Vintage Watches

Why are Omegas so abundant in Sweden?

More than half of the watches in this spring's themed auction Vintageur are of the Omega brand. The same was true last year. It seems there is an Omega tucked away in every other home we visit. Is it a coincidence, or is there an explanation for the Swedish fondness for this particular Swiss timepiece?

A clue may perhaps be found in the preparedness years of the 1940s. Sweden was arming for war and, in order to fill the war chest, money was borrowed from citizens through defence loans and war bonds. A frequently retold story holds that the Swedish government, in collaboration with Omega in neutral Switzerland, developed wristwatches exclusively for the Swedish market – as part of a effort to finance the growing military expenditure. Two similar models saw the light of day: the Omega Suverän and the Omega Officer. The Suverän was sold to the general public, while the Officer was used within the military. If the story is accurate, it was perhaps this act of patriotism in luxury packaging that paved the way for Omega's triumphant march through Sweden – combined, of course, with the watches' functionality, aesthetics and indisputable quality.

You are welcome to explore the catalogue, which contains some 60 wristwatches in period-typical designs from the 1930s to the 1980s!