It does not matter if you are talking about Rolex or Omega: there are very high chances that just about any watch enthusiast will have very strong opinions on both these brands. These two are easily the most famous manufacturers of watches in the world.
This is what makes choosing between the two such a difficult job. Truth be told, you won’t be wrong choosing one of the other. Both of these watch companies have had extremely iconic moments at different periods of their histories.
Rolex has been able to swim across the English Channel and it has also been able to climb up Mt. Everest. On the other hand, Omega has explored parts of the sea we can’t even imagine of. Omega is also a part of the NASA expeditions to the moon.
You may be thinking to yourself that this is an almost impossible decision to make when choosing between the two. To help you with this issue, we have made this article. We will take a look at the things you need to be aware of when getting either a Rolex or an Omega watch. Read on to know more.
Omega Vs. Rolex - Quick Comparison
Similarities |
Differences |
|
|
Go for Rolex if:
- You want a watch with unbeatable brand recognition.
- You’re looking for a timepiece that holds or increases its value.
- You love classic, timeless designs.
Go for Omega if:
- You appreciate cutting-edge technology and precision.
- You’re looking for excellent quality and style at a slightly lower price point.
- You enjoy a bit of adventure and variety in design.
Brief History: OMEGA
Omega was formed a long time back in the year 1848. This happened when a certain 23-year-old by the name of Louis Brandt held an assembly workshop. He did this right in the villa of his family. When he passed away, his sons took over the business. It was in 1892 that the company then first released their minute-repeating kind of wristwatch. After a while, they all decided to call the company Omega. This happened partly due to the invention of the 19-line caliber called OMEGA back around the late 1800s.
In fact, by the time Rolex was formed around 1905, OMEGA had already established itself as one of the pillars of human culture, that of the official timekeeper. It all began in Switzerland with many different sporting events. This is what ultimately made them partners with the Olympic Games back in 1932.
When the twentieth century came around, OMEGA was able to see persistent growth. In the year 1948, OMEGA was able to celebrate its 100th anniversary. This is quite a remarkable achievement and with this milestone, OMEGA released its most esteemed watches known as the Seamaster.
Reference 2913, an introductory model, was both functional and elegant as well. It was designed mainly for individuals who led an active lifestyle. It was meant to be so multi-purpose that you could dive with it in the morning and then go to an event all dressed up in the evening.
OMEGA’s Seamaster was able to make a lot of diving history just with its Reference series of watches. This model was also able to work as a sort of testing ground for OMEGA to try on varying case materials and the way the treatments were done. It was around the 1990s that OMEGA officially replaced Rolex as the watchmaker of choice of James Bond. As time went on, OMEGA began expanding this line of watches with different altercations from the original.
In the 60s, OMEGA did something that cemented their spot in the history of mankind. They branched out of working with sports teams to extend their offering to NASA as well. NASA made the Speedmaster its official watch for its different space programs. One OMEGA watch was also able to go on a very famous journey, that of the one to the moon.
At the dawn of the 21st century, OMEGA has been able to keep up its excellent work. They are still partners with NASA, the Olympic Games, and the Bond movie franchise as well. Moreover, OMEGA has been able to significantly build on its work in the sports arena and has established itself as the standard for quality. OMEGA was given the prestigious honor of being the official watch of the American leg of the PGA tour.
Brief History: Rolex
This is just a fact. For many people, when it comes to watches, Rolex is the king. Rolex has been able to cement itself as a name that stands for precision. Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis were the founders of Rolex. Rolex has been able to cement its place firmly in history by becoming the first watch manufacturer to get the Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision. They got this certification in 1910. Then in 1931, Rolex became the first company to both pioneer and also patent perpetual movement. This is the bedrock of all modern automatic watches out there.
In the early years of Rolex, the company mainly focused on making revolutionary technologies. Rolex was the first watchmaker to introduce the self-winding type of wristwatch back in 1945. These watches displayed the date it was on the dial, the Datejust. In 1953, Rolex was able to make the first watch that users could wear and dive down to depths of around 100 meters.
This watch was known as the Submariner. Just a year after this, Rolex made the first watch in the world that displayed the time in two separate timezones. This was known as the GMT master. A couple of years later, in 1956, Rolex was able to present to the world the first watch capable of showing both date and day on the watch’s dial. This was known as the Day-Date.
After having made quite the name for itself in both design terms and in terms of innovation, Rolex set its sights on conquering other different industries. It was in 1962 that Rolex was able to become the first official watch in the James Bond franchise. This partnership with Mr. Bond lasted for about three decades until they were finally replaced by OMEGA around the 1990s, as we have mentioned before.
Another very important partnership for Rolex happened in 1978. It was in that year that Rolex was able to become the main timekeeper at Wimbledon. Recently, Rolex has also partnered up with the Australian Open, the US Open, and also the French Open. This has put them in the unique position of being the official timekeeper of all major Grand Slam tennis tournaments.
As the years have gone on, Rolex was also a very important part of many historical moments in yachting, motorsports, gold, and even equestrian races. Rolex has also had the privilege of working with prestigious organizations such as National Geographic. Rolex worked with National Geographic to help them with both mountain and underwater exploration. Finally, Rolex is the organization behind the setting up of the Superlative Chronometer Certification. They did this in 2015. Every single Rolex watch also gets a green seal after they go through the process of supplementary testing.
Popular OMEGA Watches
OMEGA’S most famous line of watches includes the Seamaster and the Speedmaster line of watches that it has. They are the most easily recognizable among all the watches that are in the brand’s catalog. However, you need to be aware of two other very popular watches that OMEGA makes.
The first of this list is known as the OMEGA Constellation. This has been able to give the collection a very celestial type of feeling.
Fifteen years after this, OMEGA gave the world their De Ville line of watches. This model was originally planned to be an extension of the Seamaster line of watches. Having said that, this collection slowly developed its unique personality and it has even won a lot of design awards.
Popular Rolex Watches
Rolex has been able to develop an extremely large catalog of watches over the years. Even before the Datejust came to be, Rolex released Cellini in 1928, Oyster Perpetual in around 1926, and the Bubbleback line of watches in 1933.
Out of all these lines of watches, the only line of watches still surviving to this day is the Air Series line of watches. At around 1953, Rolex introduced the Explorer and also the Submariner. The explorer was one of the first watches to ever reach the peak of Everest.
After this, Rolex went on to bring about the Milgauss series of watches in 1956. The Daytona was released in 1963.
It took Rolex almost three decades after the Daytona to introduce a new model of watches. What Rolex did instead was to update their existing line of watches. They started this process with the Sea-Dweller in 1967. This was built upon the existing design of the Submariner but with much greater capabilities.
After this, Rolex also made upgrades to the Explorer series and the GMT Master. After 29 years, Rolex finally introduced a new collection called the Yach-Master.
Key Similarities and Differences: Deep Dive
Rolex and OMEGA have several very serious similarities.
Rolex used to be the official watch of James Bond and OMEGA is serving that role now. OMEGA took over from Rolex in the 60s and they are still the official watch worn by James Bond. OMEGA has a long and proud history of working with the Olympic Games and recently they have even worked with PGA America.
Rolex, similarly, is also involved with a lot of different sports as well. Rolex has become the official timekeeper of many major Tennis tournaments and also golf. Rolex is also present in golfing, yachting, motorsports, and some equestrian races as well.
Apart from sports and youth/pop culture, both these watchmakers have made a lot of very important contributions to the industry they are operating in.
Now let us talk about the differences between Rolex and OMEGA.
The first and the most obvious one is the price. If you just take a look at entry-level watches for the two brands, you will see that Rolex is a much more expensive proposition. The other main difference between the two brands is the type of movements that they make use of.
Rolex did give in to the quartz craze for a little while and produced some watches with this type of movement. However, that era is officially over now and Rolex only makes watches that have mechanical movements.
If we take a look at OMEGA, we can see that quartz movement is still a very prominent part of their line of watches. Another point of contention is performance under water and at great depths under the sea. In fact, both these companies are very well known for this particular quality. Rolex was the clear frontrunner in this category till very recently when OMEGA took over them.
So, Which One Will You Pick?
When all is said and done, at the end of the day it is all about personal preference when you have to make a choice such as this. These are both extremely well-reputed brands and they are both known for precision and accuracy. These two companies have been making watches of the highest quality for quite some time now and their watches function well in a variety of situations and environments. It does not matter which watchmaker you choose to go with, there is not a wrong decision here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Omega At The Level Of Rolex?
Not quite. Even the entry-level Rolex watches have a higher price tag than the new Omega watches.
Is Omega considered A Luxury Watch Brand?
Yes, Omega is considered a luxury watch brand as they are providing luxury values more efficiently.