes.

1. Papers and the full set. A new Omega comes with a warranty card, and a Master Chronometer comes with a certificate number. Ask exactly which items are included and whether they are originals. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves and what it does not.

2. Master Chronometer results. Omega lets you view a watch’s test results by entering its certificate number online (Omega). If a seller says a watch is a Master Chronometer, ask for the certificate number and check it before you pay.

3. Archive and authenticity checks for older watches. Omega offers an online Extract from the Archives, which tells you when a watch was produced; it does not include a physical inspection (Watchonista). Separately, since 2019 its Heritage team has issued a Certificate of Authenticity for Omega watches at least 30 years old, after inspecting the watch at a participating Omega boutique or in Switzerland (Worn & Wound). Watchonista reports that only watches with entirely original parts qualify. An extract confirms the production record; a certificate assesses the watch in front of the team. Neither is a substitute for checking the watch you are buying.

4. Authenticity. Fake Omega watches exist, and a genuine case can be fitted with replacement parts. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns, and have the watch checked by a watchmaker you choose. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

5. Stolen-watch check. Before you pay, check the serial number against a stolen-watch register and ask the seller to confirm the watch is not reported lost or stolen. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers and how to use them.

6. Warranty and servicing. Omega’s warranty is five years for watches bought from 1 July 2018 (Deployant); older watches had a shorter warranty. Whether the remaining warranty passes to a second owner depends on Omega’s terms. Ask when the watch was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork. See watch warranties explained.

7. Who you buy from. There are three main routes in the UK:

Sources: Deployant, Omega raises warranty on all watches to 5 years (checked 29 October 2026).

We found no Omega-run certified pre-owned programme for the UK. For how independent dealers compare with appointed retailers, read grey market versus authorised dealer.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Where was Omega founded?

In La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 1848, by Louis Brandt (Wikipedia; Swatch Group). The company is now based in Biel/Bienne.

Who owns Omega?

The Swatch Group, a Swiss watch group that also owns Longines, Tissot, Breguet and Swatch (Swatch Group). Omega first joined forces with Tissot in 1930 (Wikipedia).

Why is the Speedmaster called the Moonwatch?

Buzz Aldrin wore a Speedmaster on the Moon during Apollo 11 in 1969, after NASA qualified the watch in 1965 (Wikipedia). Omega states it has been worn on every NASA piloted mission since 1965 (Swatch Group).

What is a Master Chronometer?

A watch whose movement is chronometer-certified and which then passes eight further tests set by METAS, including resistance to 15,000 gauss, with an accuracy requirement of 0/+5 seconds a day for most sizes (Omega). Omega introduced it in 2015.

What is the Co-Axial escapement?

An escapement design based on George Daniels’s invention, which Omega first used in a series-produced watch in 1999 (Wikipedia; Swatch Group).

How long is the Omega warranty?

Five years for watches bought from 1 July 2018 (Deployant). Check the date on the warranty card.

Can I check whether a pre-owned Omega is genuine?

You can check a Master Chronometer’s certificate number online (Omega). For watches at least 30 years old, Omega’s Heritage team offers a Certificate of Authenticity (Worn & Wound). In every case, have a watchmaker inspect the watch and get the seller’s authenticity guarantee in writing.

Which Omega does James Bond wear?

A Seamaster. Pierce Brosnan wore a Seamaster Professional Diver 300M in GoldenEye (1995), and Daniel Craig wore the Planet Ocean and the Diver 300M (Wikipedia).

What is the difference between the Seamaster Diver 300M and the Aqua Terra?

Both are Seamasters. The Diver 300M is a dive watch with a rotating bezel; the Aqua Terra is designed for everyday wear (Swatch Group; Wikipedia).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Omega or the Swatch Group.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.