The engraved back of
the Omega gifted to
John F. Kennedy.
A dedicated column to John F. Kennedy houses a hand-written note from his
wife, a cast of his bust, and his ultra-thin Omega gifted to him by his friend. The
watch is displayed to show the engraving on the caseback. The last part of the
room is everything Speedmaster, from pre-moon broad arrow hands and symmet-
rical cases to Professional models that have been to the moon and back.
As I circled around and walked back to the first room, I see that it may have
been the most important of them all. Dominated by a central glass column, it
displays nearly every Omega caliber from its first, modular, mass-produced move-
ment to its latest METAS-certified chronometer. One can observe through loupes
the award-winning movements that have advanced our understanding and measure
of time. Overlooking them all is Louis Brandt’s actual watchmaking bench and
tools, the founder’s legacy thriving in the beautiful watches that the company
produces today.
When I exited the building, I realized that the museum is actually a stone’s
throw away from Omega’s headquarters and factory. It dominates the suburb, and
the local bus stop. As I walked away to find a good Rösti, I delighted in the knowl-
edge that I, too, was wearing a piece of Omega’s history. To view it, I simply had
to glance down at my wrist.
Saad Chaudhry lives in Munich and enjoys shifting gears in his sports car.
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