The Omega case reference can normally be found on the inside of the caseback. The 5 to 9 digit long number containing no dots, spaces or letters may be the serial number which can be decoded using the Omega serial number decoder. Like many watch manufacturers, Omega uses a serial number system to keep track of when a timepiece is produced. If you own an Omega watch, it’s possible to find its year of production based on the serial number engraved into it. The table below displays the serial numbers used in specific years up to 2008.
Including Serial Numbers, Production Dates and Calibers
1848 - Present
La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland
The Omega Watch Company was founded by Louis Brandt in La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland in 1848. Brandt, 23 years old, began by hand assembling watches from parts produced by local craftsmen. When Louis Brandt passed away in 1879, he left the company to his two sons Louis-Paul and Cesar, who moved Omega to Bienne in January 1880.
By 1889, Louis Brandt and Fils became the largest producers of watches in Switzerland, with a production rate of of over 100,000 watches per year. During this period, they continued to make significant innovations, like the minute-repeating wristwatch, developed in 1892 in partnership with Audemars Piguet, and quite likely the first wristwatch of its kind.
Both Brandt brothers died in 1903, placing the fate of the company in the control of four descendants, the oldest of whom, Paul-Emile Brandt, was only 23 years of age.
Following a merger with Tissot in 1930 a new parent company, SSIH, Société Suisse pour l'industrie Horlogère SA, Geneva, was established. This group eventually encompassed over 50 companies including, Lanco, Lémania and Hamilton. SSIH eventually became the third largest producers of finished watches and movements in the world.
Omega World-Renowned Quality
Omega has a long-established reputation for innovation and quality, which has led to numerous awards over the company's 150 year history, starting as early as 1900 with the Grand Prix at the Paris World Fair. In 1936, an Omega watch was awarded 97.8 points at the Kew-Teddington chronometer trials in England setting a world precision record.
Omega has also had a long affiliation with sports. Omega has been the official timekeeper at over 21 Olympic Games, and has contributed many significant innovations to sports timekeeping over the years. For example, Omega brought the first electronic timekeeping device to the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952. In that same year, Omega was awarded the Olympic Cross of Merit in recognition of its outstanding contribution to Olympic sports.
Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin wears
his Omega Speedmaster on the lunar surface
and in the lunar lander
Omega on the Moon
Because of its well-deserved reputation for precision and reliability, the Omega Speedmaster was chosen by NASA as its official chronometer in 1965. It was the only watch flight-certified by NASA for EVA use, and accompanied astronaut Ed White on the first space walk during the Gemini 4 mission in 1965. In 1969 became the first watch to be worn on the moon when Buzz Aldrin wore his Speedmaster, fitted with cal. 321 movement, on his first lunar excursion. Neil Armstrong left his Omega Speedmaster in the lunar module during his historic first spacewalk. In all, Omega watches made six lunar landings. Omega watches were also the only watches certified for use in space by the Russian Space Agency.
Omega Co-Axial
More recently, Omega has continued to build on its reputation for innovation with the world's first self-winding tourbillon wristwatch in 1994, and the commercial introduction of the revolutionary coaxial escapement developed in conjunction with world-renowned English watchmaker George Daniels. The coaxial was first offered in limited series in 1999. The new coaxial escapement consists of three components: a coaxial wheel, an escape wheel, and a lever with three pallet stones, unlike the conventional pallet-lever and escape wheel of the lever escapement. The combination of the new escapement and a newly developed free-sprung balance attempts to eliminate the sources of error in timekeeping. The effect of the thickness and viscosity of lubricant on balance amplitude has been virtually eliminated, extending the planned service interval to around 10 years.
In practice, Omega's implementation of the co-axial escapement has not been without problems. Omega is currently on at least the 4th generation of their co-axial, and have yet to achieve the theoretical goal of lubrication-free performance. It has been reported that George Daniels (who passed away in 2011) was not happy with Omega's execution of his escapement design.
Through an economic crisis in the 1980’s the company merged with another large Swiss conglomerate, ASUAG, makers of Swatch, Longines and Rado, to create a new company ASUAG-SSIH. Eventually this pairing fell on hard times and the company was taken over by a private group and renamed SMH, which still exists today.
Omega Serial Numbers
Fake 'Omega' Watches:
The Omega brand has been frequently copied, and you have no doubt seen email advertisements for imitation Omega watches at deep-discount prices. Don't waste your money! These watches are cheap, poorly-made fakes that are not serviceable and will not perform like the genuine article. Counterfeiting products is illegal. We do not encourage or endorse the purchase of any counterfeit watch!
Omega Watch Repair:
At Renaissance Watch Repair, we are experts in the repair and restoration of vintage Omega watches. We do not repair modern Omega watches. We are also always looking for Omega pocket watches and vintage wristwatches to purchase for our inventory. Please contact us if you have any questions about the repair or sale of your vintage Omega watch.
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Note that Omega began using ETA movements in some of its watches in about 1980. This table does not include accurate dates for Omega/ETA movements.
| Year | S/N |
|---|---|
| 1895 | 1,000,000 |
| 1896 | 1,150,000 |
| 1897 | 1,300,000 |
| 1898 | 1,450,000 |
| 1899 | 1,600,000 |
| 1900 | 1,750,000 |
| 1901 | 1,900,000 |
| 1902 | 2,000,000 |
| 1903 | 2,150,000 |
| 1904 | 2,300,000 |
| 1905 | 2,450,000 |
| 1906 | 2,600,000 |
| 1907 | 2,750,000 |
| 1908 | 3,000,000 |
| 1909 | 3,250,000 |
| 1910 | 3,500,000 |
| 1911 | 3,750,000 |
| 1912 | 4,000,000 |
| 1913 | 4,250,000 |
| 1914 | 4,500,000 |
| 1915 | 4,750,000 |
| 1916 | 5,000,000 |
| 1917 | 5,150,000 |
| 1918 | 5,300,000 |
| 1919 | 5,450,000 |
| 1920 | 5,600,000 |
| 1921 | 5,750,000 |
| 1922 | 5,900,000 |
| 1923 | 6,000,000 |
| 1924 | 6,150,000 |
| 1925 | 6,300,000 |
| 1926 | 6,500,000 |
| Year | S/N |
|---|---|
| 1927 | 6,650,000 |
| 1928 | 6,800,000 |
| 1929 | 7,000,000 |
| 1930 | 7,100,000 |
| 1931 | 7,250,000 |
| 1932 | 7,500,000 |
| 1933 | 7,650,000 |
| 1934 | 7,750,000 |
| 1935 | 8,000,000 |
| 1936 | 8,250,000 |
| 1937 | 8,500,000 |
| 1938 | 8,750,000 |
| 1939 | 9,000,000 |
| 1940 | 9,200,000 |
| 1941 | 9,400,000 |
| 1942 | 9,600,000 |
| 1943 | 9,800,000 |
| 1944 | 10,000,000 |
| 1945 | 10,300,000 |
| 1946 | 10,600,000 |
| 1947 | 11,000,000 |
| 1948 | 11,300,000 |
| 1949 | 11,600,000 |
| 1950 | 12,000,000 |
| 1951 | 12,500,000 |
| 1952 | 13,000,000 |
| 1953 | 13,500,000 |
| 1954 | 14,000,000 |
| 1955 | 14,500,000 |
| 1956 | 15,000,000 |
| 1957 | 15,500,000 |
| 1958 | 16,000,000 |
| Year | S/N |
|---|---|
| 1959 | 16,700,000 |
| 1960 | 17,400,000 |
| 1961 | 18,000,000 |
| 1962 | 19,000,000 |
| 1963 | 20,000,000 |
| 1964 | 21,000,000 |
| 1965 | 22,000,000 |
| 1966 | 23,500,000 |
| 1967 | 25,000,000 |
| 1968 | 26,000,000 |
| 1969 | 27,000,000 |
| 1970 | 29,000,000 |
| 1971 | 33,000,000 |
| 1972 | 34,000,000 |
| 1973 | 36,000,000 |
| 1974 | 38,000,000 |
| 1975 | 39,000,000 |
| 1977 | 40,000,000 |
| 1978 | 41,000,000 |
| 1979 | 42,000,000 |
| 1980 | 44,000,000 |
| 1982 | 45,000,000 |
| 1984 | 46,000,000 |
| 1985 | 48,000,000 |
| 1986 | 49-50,000,000 |
| 1989 | 51,000,000 |
| 52m not used | |
| 1991 | 53,000,000 |
| 1993 | 54,000,000 |
| 1995 | 55,000,000 |
| 1998 | 56,000,000 |
This is an unofficial history of the Omega Watch Company. Renaissance Watch Repair is not affiliated with the Omega Watch Company. The Omega name and names of various Omega watch models as shown here are trademarks of Omega. Information provided for educational purposes only and we make no warranty as to its accuracy or reliability.
Omega: the preferred watch brand of movers and shakers. This brand produces some of the most functional and complicated watches on the market without sacrificing style or quality. There is a reason the first watch on the moon was an Omega: these watches are some of the most durable in the industry.
When counterfeiters try to mimic classic models like the Speedmaster or the Seamaster, they try to buy into the brand’s image of endurance—even going so far as to emulate tiny details that the average consumer wouldn’t notice. To protect yourself from falling for a fake Omega watch scam, follow this guide we’ve put together to distinguishing a real Omega from a counterfeit.
1. The Dial
The dial of a genuine Omega Seamaster
Before anything else, closely examine the dial and make sure that everything is spelled correctly, evenly spaced and cleanly applied. The easiest way to determine if any watch is fake is by spotting any spelling or engraving mistakes. On an authentic Omega, the Omega logo should be a separate piece of metal that is attached to the dial. If it is painted on, you’re looking at a fake.
The Hands
Omega, like most luxury brands, outfits its watches with Swiss movements, which makes the motion of the second hand smooth and fluid and removes the ticking sound that quartz watches have. If your Omega ticks or has a second hand that stutters along inside the watch, it’s probably a fake.
You should also test out the adjustment capabilities of the crown. When you pull it up to adjust the time, the second hand on the Omega should stop as well to ensure the accuracy of the time. A fake Omega will have a second hand that continues to move even when you’re adjusting the time.
The Lumes
To add to their functionality, Omega watches are equipped with lumes, or reflective surfaces that glow in the dark. The hands, the markers, and a dot on the rotating bezel will all glow in the dark once they have been charged. An inauthentic Omega watch might still have lumes, but the quality of their glow will be abysmal compared to an original. To test their luminescence, put the watch under a bright light to charge for at least 15 seconds, then turn off the light. The glow from the watch should be bright and even and should last for a relatively long time.
In addition to that, lumes on genuine Omegas will cover more substantial areas on the hands and markers while fakes might only have thin lines.
The Date Complication
The date complication on an Omega Seamaster Cosmic
Counterfeiters generally have a hard time replicating the date windows of genuine luxury watches because each brand uses a different kind of cyclops, or date magnification lens, with different levels of magnification. When examining a watch that purports to be an Omega, check to make sure that the date is centered perfectly in the window and the numbers evenly cover the whole space.
2. The Case
The caseback of an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean with the serial number engraved onto the back of both lugs.
Every Omega is stamped with a seven- or eight-digit serial number that is unique to that specific watch. You can look up this serial number and make sure that the watch it refers to exactly matches the model you’re examining—otherwise, it’s a counterfeit. Make sure that the serial number is in the right place as well: on authentic vintage models, it will be engraved on the inside of the case back, but modern models will have it engraved on the bottom of one of the lugs.
The Functions
Omega Serial Number Chart
The helium escape valve of an Omega Seamaster, which is positioned just north of the 10 o’clock marker.
The Omega Seamaster is one of the most popularly counterfeited Omega models, and it is also one of the brand’s most detailed and functional watches. This model is built to be water-resistant up to 50 meters and, for diving purposes, includes a helium escape valve. Because forgers tend to forgo many of a watch’s extraneous functions to save on production costs, the helium escape valve on a counterfeited Omega will not work, if the watch even has one at all. Also, make sure to check that the valve is in the correct position. The bottom of the valve should just hit the 10 o’clock position on a genuine Omega Seamaster watch. You probably have a fake if the middle or the top of the valve are in line with 10 o’clock.
Omega Serial Number Lookup
In the same vein, if the watch you’re eyeing has more than one crown position but no dials to correspond to them, or dials that don’t work at all, then you have a replica.
If you have any doubts about an Omega model and want to be absolutely certain that it’s authentic, bring it to a watchmaker or an appraiser and have them open the piece and examine the movement. They will be able to tell you with complete certainty whether that Omega is genuine or not. If you have further questions regarding TrueFacet’s authentication process, contact our concierge representative here.