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Do You Know Why Omega is called Omega?

Marsimaxam
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Without reading the answer, do you know how the Omega watch company came to be known as Omega?
I had to look up the answer. I had no clue.


Don't look....














ANSWER
Originally known as La Generale Watch Co., the company was founded at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland by Louis Brandt in 1848. Interestingly, he was a key-wound precision pocket watch assembler who sold his work across Europe, from England to Scandinavia. In 1877 both of the sons of Louis Brandt joined the company and the name of the company was changed to Louis Brandt & Fils (sons). When Louis Brandt passed away in 1879, his sons quickly stepped in to carry on their father’s vision.

In 1885, the brothers, Cesar and Louis-Paul, released their first mass-produced caliber, the Labrador, and in 1892, they developed the first minute-repeating timepiece. Only two years later, they launched the 19-line Omega Caliber, which sent ripples throughout the watchmaking industry. The movement was easy to repair and service. Due to the great international success of the Omega Caliber, the watch company began being associated with the Omega name.

In 1903, the company officially changed its name from Louis Brandt & Fils to the Omega Watch Company at the suggestion of Henry Rieckel who was the banker to the Brandt brothers.

Sources:
https://millenarywatches.com/facts-about-omega-watches/
https://www.kapoorwatch.com/blogs/how-did-omega-get-its-name
https://precisionwatches.com/the-history-of-omega-watches/
Edited:
 
BlackTalon
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So the real question is if you know why the caliber was named Omega. That would seem to be the important trivia.
 
pdxleaf
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I'm still trying to figure out how to say it:

Oh-me-guh

Or

Oh-may-guh

(I say Oh-may-guh, like ah in German.)

Also don't know why they named the caliber that. The end of all movements?
 
Marsimaxam
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BlackTalon BlackTalon
So the real question is if you know why the caliber was named Omega. That would seem to be the important trivia.

Perhaps, the meaning of Omega might offer a clue why the brothers called the movement Omega.

"OMEGA is the last letter of the Greek alphabet and symbolizes accomplishment and perfection - qualities that have been inherent in every OMEGA watch since the company's founding by Louis Brandt in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 1848.
The brand's reputation for innovation and quality 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 and continuing with the world precision record of 97.8 points at the Kew-Teddington observatory in England in 1936."
Source: https://thewatchguy.homestead.com/pages/OMEGA.html
 
Marsimaxam
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pdxleaf pdxleaf
I'm still trying to figure out how to say it:

Oh-me-guh

Or

Oh-may-guh

(I say Oh-may-guh, like ah in German.)

Also don't know why they named the caliber that. The end of all movements?

1.After hours of diligent research online and reading all known books on Orthoepy... the answer is:

o-MAY-guh
Source: https://www.watchtime.com/reference-center/watch-brand-pronunciation-guide/2/

2. "OMEGA is the last letter of the Greek alphabet and symbolizes accomplishment and perfection - qualities that have been inherent in every OMEGA watch since the company's founding by Louis Brandt in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 1848.
 
TimeODanaos
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The poshest English people say "OH-me-guh". That's because they are among the few Brits who ever got taught at (private) school "I am Alpha and Omega...", where the stresses were always laid on the first syllables.
 
STANDY
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SkunkPrince SkunkPrince
In the US we say Oh-meh-gah.

In Australia we just say Omega

but we do say
Munde, Tuesde, Wednesde Etc

call a
service station a Servo
bottle shop a Bottlo
afternoon a Arvo
 
Professor
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"So the real question is if you know why the caliber was named Omega."
Cause ONEGA and QMEGA were already copyrighted in China?
 
Walrus
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Cool. I never thought to look it up but assumed it was related to the alpha and omega perfection thing. It is a great name for a company. I’m not sure where that rate in known brand names. I know at one time Coke held the top spot, one of the most recognizable words in English around the world behind Okay. Rolex is way up there in brand recognition I actually looked it up a while back, might have posted it at one time. Things have changed since big tech came along, know words like google are in the dictionary as a verb. But I’m sure omega is very well known around the world.
 
JwRosenthal
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We got munde, tusdey, wensdey here in Baltimore as well. Don' see many ex pat Aussies around here- although some of the rats in Charles Village could give a Capybera a run for its money.
You also warsh yer hands in da Zink,
You puts the oul in da car
And you yield for the Ambabalnce on the way to thr Li-bary
And we are only 50 miles from Warshgton
If you really bungle things up:
You done-done-did-it , and made it worsers. Ain't that right hon?
 
SpeedyPhill
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Greek alphabet... From Alpha to Omega...
Here's the Alpha :
.
 
janice&fred
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In Brooklynese the "oi" sound is pronounced "er", thus "toilet" is pronounced "terlet". However some words with "er" in them are pronounced as "oi"...for instance "jerk" would be "joik" and so on 😁
 
DSotW
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As Omega is based in Biel/Bienne (which is a town that mixes Swiss German and French), ideally it would be o-MAY-Ga (the French pronunciation has a light "h" at the end, and the G will be slightly diminished, the German will have a longer O at the beginning, comes down to how they pronounce words).

I have never heard it referred to as an O-MEE-GAH as in the Bond film....
 
TimeODanaos
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DSotW DSotW
I have never heard it referred to as an O-MEE-GAH as in the Bond film....
No judgement here, but... O meee gah is, well, slightly less educated British speech. Who cares, but it can lead to entertaining pronunciation wars between salespeople and posh clients overheard at ADs in England 😜
I like the idea of just saying it Bienne-stylee - solves all quarrels! 👍
 
RonJ
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One of the things I was curious about is why Fish Oil is called an Omega-3 Fatty Acid?
Why do they use "Omega" for various types of Fatty Acid structures?

I found this explanation on the internet:

"The omega numbers simply reference how many carbons away from the methyl end of the fatty acid chain that the first carbon-carbon double bond appears."

Here are some diagrams of Omega-6 and Omega-3 structures.
You can see the first double-bond is 6 or 3 carbons away from the end.

omega-fatty-acids.png


Thought I would share.
.
 
BlackTalon
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RonJ RonJ-in-VA
omega...bond
So THAT'S where they got the idea to do 007 LEs!

I learn a lot on OF. Who says you can't teach an old dog?
 
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