A pre-eminent creator of custom rubber watch straps, Rubber B has spent the last several years crafting watch straps for watches for some of the most highly respected watchmakers in both Europe and North America, including Rolex, Tudor, and Apple. Rubber B has a wide selection of colors, styles, and materials to choose from for these timepieces, and all of these straps are made exclusively from 100% vulcanized rubber.
In today’s blog entry, we are going to take a more in-depth look at a subject that, surprisingly, we have not previously looked at very often in prior entries: vintage Omega watches. This is something of an oversight on our part, as vintage Omega watches remain some of the most sought-after timepieces among collectors in the world, and the company has a storied and exciting backstory as well.
With all of that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the history of Omega, as well as some of the most coveted vintage Omega watches within their collection.
What is the History of Omega?
An important thing to know about Omega, before we even start taking a look at their chronological history, is that the company occupies a fairly significant place in horological history. However, unlike other Swiss watchmaking companies, such as Rolex, Omega is not known for employing large-scale, flashy marketing campaigns to help promote its products.
Because of this, it is one of those companies that becomes easy to overlook, though any experienced watch collector would inform you that you would be doing so at your own peril. Omega was initially founded in Switzerland in 1848 as La Generale Watch Co., adopting the name “Omega” in 1903.
The company quickly gained a reputation for producing high-quality wristwatches that were more affordable than their Swiss competitors, which led to them being offered contracts with several military units around the world, including the British Royal Flying Corps and the U.S. Army. The Apollo 11 missions, which saw Neil Armstrong and his team as the first humans to land on the moon, had the men wearing Omega watches.
In modern times, Omega watches are most prominently seen in two major places: the Olympic Games, as they have been the official timekeeper of the games since 1932, and the James Bond franchise, as Bond has been seen sporting an Omega wristwatch many times throughout his cinematic adventures.
What Are Some of the Most Popular Vintage Omega Watches?
To begin with, it is important to clearly define how we are using the word “vintage” in this particular instance. For our purposes, we are defining “vintage Omega watches” as timepieces that were made before 1969, though we acknowledge that this is a subjective definition.
Also, another interesting and important thing to note about vintage Omega watches is that they can actually be somewhat difficult to tell apart from their more modern counterparts in many instances. Unlike a lot of other Swiss watchmakers, Omega has never gotten hung up on themselves as being a “legacy brand.”
That has actually proved to be a saving grace for the company in many instances. During the Quartz Crisis of the 1970’s, the Asian watch market greatly expanded and cornered what had previously been the territory of Swiss watchmakers, which caused many Swiss companies to either become consolidated or go out of business entirely. Omega managed to avoid this fate by adapting to using quartz in their movements, and since that time, that willingness to adapt to the changing times has allowed them to stay several steps ahead of many of their competitors.
Of all the vintage Omega watches, there is one timepiece that is considerably more sought after than any other timepiece among collectors: the fabled Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch. It was originally launched in 1957, and was a chronograph that was created to be used within the world of competitive automobile racing.
The brand would soon become unexpectedly associated with space exploration, however, when astronaut Wally Schirra wore his personal Omega Speedmaster while on the ‘Sigma 7’ mission in 1962. The Omega Speedmaster would be one of the only watches that would pass all of NASA’s rigorous tests, and even now, it remains the only watch to be certified for both space flight usage and EVA usage or being capable of being used while outside of a spacecraft.
The most desirable of these watches is the Omega Speedmasters that include the vintage 321 movements, which appeared in the following watches:
o Reference 2915 (produced 1957 – 1959)
o Reference 2998 (produced from 1959 – 1963)
o Reference 105.002 (produced from 1962 – 1964)
o Reference 105.003 (produced from 1964 – 1969)
o Reference 105.012 (produced from 1964 – 1968)
o Reference 145.012 (produced from 1967 – 1969)
It is believed that Omega produced less than 100,000 of these watches, so finding one is something of a challenge, and it certainly won’t be cheap if you manage to come across an authentic one that is for sale. As always, before purchasing a luxury watch of any kind, make sure that you are able to validate the providence of the piece and ensure its validity.
Today, Omega takes its well-deserved place as one of the most respected and significant of all of the Swiss watchmakers and will likely continue to thrill us with exciting new designs for years to come.
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If you would like to learn more about any of our products, shipping policies, pricing, or have questions about our custom rubber watch straps, please visit the Rubber B website today for more information. One of our valued associates will be happy to answer your inquiry in a prompt manner as soon as possible.
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