Rolex vs Omega – Comparison of the Two Iconic Swiss Watch Brands
In this article, we offer you a showdown of the two most recognized Swiss watch brands, Rolex and Omega. Who will win this debate?
A common question we are often asked by our customers, friends and family is, “Rolex vs Omega, which is better?”
A simple search through any horology forum and you will find that this topic has been discussed countless times. However, we want to present a completely unbiased view (we sell both Rolex and Omega), as many times people who answer this question have a special love affair for one or the other.
It’s hard to choose a winner between two companies with incredible achievements, who have both been involved in historically momentous events, and two brands that have been advocated by the legendary Mr. James Bond…
To make this comparison as thorough as possible, touching all angles of watch and brand qualities, we broke down the comparison into a few categories:
- History & Achievement
- Status Symbol & Brand Recognition
- Resale Value
- Product Quality
- Product Range
- Price-Performance Ratio
We hope this comparison will help you in choosing the right brand that matches your particular wants and needs.
Let’s get into it…
HISTORY & ACHIEVEMENT
Both Rolex and Omega have a rich history full of extraordinary achievements.
It might come as a surprise however that Omega has a longer history than Rolex. The company that is Omega dates back to 1848, to its predecessor company named La Generale Watch Co. The company evolved into Omega in 1903, which is just two years before Hans Wilsdorf founded Rolex in London, England.
During the first half of the 20th century, the two brands were neck and neck in a race to become one of the most iconic watch brands in the world. In fact, at that time, Omega was marginally more prominent in numerous countries. Today, we all can agree that Rolex is more popular and bears a higher status symbol than Omega. The reason for this is soon to be explained.
The rival manufactures each contributed to critical technological advancements in the watch industry from the 1920s to 1960s. They both made waves in the media for their incredible innovations and association with historical events.
Rolex History
Although Rolex wasn’t the first to create a waterproof watch or automatic movement, they did develop and perfect upon them. Rolex produced an automatic system, a fully rotatable rotor that was far ahead of the bumper mechanism of its time.
In regards to water resistance, their invention came at a time when viable solutions existed. However, Rolex took things to another level with inventive screw-down crown – the Oyster case. This was in 1926, and Rolex exploited the new waterproof feature empirically by supplying a Rolex Oyster to Mercedes Gleitze who wore the watch on a famous swim across the English Channel. At the end of the all-encompassing swim, the watch she wore (around her neck) was functioning perfectly and Rolex got a ton of media attention.
This was just one of many product placements Rolex managed to use to great effect. Rolex has a multitude of patents throughout its history, which ended up grabbing media attention through various “stunts”.
Omega History
Omega had a similarly prominent ride through the first half the 20th century. Some would even consider their marketing tactics more tactful. Omega was the official timekeeper of the Olympic games, beginning in 1932. And, even more impressively, and probably Omega’s finest hour, was when Buzz Aldrin took his Speedmaster Professional to the moon.
In terms of innovations, during these momentous times, Omega produced the first tourbillion wristwatch. They were right on par with Rolex, if not ahead of Rolex, to become the greatest watch brand on the planet (and they already were the greatest on the moon).
However, sometime in the 1960s, Rolex took over the number one spot, and it has remained that way ever since.
Why you ask?
Well, it all has to do with the quartz crisis. At a time when the public was hungry for cheap, fashionable quartz timepieces, rather than mechanical watches, Rolex remained loyal to their designs while Omega jumped on the quartz bandwagon. Omega put out many different watches during the quartz-era. They were mostly big, chunky designs with LCD screens that looked similar to Casios and Seikos. Some of these did well, but most didn’t and Omega took a hit in the end.
Rolex kept structured, unlike Omega, and focused on their Submariner, GMT-Master, Datejust and Day-Date models, with only small adjustments to these models.
Now, this isn’t to say the Rolex didn’t make a few quartz watches, as they did, with their Oyster-Quartz Datejust and Day-Date models. However, these watches lasted through the times, and they were in the Rolex collection up until the early 2000s. Rolex no longer makes Quartz watches.
It seems that Omega tried too many different things, and this resulted in confusion and a loss for the company that faltered their image to the public eye. Rolex obsessive standards allowed them to sore to the top as the most iconic watch brand when everything was said and done.
It wasn’t until the 1990s when Omega began to regain some popularity, as the people drew interest to mechanical watches again, and Omega invented the Co-Axial escapement. Since then, Omega is back on track and becoming a tough competitor once again. In fact, Rolex needs to keep a close eye on Omega these days.
STATUS SYMBOL & BRAND RECOGNITION
Due to the aforementioned history of the two brands, this isn’t much of a contest. I mean, if you were to ask 100 people if they were to be given a Rolex or an Omega, how many do you think would choose Rolex?
Rolex’s Status
The Rolex name is synonymous with luxury. It is the most recognizable watch brand across the board…by a long shot. Rolex has maintained a strong identity since day 1, laboriously tending to their air of luxury, success, exclusivity, performance and accomplishment. Recently, there was an auction for a Paul Newman Daytona watch that sold for over $17,000,000 – a feat that Omega is long away from achieving. Rolex forms intelligent collaborations with high profile, famous ambassadors from the likes of Wall Street and sports and celebrity superstars. Think Roger Federer, Robert Downey Jr., Warren Buffet, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, James Cameron, and Jackie Stewart.
Rolex makes it a journey to purchase their watches, by only allowing authorized dealers the ability to sell Rolex watches. There are long waiting lists for new models. Rare limited productions of watches that become vintage collectibles. They create huge demand with lesser supply. They are easily one of the smartest companies the world has ever seen. It’s not about pumping out high volume; it’s about creating perception and charging for that. Nevertheless, they do produce 2,000 watches per day, which brings about sales of over $7 billion dollars per year.
Omega’s Status
Many people praise Omega as the second most identifiable Swiss manufacturer watch company, thanks in part to their collaboration with James Bond during the mid nineties when Mr. Bond threw down his Rolex and started sporting an Omega Seamaster 300M during his Goldeneye mission.
Now, to make things objective, let’s use numbers to compare the difference. Rolex has 100% brand recognition internationally, with Omega around 70%. Moreover, you can expect to catch about 30% fewer eyes with an Omega. That should give you a clear enough answer to who has better brand recognition and who is more of a status symbol.
All in all, Rolex is the KING of the watch jungle and they have one of the strongest status symbols in luxury goods, let alone the watch industry. This is why a Rolex watch will depreciate far less than other brands like Omega. In fact, Rolex watches more often than not, appreciate in value. Moreover, a Rolex watch can be liquidated in a cinch no matter where you are in the world. And on that note, let’s talk resale value.
RESALE VALUE
Most Rolex watches won’t lose value. It’s pretty common that someone can sell their Rolex for the same price they paid for it years later. Actually, many Rolex watches that become collectible will attain more value, making them an “investment” of a sort. In the extreme case, think about the Paul Newman watch previously mentioned above which sold for 17 million dollars! Many people who bought Rolex watches in the 1940-60s for just a few hundred dollars can now sell them for tens of thousands of dollars, if not hundreds of thousands for the rarer, well-kept models. Even slight damage and wear on a Rolex doesn’t affect the value, people pay for this and it’s called “patina”.
Now, as for Omega, after purchasing a new Omega, it will lose around 30% of its value straight out of the store, similar to a new car. If you want to play it smart, you can buy a used Omega and in the future if you need to resell it, you can likely get close to what you paid for it as the person who bought it initially will already have taken that initial 30% loss. With that being said, most expensive Omegas are cheaper than the cheapest Rolex watches.
Rolex, the KING of Resale Value
Overall, Omega won’t fetch as good as a resale value as Rolex. In fact, pretty much no other brand will. Rolex rules the resale market at the current time and it has been this way for a while. However, keep in mind that some Omegas also increase in value too, as many Seamasters and Speedmasters have done so. On average, though, Rolex is easily the better choice if you are going off of how much you will get if you ever need to resell it.
Note: Since Omega has recently pulled their line from some dealers, making the brand more exclusive, along with their decision to go completely “co-axial” with their movements, we believe Omegas will start to become more collectible and prices will rise. Nonetheless, it will be a long time before they have a chance to take Rolex, the king of watches, off of their pedestal.
QUALITY
One of the most important factors to help you decide on which watch you should buy is quality. In this case, both create top-notch watches. There is no denying that. The two brands have dedicated countless time and money into perfecting every component of every model they produce in the greater effort to make the reputation skyrocket throughout history.
Let’s discuss a few points of comparison for each.
904L STEEL vs 316L STEEL
Rolex takes full control over their materials, gold as well as their 904L steel, which is normally only used in aerospace and chemical industries due to its exceptional resistance to corrosion over other steel like 316L.
316L steel, the steel used by Omega and most other watchmakers, is still exceptionally hardwearing and resistant to corrosion, and likely more than enough for the average person. So it’s really not much of an issue in the watch world. 904L steel’s superior capabilities are still a great marketing tactic for Rolex, though.
Movement
Rolex watches undergo extremely stringent tests, so they will never allow a watch to leave the factory with any issues in the movement. Never, ever. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for Omega. Omegas first generation of co-axials had a few flaws (which we won’t get in to) that ultimately lead to 10% of the watches failing. This is something that has since been corrected and of course they had a good warranty in place, but nonetheless, this is something that has never happened to Rolex due to their remarkably high standards.
Now, don’t get us wrong, Omega has very high standards as well. Omega watches are verified by META, the Federal Institute of Metrology, which means their calibers are tested to be kept within 0/-5 seconds a day while being subjected to magnetic forces of 15,000 guass. Guass = magnetism, which is all around us and the biggest interruption of mechanical watches. This level of magnetism would be found around an MRI machine.
Rolex watches achieve Superlative Chronometer certification, which promises an accuracy of -2/+2 seconds a day, which is double the requirement of the COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute).
As of the year 2000, when Rolex started making their own Chronometer, Rolex completely manages all their movement creations in-house. So, if you were to decide which movement is better based on this factor alone, Rolex would win, as Omega still uses a third-party (although the third party falls under the same corporate umbrella as Omega). However, Omega is quickly catching up in this regard, and pretty much every other too.
Maintenance & Warranty
All in all, both brands have superb performance and the necessary warranty and watch services in place, but most will say Rolex is more reliable overall.
Durability
Rolex and Omegas are rugged, tool watches, yet they will only stay as nice as the person who cares for, well, cares for them…and both can be rebuilt like new if they need it.
Water Resistance
Both companies have perfectly capable water resistant watches. If you are determining which is better off of who can go the deepest, then Rolex blows Omega out of the water. Rolex Deepsea series has a watch with water resistance of 3,900 meters (or 12,800 feet), while Omega has the Seamaster PloProf 1200m with 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) water resistance, as the name suggests.
Keep in mind, serious divers call for a watch with a minimum of 1650 feet of water resistance.
PRODUCT RANGE
Rolex and Omega are often described as icons in the world of watchmaking. Rolex’s Submariner, Daytona, Datejust and Day-Date, and Omega’s Speedmaster and Seamaster are famous across the globe. But if we are talking about household names, Rolex has this one in the bag.
However, the question here is product range. If you were to look at any of Rolex’s models, such as the Submariner, and you trace it back to the very beginning, you will see the basic design of the watch has been consistent throughout time. Rolex has remained faithful to their designs, never attempting to change the style drastically. They make a product line and they stick with it. A big part of their success.
Omega, on the other hand, experiments with different models far more than Rolex does.
Omega jumps on the latest trend, which as mentioned above, hasn’t always proven to be the best decision. Many would consider this as confusing the brand identity, making the company seem directionless and unconfident. It seems that Omega has caught on to the success of Rolex’s consistency, as recently, they have started to narrow and settle down on their watch catalog. They now have four separate groups of watches.
However, even still, their categories of watches are confusing, unlike Rolex. They have a new watch called the Railmaster, which is part of the Seamaster series, but what does a Railmaster have to do with underwater sports? Trains and water don’t seem to mix. Furthermore, the Speedmaster has many different iterations, with manual, automatic and quartz movements. Also, it seems special editions come out far too often.
So, although Omega has a much wider range of products, Rolex’s cultivated collection seems a much smarter and simpler method of success. We believe this is the reason why essentially everyone knows almost every collection of the Rolex brand. That’s the beauty of simplicity. In the end, for us, to put this simply, most Rolex models have been a success, if not at first then later on. On the contrary, most Omega watches haven’t been a success…but they do have plenty of watches that went on to be massive hits. I mean, they did get one of their watches to the moon after all.
PRICE-PERFORMANCE RATIO (VALUE FOR MONEY)
In terms of price for the quality you receive, Omega is really the easy choice. Omega watches rock a far lower price tag, yet if you were to compare the performance of the Omega watch with a Rolex, you will not notice any significant drop in overall quality and performance.
Omega and Rolex are both super innovative companies.
Nevertheless, if you really understand artistry and timekeeping complications, it’s impossible to say Rolex isn’t the best. There is good reason for them being a status symbol and the number one watch brand in the world, and it doesn’t have to do with just the way they price their watches or the skill of their marketing team.
Furthermore, in regards to value, as we mentioned above, Rolex retains its value light-years ahead of Omega. Rolex watches are always the better investment if you consider the resale value and appreciation factor.
Commonalities
Now let us discuss common features of the two brands…Omega and Rolex both have
- iconic watches known across the world.
- rich history.
- numerous horological innovations.
- been worn by James Bond in various 007 films.
- the most accurate mechanical watches.
- COSC certification.
- immense electromagnetic interference capabilities and numerous other innovations.
THE WINNER IS…
Our choice is Rolex, although we also have a special place in our watch collection for Omega. We carry many watches from both brands. We acknowledge and appreciate both Rolex and Omega tremendously.
TLDR:
- Rolex vs Omega company history and achievements – tied.
- Omega vs Rolex for overall materials, movements, manufacturing, QC, and service – close win to Rolex.
- Rolex vs Omega for resale value – easily Rolex.
- Omega vs Rolex for product range and experiments with differentiation – Omega, yet a win to Rolex for overall success of their collections.
- Rolex vs Omega for Price-Performance Ratio – tied, Rolex gets the W for resale value, easily, but Omega’s entry price for the quality you get takes the W.
- Omega vs Rolex for status symbol and brand recognition – easy win for Rolex.
Raymond Lee Jewelers in Boca Raton
Choose from a wide range of Rolex and Omega watches online or at our retail store in Boca Raton. We are an authorized seller of Rolex watches and we have one of the largest collections in all of South Florida.
About us:
Raymond Lee Jewelers is one of South Florida’s best sales and service centers for luxury watches. We are a family owned and operated business located in Boca Raton.
Raymond Lee Jewelers has spent the last three decades building a solid reputation, which has earned us an A+ rating with our local BBB.
We aim to meet the needs of all of our customers, while and exceeding expectations. Our mission is to provide the best possible experience when it comes to luxury watch dealings or servicing. We combine value and quality with the ability to understand the minds of people from all generations.
Our services include: buying, selling, repairing, and restoring watches, including but not limited to, Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Van Cleef & Arpelsbr, Hublot, Harry Winston, Bvlgari, Cartier, Breitling, Tudor.
We look forward to hearing from you. If you have any questions or comments about Rolex vs Omega that you’d like to share with other readers, please leave them in the comment section below.