Based on its first series-produced calibre, the Labrador, the Brandt brothers devised the 19-ligne Omega in 1894. The success led to renaming their company, founded in 1848, after the movement with a groundbreaking combination of winding and time-setting via a stem and crown.
By 1903, Omega had become Switzerland's largest watch manufacturer, notable for its research and development facility.
Its role in improving horological standards is now reinforced by the Laboratoire de Précision located at two sites, in Bienne and Villeret, totalling a dedicated space of more than 1,000m² for chronometric testing.
The completely neutral and independent lab offers alternative testing for all brands and movement manufacturers. It functions like the COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse Des Chronomètres), which has certified mechanical movements as chronometers for more than 50 years.
Authorised by the Swiss Accreditation Service, Omega's new facility meets the specific requirement as a "testing Laboratory according to ISO/IEC17025:2017".
One of the accredited testing evaluates wrist-chronometers with a spring balance oscillator, commonly known as chronometers.
Besides standard equipment, in-house developed technologies further enable uninterrupted measurements within tailored conditions such as varying positions and temperatures.
This allows taking more accurate and continuous measurements throughout the 15 days of chronometer testing, based on the standard ISO 3159, whereas the previous method only monitors every 24 hours.
As a result, the accuracy is 10 times higher than the industry standard. In addition, the data gathered during the tests, through industrial methods and big data analyses, will provide an assessment to help improve overall chronometric excellence.
Omega raised the bar for its own movements in 2015, when it established a certification process approved by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS). Passing the series of eight rigorous tests and performing within the parameters set by the COSC qualifies its timepieces as a Master Chronometer.
Besides performance in daily wearing conditions, the certification assures that the watch and movement function properly when exposed to magnetic fields.
Last year, the company introduced the Spirate System, whose revolutionary spiral lends ultra-fine rate adjustments. The Laboratoire de Précision is equipped with the latest technology to measure this mechanism, which makes it possible to achieve a certified precision of 0/+2 seconds a day.
Moreover, the access to extensive data and technical details will enable Omega to analyse and improve its calibres for future models.
