Swiss luxury watchmaker, Omega SA is based in Biel, Switzerland. They were the official watch for Britain’s Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and the first watch on the moon in 1969 thanks to NASA. Omega has also been keeping track of time for the Olympic Games since 1932. James Bond also wore this watch since 1995. John F. Kennedy, Price William and Buss Aldrin have all been seen in Omega watches. Omega is owned by Swatch Group.

Omega has a long history. Second in line, the La Generale Watch Co. was founded by Louis Brandt in 1848. Brandt assembled perfect pocket watches from supplies he found at local craftsman. He jumped around the world selling his watches, England being his primary market. His sons developed an in-house manufacturing and production system that would allow parts to be interchangeable. If watches were made with this technique then they were marketed under the Omega brand. The Omega Watch Co was officially formed in 1903.

The sons both died in 1903, leaving one of the largest watch companies in Switzerland in the hands of four ‘children’. None were over the age of 25. The oldest, not yet 24, was Paul-Emile Brandt. He was a large part of Omega at the time and he would steer the company into a merger in 1930 with the SSIH Geneva group.

Under Pail-Emile and Joseph Reiser’s influence the SSIH Group grew quickly and by 1970’s became the number one watch producer in Switzerland and number 3 in the world. Omega was outselling Rolex. Both were part of the “King of Swiss Watch brands” competition. Omega watches were more professionally focused, and in the meantime Rolex was famous for their branding.

Of course this all changed in the late 1970’s when Seiko and Citizen rose to power with the quartz era. Things got bad in the 80’s for SSIH and there were rumors of Seiko purchasing Omega after Omega was being bailed out by government funding. The purchase never happened.

There was major restructuring and ASUAG and SSIH merged and formed ASUAG-SSIH in 1983. A couple years later, a group of private investors took over the company and took the next decade to become one of the top watch producers in the world. By 1998 the group was called Swatch Group and they now produce Omega and other brands.

As I’ve talked about in most of my blogs (and mentioned previously in this one), James Bond GoldenEye (1995) wore the Omega Seamaster. Omega wasn’t only Rolex competitor, they also learned from their higher pricing, and increasing advertising strategies, which made Omega a direct competitor.

One of the most common requests that we have is an article about how to install a NATO nylon watch strap. First, you will need to remove your current watch strap or watch bracelet before you can install a new NATO strap that you have purchased from LUX. If need be there are special tools known as "spring bar tools" that will help you remove the pins or spring bars that hold your current watch bracelet or watch bands on to the watch case. Now, that you have removed the watch strap or watch bracelet from the case, make sure that you have re-installed just the spring bars or pins to the watch case. Once that is done take the NATO strap from its packaging. Notice that the strap loops through one of the keepers. Remove the "tongue" of the strap from that keeper. The NATO strap's buckle side will be on the 12 o'clock side of the watch. Slide the "tongue" of the strap through the 12 o'clock side of the watch case. The NATO strap should slide into the lugs perfectly and sit in between the spring bars and the watch case itself. Now, take the NATO strap's "tongue" that remains and slide it through the 6 o'clock side of the watch case. The NATO should slide again inbetween the watch case and the spring bar. Push the watch case up to the strap, in the direction of the 12 o'clock marker. The loop or keeper that is hanging out the rear of the case of the watch must be attached back to ensure the watch stays in position. Slide the Tongue of the NATO strap through the keeper you originally took it out of. Again, take a look at the watch and make sure that the buckle side of the NATO strap is on the 12 o'clock side of the watch. Now it is time to wear the watch. Put the watch and NATO strap on your wrist, run the tongue side through the buckle and adjust it to a comfortable position. The next picture shows how to insert the tongue into the keepers. Now you have created the ultimate NATO military strap look.   Enjoy your new NATO strap!

To return: Collections Nylon Nato Straps / N.A.T.O. Straps Are The New Trend (Blog)

The Bonetto Cinturini Model 281 has dazzled watch band enthusiasts for years. Although not a new release, actually an old favorite indicative of great lines of abstract art which is home to the Bonetto family’s rich rubber dive band manufacturing history. Few have left a mark on the industry quite like Bonetto Cinturini’s 281 dive strap. If it looks similar to something you’ve seen before it’s for good reason, it has been faithfully copied and reproduced by a myriad of Johnny come lately’s. This replacement rubber dive strap was a labor of love from a long time ago but never forgotten. And still remains hugely popular and has been from the very moment of conception. This rubber strap is as genius as a re-breather. To the average watch band enthusiast it might appear that Bonetto Cinturini is just another rubber watch strap manufacturer. Not realizing that they are well staffed with artisans in a tiny factory tucked away in the Italian hillsides with roots reaching back 3 decades. They’re a legend in perfecting the replacement rubber dive strap and are responsible for maintaining the utmost stringent attention to detail that only comes from skill, passion and knowledge. Again the artistic minds at Bonetto never disappoint because they have a flair for design creativity from what is certainly a labor of love that shows in all of their rubber dive straps. However one look at 281 and one could argue the specific design features of this replacement dive band with concentric circles give a mathematical look to some degree ,subtle raised o rings and lines that criss cross inadvertently creates triangles that lends to abstract art. Get acquainted with this rubber strap and 281 to your collection and it’s bound to be one of your favorites – never mind if it will fit it has 15 sizing slots to accommodate all. Own it today!

Enjoy and check : Bonetto Cinturini  /  Natural Rubber Material 

At LUX we love watches! We know one thing that allows you to give your watch a new lease on life is a new watch strap. The look of black rubber is one of the great game changers to make your watch look brand new. We decided to travel to Italy to find what we have found is the best Rubber watch solution. In turn, LUX has become an authorized retailer for Bonetto Cinturini! Bonetto Cinturini is an amazing Italian Rubber watch strap manufacturer - Bonetto Cinturini makes watch straps for countless high-end Swiss brands such as Breitling, Tudor, Oris, etc. Quality, attention to detail and durability are the cornerstones of their long heritage. The quality expected by those Swiss watch manufacturers is delivered into Bonetto Cinturini's replacement diver and racer rubber bands. We hand choose rubber straps that would be perfect for our active, luxury seeking clientele. One other factor of Bonetto Cinturini's natural rubber is a unique delicious vanilla smell. The smell of quality! We found the quality and durability of these Italian rubber straps to far exceed the disappointing Chinese's silicone bands seen out in the marketplace. Also, the Italian rubber straps are not lint magnates like other cheap silicone straps. As an authorized retailer of Bonetto Cinturini, we will be adding more and more rubber band options for you! Do not choose to purchase a lower cost product, thinking that you will save money with a disapointing silicone straps. Spend the few extra dollars on Italian rubber straps from Bonetto Cinturini and you will be shocked by the quality and abrasion resistance! Plus, as always we offer the full manufacturer's warranty on all Bonetto Cinturini products.

Enjoy and check out some of our amazing deals on them now: Bonetto Cinturini 321 /  Natural Rubber Material