Seamaster Aqua Terra in Steel-231.10.39.21.55.001-on Steel Bracelet with Teak White MOP DialLouis Brandt founded Omegas predecessor La Generale Watch Co. in 1848. Operating out of La ChauxdeFonds Switzerland the company grew to reach markets across Europe. Brandts sons expanded the business moving to a larger facility in Biel in 1880. In 1894 the Brandt family released an innovative 19ligne caliber with interchangeable parts that could easily be replaced. Additionally the calibers setting and winding were integrated solely into the crown. The seriallyproduced movement was highly successful gaining renown for both its accuracy practicality and the modern methods by which it was produced. In 1903 La Generale Watch Co officially became Omega a name already used by the company. Around this time Omega began its association with sports timekeeping. In 1931 Omega gained international fame when it was chosen to be the official timekeeper of the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Omega began producing durable watches for the British military in the 1940s laying the groundwork for the companys professional watches. In this vein Omega released the Seamaster 300 Railmaster and Speedmaster in 1957. NASA certified the Speedmaster for use in space in 1965. In 1969 the Omega Speedmaster Professional became the first watch on the Moon. Only a year later a disastrous accident saw the halting of the Apollo 13 mission midflight. The astronauts used the Speedmaster with which they were equipped to time the manual firing of the crafts engine which safely aligned the craft for reentry. In the 1980s Omega became part of the newly established Swatch Group. Beginning in the 1995 film GoldenEye the Seamaster can be seen on the wrist of James Bond. In 1999 the company released its coaxial escapement. Omega is among the most popular brands in the world renowned for both its quality precision and cultural relevance. All of Omegas current movements are certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute COSC. This certification ensures mean accuracy of minus four to plus six seconds deviation per day in a number of conditions and positions. Despite the impressive commitment to accuracy evidenced by this stringent testing Omega further certifies the majority of its current watches with eight tests set by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology METAS. The tests ensure precision requiring a zero to plus five six or seven seconds mean deviation per day magnetic resistance which i