The Newly Refurbished Omega Museum in Biel is Now Open for Business

The Omega Museum opened in January of 1984 and is the oldest museum dedicated to a single watch brand. Located just opposite OMEGA’s headquarters in Biel, it features items representing the brand’s entire history, including the watchmaker’s bench used by Louis Brandt when he began to make watches more than 160 years ago.

The newly renovated and restored museum offers some objects that are being presented to the public for the first time, such as a pocket watch used by Albert Einstein, a man whose work is closely identified with time.

The museum displays show all of the brand’s most important stories, including the Olympic story which displays equipment OMEGA has developed and used in its timekeeping role at the Olympic Games since 1932.

Omega's association with NASA’s manned space programme for more than 45 years is well represented and features four watches that were worn on or near the Moon.

One of the new sections of the Museum is dedicated to prototypes – watches which were developed by OMEGA but, for various reasons, never introduced into commercial production.

The old favourites, including the wristwatch worn by author/adventurer/spy T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) and the watch worn by John F. Kennedy at his inauguration, will continue on display.

The renovated Omega Museum was officially opened on May 3 and is open Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. except on public holidays. Entrance is free of charge and guided visits are available in English, French or German. Contact the museum to organise a tour on 41(0)32 343 9211

Every serious collector of Swiss watches dreams of making a pilgrimage to the major historical watch making centres of Switzerland, and some of them even make it. For those who do, the Omega Museum is a must.

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