WHY ARE OMEGA WATCHES SO EXPENSIVE?


When looking at Omega watches, prices are indeed relative however most would probably agree in saying they are still expensive. Compared to a Patek Philippe or A Lange und Sohne, Omega watches look like they cost nothing but spending a few thousand dollars is still a lot of money for something that is not a necessity, hence they are called a luxury watch. But, Omega do not charge those prices for no good reason, it is because of many factors including the materials they use, the craftsmanship and technology that goes into building an Omega. That’s why today, we are going to look into why Omega watches are so expensive to make sure you can truly appreciate where their prices are coming from.

Source : Bloomberg

Louis Brandt had his beloved company Omega built and set up in the heart of the watchmaker's homeland, La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland. Switzerland is famous for its fine watchmaking, beautiful quality of life and chocolate but it is not exactly known for its cheap houses and residency areas, so you can only begin to imagine the cost of having a watchmaking factory in Switzerland. This will inevitably add to the cost of production for Omega and therefore increase the price you pay. Omega will also only hire and train the finest watchmakers around the world to maintain their incredibly high standards which as you may have guessed, also adds to their production costs. On the flip side, this also ensures the best quality which will add to justifying their prices.

If you take a look at the materials used to make an Omega watch, you will notice that there is not a single Omega watch currently made that does not have a precious metal used to make it. Your iconic Seamaster 300 M or the classic simple Aqua Terra, both made from Omega’s durable steel in a brushed and polished finish giving them that tool watch practicality, yet they both still feature precious metal. 


The hands of an Omega watch and the hour markers are all made from 316L stainless-steel; however, they are then plated with Rhodium, the most expensive metal there is. If you have a town-tone or solid gold Omega then the hour hands and markers are also made from the same solid gold, be it Yellow or rose gold to match the whole watch.

Speedmaster white dial on rubber

Source : Fratello

Omega Aqua Terra On metal bracelet

Source : Monochrome

 Gold and rhodium are a rare and exhaustible resource on this planet which naturally means with more demand means higher prices. It’s an expensive material to use but a material Omega uses so frequently to ensure their watches look as incredible as they do now as they will in hundreds of years. 


The shine and shimmer effect an Omega gives off in the sunlight is due to their craftsmanship and the precious metal used, both adding to the already expensive cost of production. Given that they use gold on their tool watches, they use a lot more gold on their dress watches like the De Ville and Constellation with its solid gold fluted bezel and bracelet too.

Once they’ve constructed the case they need to perform tests on both the case and the movement to ensure it lives up to its high certifications (METAS), which Omega are constantly trying to improve. How do you improve an already successful watch? Research and Development (R&D) Omega are very well known for. Their innovative designs and movements, you don’t have to look further than even their small 38mm Aqua Terra. For a small watch to have a METAS certified movement, be resistant to 15,000 Gauss and have 150m of water resistance is very demanding especially in a case size so small. However, you can imagine Omega didn’t produce this overnight, but rather by investing millions of dollars into R&D into their innovation and future.

Source : Fratello

Omega not only wants their metals to look pleasing to the eye but will also withstand the test of time. The movements Omega uses are under constant testing and their watchmakers are always looking to try and improve the movements, however this takes many years of hard work. Omega does not tend to update their movements very frequently as they are already extremely well made, hence looking to improve an already incredible movement is very hard to do. This can only be done by the surgeon-like hands of a highly trained watchmaker which will also add to Omega’s overhead costs. What’s particularly nice with Omega watches is that they will always try and use a display case back so you can really see the beautifully finished movements. Again, this will add to the cost as creating an open case back that can still hold up against the required water resistance is much harder than making a plain stainless-steel case back.

Omega Diver 300m

Source : Tilia Speculum

Omega has always been a relatively expensive watch brand to purchase from, but for good reason as we’ve seen. The location of their watchmaking facilities in Switzerland is one of the most expensive places in the world. Within these expensive factories and R&D laboratories, Omega makes all their watches through highly skilled watchmakers to assemble all by hand and comply with all of Omega’s accreditations like METAS. Not only is testing their watches costly, but they invest a huge amount into R&D to look to constantly improve their impeccable movements.

So, Omega watches are incredibly well priced given the performance, finishing and designs of a watch you get. Similarly to Omega’s philosophy, ZEALANDE aims to create the perfect rubber watch strap designed to fit your Omega perfectly and reflect that Omega level of craftsmanship. To give your Omega's beautiful bracelet a break from all the wear and tear, use a high quality ZEALANDE rubber strap to increase the comfort of your watch and make it feel that bit sportier. Not to mention, play around with the colours! Now that the end of Summer is in sight, brown, black and green strap colours would match perfectly on your Omega!

— James Talbot