Watchmakers and watch companies starting with the letter O
Overview of outstanding watchmakers and original watch companies starting with the letter O. Learn about their legacies, creative designs, and craftsmanship. Perfect for horology enthusiasts and collectors!
Ω Omega SA
In 1848, the young watchmaker Louis Brandt opened a workshop in the Swiss village La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Louis Brandt in 1848
The family villa in 1848
on the Rue de la promenade
in la Chaux-de-Fonds
1895 Omega’s first publicity
with its brand and symbol
In the family villa, it was here that the 23 year old Brandt began the company that was to become Omega. Brandt was passionate about precision and he set about developing the most accurate watches he could. Within a few years, his reputation for high quality watches was established within Switzerland and shortly after, throughout Europe.
After Louis Brandt’s death on November 6th, 1879, his two sons, Louis-Paul and César, took over the family business, inspired by their father’s passion for watchmaking and precision. Little did they know, they were destined to change the industry forever. Under the new name Louis Brandt & Fils, in 1880, the growing company moved from La Chaux-de-Fonds to larger premises in the bustling town of Biel/Bienne. The company first moved to 119 Route de Boujean and then to 96 Rue Jakob Stämpfli, the address that remains the home of Omega.
In 1885, the Brandt brothers launched their first series produced caliber, the Labrador. Boasting many new technological advances and superb timing results, the new movement was of excellent quality for the time. This strong beginning provided the base for future innovations such as the that would revolutionise watchmaking ten years later. The success of that movement was so great that the brothers changed the name of their company to Omega Watch Co.
Omega’s original 19 ligne calibre was a pocket watch movement created in 1984 by the Brandt brothers, Louis-Paul and César, which was a groundbreaking development in watchmaking due to its interchangeable components, ability to be produced on an industrial scale, and innovative combined winding and time-setting mechanism.
By 1903, Omega had become the largest manufacturer of finished watches and had taken on the role of research and development facility.
The company’s logo through time
The Omega Watchmaking Company still produces watches today and remains a dominant force in the luxury watch industry, known for its high quality Swiss made timepieces and innovative designs, such as the co axial escapement.
Omega continues to release new collections and product lines annually, even opening a new, cutting edge factory in Biel, in 2017 to support its manufacturing and assembly processes.
Oltramare, Frères
Originally from Genova, Italy, the family settled in Geneva, Switzerland in the 17th century. Branches of the family were engaged in the watchmaking trade by the second half of the 18th century. The watchmaker Pierre Oltramare (1753-1827) had apprenticed under the ‘maître horloger’ Jean Pattey of Passiery in 1768. The mark of F.O. is that of Louis-David-Benjamin and Jean Hughes. Both trained as ‘monteur de boites en or’, makers of gold watch cases. They worked together in an informal association and later entered a maker’s mark as the Frères Oltramare between 1810 and 1811. When Geneva was liberated from French occupation they re-registered the same mark on November 4th, 1815, their workshop was at Rue de Coutance 82. The two brothers ended their partnership on March 31, 1826.e).
