By Bruce Shawkey
Found this ad in the March/April 1958 issue of Swiss Horological Journal in which Omega announced three new watch models. The watch pictured in the ad is Seamaster 300, a divers watch that has become a classic watch among collectors and a favorite among current divers alike (it is still being made more than 60 years after its introduction). The Seamaster 300 is described as a self-winding watch, water-resistant to a depth of 660 feet, a depth unattainable by the diver himself, but assuring the diver that the watch is indeed water resistant. Counter-clockwise calibration shows the diver when to surface, assuring him he will not run out of air, nor suffer decompression sickness (bends) when ascending from the dive.
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| 1950s Pie-Pan Dial Constellation |
Here are other articles on Omega I've written:
The obituary for Adrien Brandt, grandson of Omega founder Louis Brandt, appeared in the March/April 1954 issue of Swiss Horological Journal. He was 72.
Omega is now part of Swatch Group, and is one of the most valuable brands in the watch world in terms of sales volume. Nicholas Hayek, head of Swatch Group, was once asked to put a price on Omega from an interested buyer. Hayek replied in the article that he wouldn't sell Omega at any price.
Adrien Brandt, Chairman of the Board of the Omega Watch Co., passed away February 2, 1955. He was 72 years old. He was the last head of Omega before it was absorbed into the ASUAG consortium, which eventually became Swatch Group. He was born in Bienne in 1882.
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| Adrien Brandt |
Omega was established in 1848 by Louis Brandt in La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland. When Louis passed away in 1879, his two sons Louis-Paul, and César, took over the business. The two sons both passed away in 1903. Ownership then passed to 24-year-old Paul-Emile Brandt and a cousin, Gustave Brandt. From there, Adrien was named Chairman of the Board in 1914, and served until his death in 1955.
here are other articles I've published on Omega:
I ran across an interesting article in the March/April 1954 issue of Swiss Horological Journal about Braniff International Airways choosing Omega as their official watch to issue to all flight personnel. Omega has been the choice of watch of many national and regional airlines over the years and decades. Braniff International Airways was founded in 1928, changing its name to Braniff Airways Inc. in 1965. Air operations ceased in 1982, though Braniff continues to this day as a retailer, hotelier, travel service and branding and licensing company. But many people remember Braniff for their fleet of orange-colored airplanes dubbed The Great Pumpkins.
Braniff's routes were primarily in the midwestern and southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America. In the late 1970s it expanded to Asia and Europe. The airline ceased carrier operations in May 1982 because of high fuel prices, and competition from other carriers.
The history of Braniff goes all the way back to April 1926, when Paul Revere Braniff incorporated Air Lines, Inc., which was a flight school and aircraft maintenance entity and not entirely successful. However, brothers Paul and Thomas retained the company name.
Their first regularly scheduled flight on on June 20, 1928 from was from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, using a 6-passenger Lockheed Vega single-engine aircraft.
In the day, Canadian Pacific Airlines, Air France, Sabena, Lineas Aereas Mexicanas and several national railway companies in Australia, South Africa, China and Finland were among the many companies that issued Omega watches to their personnel. Omega made and continues to make a very nice profit from company watches.
Omega generally selected their best watch -- a chronometer certified Constellation -- as their choice for airline personnel because of their high accuracy and dependability. One of their Constellations was even named for the Boeing Constellation aircraft, which has become a cult classic among Omega collectors. Omega was forced to drop the Constellation after a short time when Boeing sued Omega because technically Omega did not own the Constellation trademark. The matter was quickly resolved, and Omega was allowed to use the Constellation name.
So the first Constellations were named the "Globemaster" for a short time. They are rare and highly praised among Omega collectos. Three examples are pictured below.
Other Omwga articles I've written:
I ran across an interesting article in the March/April 1954 issue of Swiss Horological Journal about Braniff International Airways choosing Omega as their official watch to issue to all flight personnel. Omega has been the choice of watch of many national and regional airlines over the years and decades. Braniff International Airways was founded in 1928, changing its name to Braniff Airways Inc. in 1965. Air operations ceased in 1982, though Braniff continues to this day as a retailer, hotelier, travel service and branding and licensing company. But many people remember Braniff for their fleet of orange-colored airplanes dubbed The Great Pumpkins.
Braniff's routes were primarily in the midwestern and southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America. In the late 1970s it expanded to Asia and Europe. The airline ceased carrier operations in May 1982 because of high fuel prices, and competition from other carriers.
The history of Braniff goes all the way back to April 1926, when Paul Revere Braniff incorporated Air Lines, Inc., which was a flight school and aircraft maintenance entity and not entirely successful. However, brothers Paul and Thomas retained the company name.
Their first regularly scheduled flight on on June 20, 1928 from was from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, using a 6-passenger Lockheed Vega single-engine aircraft.
In the day, Canadian Pacific Airlines, Air France, Sabena, Lineas Aereas Mexicanas and several national railway companies in Australia, South Africa, China and Finland were among the many companies that issued Omega watches to their personnel. Omega made and continues to make a very nice profit from company watches.
Omega generally selected their best watch -- a chronometer certified Constellation -- as their choice for airline personnel because of their high accuracy and dependability. One of their Constellations was even named for the Boeing Constellation aircraft, which has become a cult classic among Omega collectors. Omega was forced to drop the Constellation after a short time when Boeing sued Omega because technically Omega did not own the Constellation trademark. The matter was quickly resolved, and Omega was allowed to use the Constellation name.
So the first Constellations were named the "Globemaster" for a short time. They are rare and highly praised among Omega collectos. Three examples are pictured below.
I ran across an interesting article in the March/April 1954 issue of Swiss Horological Journal about Braniff International Airways choosing Omega as their official watch to issue to all flight personnel. Omega has been the choice of watch of many national and regional airlines over the years and decades. Braniff International Airways was founded in 1928, changing its name to Braniff Airways Inc. in 1965. Air operations ceased in 1982, though Braniff continues to this day as a retailer, hotelier, travel service and branding and licensing company. But many people remember Braniff for their fleet of orange-colored airplanes dubbed The Great Pumpkins.
Braniff's routes were primarily in the midwestern and southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America. In the late 1970s it expanded to Asia and Europe. The airline ceased carrier operations in May 1982 because of high fuel prices, and competition from other carriers.
The history of Braniff goes all the way back to April 1926, when Paul Revere Braniff incorporated Air Lines, Inc., which was a flight school and aircraft maintenance entity and not entirely successful. However, brothers Paul and Thomas retained the company name.
Their first regularly scheduled flight on on June 20, 1928 from was from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, using a 6-passenger Lockheed Vega single-engine aircraft.
In the day, Canadian Pacific Airlines, Air France, Sabena, Lineas Aereas Mexicanas and several national railway companies in Australia, South Africa, China and Finland were among the many companies that issued Omega watches to their personnel. Omega made and continues to make a very nice profit from company watches.
Omega generally selected their best watch -- a chronometer certified Constellation -- as their choice for airline personnel because of their high accuracy and dependability. One of their Constellations was even named for the Boeing Constellation aircraft, which has become a cult classic among Omega collectors. Omega was forced to drop the Constellation after a short time when Boeing sued Omega because technically Omega did not own the Constellation trademark. The matter was quickly resolved, and Omega was allowed to use the Constellation name.
So the first Constellations were named the "Globemaster" for a short time. They are rare and highly praised among Omega collectos. Three examples are pictured below.
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