Visit to OMEGA Museum Part A: Trip to Bienne

Visiting Omega Museum is an incredible experience for Omega watch enthusiast. I was lucky that during last summer 2013 vacation to Europe with my family I could manage to take one day detour to visit the museum in Bienne. This article is my ‘picture notes’ of that visit. I hope it could be enjoyed by fellow respectable forum members.

Since there are many interesting watches in the museum (all estimated at ~ 500 pieces), it is difficult for me to select which watches should be included and which should be just left out. So rather I will put almost all of them in this article but break it into 8 parts (Thanks Steve/Cicindela for the advice):

Part A Trip to Bienne
Part B Movements and Early days http://omegaforums.net/threads/visit-to-omega-museum-part-b-movements-and-early-days.6453/
Part C Olympics and sports http://omegaforums.net/threads/visit-to-omega-museum-part-c-olympics-and-sports-time-keeping.6484/
Part D Space and Flight http://omegaforums.net/threads/visit-to-omega-museum-part-d-space-and-flight.6533/
Part E Art, official and famous figure http://omegaforums.net/threads/visit-to-omega-museum-part-e-art-official-and-movies.6573/
Part F Constellation http://omegaforums.net/threads/visit-to-omega-museum-part-f-constellation-line.6585/
Part G Seamaster and Deep Exploration http://omegaforums.net/threads/visit-to-omega-museum-part-g-seamaster-and-race-to-the-depth.6615/
Part H Technical breakthrough and modern collection http://omegaforums.net/threads/visi...ical-breakthrough-and-modern-collection.6791/


I apologize if picture quality is mediocre. I only use Olympus point and shoot camera and HTC tablet camera. It is also a challenge to take picture inside glass cases where the watches kept. Please do make comment and additional information on watch pictures that will make it a richer information album.

Arriving at Bienne station
Tuesday July, 2nd 2013.
Bienne is located in Jura hill in the upper west part of Switzerland near canton Geneve, which famous for its watchmaking skill. I took trip to Bienne from Lucern via train which takes 1 hour 40 minutes. Train is the best way to get to Bienne from Swiss gateway: Zurich or Geneve airport.


Bienne station sign


ICN tilting train




The route is from Zurich to Geneve. From Lucern I went to Olten to get to this train to Bienne


Bienne Station Building



Tourist Information Booth in front of Train station. I got my city map there.


The staff in Tourist info booth was kind and nice. She gave me this Bienne city map. Note Omega museum location in Rue Jacob stampffli

Walking to Museum

We could take bus to go to Museum. However I choose to walk, which take about 30 minutes from Train Station. It was a perfect way to immerse with the town atmosphere.



Strolling along Bahnhoff strasse to Zentral platz at 09:30 in the morning


a beautiful intersection garden in early summer....


....perfect time for breakfast coffee in a sidewalk cafe


Omega boutique at Bahnhoff strasse


Arriving at Zentral platz. Center for taking bus around the town.


Omega clock with its history in Zentral platz

Walking to Museum (continued)

From Zentral platz, I took turn to Oberer Quai and walk along the river side


at intersection we could see Rolex factory in Bienne. This is movement factory, which used to be owned by Aegler/ Borer and then purchased by Rolex.


A little further we will meet Wenger watch factory


It is their plating factory.....

Next we will see Zodiac watch office.


At the end of Oberer Quai there is a very nice municipal park. I took detour to see the beautiful garden inside....perfect early summer treat


Walking out from the municipal park we will see a small dam across the street. This small dam played important role when Louis Brandt pick his factory location in Rue Jakob stampfli, Bienne. It was basically energy source of his factory at that time.


From there we enter Rue Jakob stampfli........



....and see Omega Head quarter at the right side

Arriving at the Museum

Museum Building is located at the left side of Rue Jakob stampfli while Omega HQ is in the right side.
The museum is at 2nd floor. The first floor is mainly used for Omega Employee cafeteria.

Museum Sign


Lunar mobile as welcoming monument in the first floor



The staircase to 2nd floor with 3 Omega logo in its walls


Once in the 2nd floor, Louis Brandt corner took our attention


Picture of Louis Brandt and his simple tools in creating the watch


10 millionth chronometer


After greeted by the receptionist, we will be provided with guidance tools for enjoying the museum: Floor map and audio guide via Ipod


Interesting Olympic version wall clock in reception room

Meet the people

The current Museum manager and curator Mr. Petros Protopapas and his staff were kind enough giving guidance and help during the visit. Mr. Petros wore a very handsome tropical dial Speedy pro 105.003.

Great intro, thanks! I just went to the Omega museum myself this Thursday but I drove there from my vacation spot (450km return trip...) so missed the whole Bienne experience unfortunately.

I took about 300 pictures so if you have any that didn't come out right for your report.

EDIT - Oh I see you've posted the other parts, maybe you could edit your first message to add links to these parts for direct access from here?

Here are a couple of overview pictures I took from one of the open windows of the museum, left to right :

Webvan,
Great that you went there,too.
I see that your picture quality is better than mine. So it would be great if bad quality pictures from my report could be replaced by yours.
If you agree, let's do it over PM so we can do it more effectively. 👍

Sure, just saw your PM so I'll answer there to get things organized. Are you still able to edit your first message to add the links to the other parts of the report?