Brandt-Omega (Ls Brandt & Frere Movement)

Canuck

Your watch was made by the Omega Watch Co. The founder of Omega was a fellow names Louis Brandt. The firm produced watches with the name Louis Brandt on the movement and dial. The Brandt company was one of the earliest Swiss watchmakers to produce a factory made watch, as opposed to the usual (at the time) Swiss method of divided labor. Specialist, independent makers of specialized parts, sent to a “finisher” who assembled the parts into a finished watch. Brandt’s sons took over the business at Louis’ death, and later re-named the company, Omega. Since the name change, the company has produced some watches with the Brandt name. If Brandt serial numbers fitted in with Omega serial numbers, the list I checked indicates production probably about 1905. The case on your watch is a replacement. It is chrome plated base metal, and was made by a division of the Elgin Watch Co. the original case was a hunter case with a covered front. Likely gold filled, possibly heavily worn or damaged, and scrapped. There is more that could be told, but let’s see if you have questions.

Canuck

Your watch was made by the Omega Watch Co. The founder of Omega was a fellow names Louis Brandt. The firm produced watches with the name Louis Brandt on the movement and dial. The Brandt company was one of the earliest Swiss watchmakers to produce a factory made watch, as opposed to the usual (at the time) Swiss method of divided labor. Specialist, independent makers of specialized parts, sent to a “finisher” who assembled the parts into a finished watch. Brandt’s sons took over the business at Louis’ death, and later re-named the company, Omega. Since the name change, the company has produced some watches with the Brandt name. If Brandt serial numbers fitted in with Omega serial numbers, the list I checked indicates production probably about 1905. The case on your watch is a replacement. It is chrome plated base metal, and was made by a division of the Elgin Watch Co. the original case was a hunter case with a covered front. Likely gold filled, possibly heavily worn or damaged, and scrapped. There is more that could be told, but let’s see if you have questions.

Canuck

The case on your Brandt/Omega is much newer than the movement. Maybe 40 years newer. Cases were almost never made by the outfit who made the actual watch. Your movement was not in that case the day the watch store sold the watch. Very rarely did the company that made the watch, also make the case. Just when and where it was cased originally is indeed a question. But I’ll repeat…….your movement was definitely in a hunter case when sold, new. At one time, when a Swiss watch (yours for example) was exported, it was shipped without a case. Then cased when it reached its destination, usually in a domestic case. Tariffs were much less when done this way.

I’ll say again, the original hunter case was likely gold filled, and with a covered face. These cases were prone to damage….wrecked hinges, etc. Or the watch was worn until the case was worn out. It was likely sold for scrap, and the movement re-cased. So much about the watches we collect is generally unknown, so there is usually lots of guess work……educated guess work.