With more accolades and claims to fame than you can shake a stick at, Omega is a Swiss luxury watchmaker whose watchmaking bona-fides is renowned throughout the globe. No, it’s not the oldest watchmaker or the largest one, for that matter, but where Omega does stand out is its deep history in having produced timepieces that have gone on to become icons. It’s tied itself to celebrities and other brand ambassadors and become a part of history itself by entangling itself to famous events like American space exploration, the moon landings, the Olympics, and of course, the most famous fictional spy in the world, 007 himself, James Bond.
I will leave the Omega brand’s history something you can read more about in this luxury watch brands roundup I wrote up a while ago. Suffice to say that many of the watches found amidst today’s Omega collections draw a continuous line of design inspiration from some of their most famous mid-20th century models. After all, if a thing is not broken and has become an icon, why fix it?
While purchasing a luxury timepiece from a brand like Omega is often a not-so-subtle act of class signalling, it’s also often tied up in personal preference for the way a watch looks. But most serious buyers and collectors of Omega watches will tell you that there is an ocean’s depth worth of history, horological innovation, and craftsmanship behind each of the Omega watch collections and the timepieces contained within.
But what makes Omega different from its luxury watch competitors, many of which also call Switzerland their home? It’s best described as a relentless focus on just a few collections that cover a few themes: Space, Sport, the Ocean, and of course, James Bond. But there is one other defining feature that makes Omega stand out from some of its Swiss brethren. Unlike many of their competitors, who are also staffed by some of the most talented master watchmakers in the world, Omega’s watches are often within reach of being affordable for the middle-class. Sure they’re still expensive, but if you want one bad enough, you can probably save up the few thousand dollars an Omega will cost you.
In this brand buying guide to the Omega collections, we’ll tell you what each Omega watch collection is all about, how it compares to the other collections in Omega’s lineup, the features you can expect, as well as what kind of price range you’ll find. We’ll also highlight for you some of our favourite watches in each collection. If you’ve come here to help you make a purchasing decision about which Omega watch to purchase, you’ve come to the right place.
Now let’s talk about some Omega watches.
THE SPEEDMASTER COLLECTION
Having gone through various evolutions, the Speedmaster collection from Omega is perhaps the company’s most famous collection and deserves the most attention. First introduced in 1957, this lineup of Chronographs quickly became associated with both the American Gemini and Apollo Lunar space programs. It was worn during the first American Space Walk, and Buzz Aldrin made the Speedmaster reference ST105.012, the first watch to be worn on the moon when he stepped on the lunar surface. Sadly, that watch was “lost” during shipping to the Smithsonian, but the heritage of the Speedmaster watches continues.
Originally conceived as a sport and racing Chronograph, the first model of the Speedmaster was the reference CK 2915, which was powered by the Omega Calibre 321 movement. Today’s Speedmaster Professional remains one of the only watches certified by NASA for spaceflight and remains the only watch certified for EVAs in space. That’s quite the achievement for a watch that you can own for only a few thousand dollars.
Today’s Speedmaster collection encompasses watches that come in many different shapes, colours, and sizes. Each is a work of art in of itself, but these certified chronographs all have one thing in common, they are all marvels of modern watchmaking and precision engineering.
SPEEDMASTER FEATURES
- Available in case sizes as small as 38mm and as large as 45mm
- Chronographs
- Often made from stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, platinum, ceramic, gold, and Sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective treatment
- Varying water resistances from 3 ATM to 10 ATM
- Alarm function
- Perpetual calendar functions
- Quartz movements
- Anti-magnetic (some models)
- Automatic watch with varying power reserves (some models)
- Master Chronometer Certified
- Tachymeter (some models)
- Transparent case backs (some models)
- Shock resistance (some models)
- Moonphase (some models)
- Chronometer (some models)
- Pulsometer (on just a couple of models)
WHO SHOULD BUY A SPEEDMASTER?
Even if you’re not an avid watch collector, the Speedmaster series of watches from Omega is a well-known status symbol. Affectionately known as “speedies,” the Speedmaster collection is broad enough that it’s bound to suit the taste of nearly anyone. So who should buy an Omega Speedmaster? It’s a little bit for everyone. Watch collectors, astronauts, motorsport fans, and of course, those looking to up their social status a bit.
Here are four Speedmasters you should look at:
THE SEAMASTER COLLECTION
Looking at the Seamaster collection, it’s clear that Omega has had a bit of a hard time categorizing some of their watches. While this lineup is nearly as broad as the Speedmaster collection and is filled with a high variability of high-end dive watches with varying water depth tolerances, a few watches in the group don’t fit in neatly with the “sea and ocean” theme.
In addition to the dozens and dozens of various watches under the Aqua Terra 150M, Diver 300M and Planet Ocean 600M sub-groupings, there is also perhaps what is the strangest and daring Omega designs in the Heritage Ploprof 1200M models.
The lineup of Seamaster watches has something for nearly everyone, including some watches specifically designed for women. But by far, my favourite watches amongst the Seamasters are contained squarely in the Planet Ocean 600M sub-grouping. Every master Chronometer in this group is a masterpiece of material science and horological design. And some of the colorways are just absolutely out of this world. Just look at the Seamaster Planet Ocean “Big Blue.”
SEAMASTER FEATURES
- Available in case sizes as small as 28mm and as large as 48mm
- Chronographs (some models)
- Often made from Sedna gold, stainless steel, sapphire crystal, diamonds, platinum, titanium, yellow gold, red gold, ceramic
- Varying water resistances from 15 ATM to 120 ATM
- Quartz movements
- Anti-magnetic (some models)
- Automatic watch with varying power reserves (some models)
- Master Chronometer Certified
- Tachymeter (some models)
- Transparent case backs (some models)
- Shock resistance (some models)
- Chronometer (some models)
- Helium escape valve (some models)
- Unidirectional rotating bezel (some models)
WHO SHOULD BUY A SEAMASTER?
Obviously, if you’re a boat captain or a pirate, you need a Seamaster watch from Omega. But even if you’re not either one of those things, there are plenty of Seamaster models that should suit your personal style. They are also some of the most sought-after watches that Omega makes and thus will make a fine addition to any amateur or professional collector. As long as they’re kept in good shape, I’ve rarely seen a Seamaster decline in value.
Here are four Seamasters you should look at:
THE CONSTELLATION COLLECTION
This collection of watches from Omega is one of its oldest and perhaps its least known. I’m not sure if that’s due to its ever-evolving product line, but the Constellation line from Omega is now over 68 years old. Many of the current watches in this collection still harken back to the original watches of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. While not all of the models are equipped with Master Chronometer movements, many are.
Aside from being one of the more subdued collections in Omega’s line, today’s Constellation watches are almost entirely dedicated to the female hand. In fact, as of this writing, it would appear that the Constellation collection only has two models available for men, the Globemaster, with its signature “Pie Pan” dial and the Globemaster Calendar. The remaining Constellation watches are aimed squarely at women, with smaller case sizes and softer colours.
CONSTELLATION FEATURES
- Available in case sizes as small as 24mm and as large as 41mm
- Chronometers (many models)
- Often made from stainless steel, sapphire crystal, Sedna gold, diamonds, red gold,
- Transparent case backs (some models)
- Anti-magnetic (some models)
- Varying water resistances from 3 ATM to 10 ATM
- Quartz movements
- Automatic watch with varying power reserves (some models)
- Master Chronometer Certified
WHO SHOULD BUY A CONSTELLATION?
Anyone looking for a more “dress-up” watch from Omega will find something just right for them in the Constellation collection. From vintage-looking watches that are pure callbacks to some of the classic watches that started the collection many decades ago, to modern works of art to adorn any lady’s wrist, the Constellation collection has something for everyone.
Here are four Constellations you should look at:
THE DEVILLE COLLECTION
For a company of Omega’s size, you’d think that they would be able to come up with a more distinct collection than the De Ville. Looking at the entire group feels like it’s a real mish-mash of watches. Omega couldn’t quite decide where to stick and thus have created a sort-of catch-all collection.
That said, what probably defines the Omega De Ville collection is a more vintage style throughout. This old-school look is evident amongst the Hour vision sub-group, which features dials with Roman numerals as the hour markers. The Prestige sub-group features various classic-looking watches for women. But there is one more special sub-group within the De Ville Collection that merits a mention, and that’s the set of Tourbillon timepieces. These masterworks of horology are some of Omega’s most complicated and most expensive watches. So if you’ve got plenty of dough lying around, you might want to explore this collection in its entirety. Surely you will find something to spend money on.
DE VILLE FEATURES
- Available in case sizes as small as 24.4 mm and as large as 44 mm
- Chronometers (many models)
- Chronographs (a few models)
- Often made from Sedna gold, stainless steel, red gold, yellow gold, Canopus gold, diamonds, platinum
- Transparent case backs (some models)
- Anti-magnetic (many models)
- Tourbillon (some models)
- Varying water resistances from 3 ATM to 10 ATM
- Master Chronometer Certified (some models)
WHO SHOULD BUY A DE VILLE?
If money is no object, to the point where you’re riding around on Super Yachts, this collection of watches from Omega is for you. That’s particularly true of the Tourbillons found within. Mere mortals should stay away.
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