Once cases have taken their final shape to Omega watches

After the rough pieces have been cut, they are taken to another - much calmer - department. This is a room with a couple of workbenches where master craftsmen and -women work on the Omega cases and turn them into replica Omega Ladymatic worthy of the fine movements they will house.

At this stage lugs and other major parts are installed permanently. They file the inside of the case so that it is able to accommodate the movement and no sharp edges or other undesirable particles remain that could harm it during final assembly. This is also where they set the diamonds for bejeweled Omega models - a reason for having those leather 'bags' under the workbenches, as they prevent the tiny and very expensive components from falling to the ground and getting lost permanently.

Once cases have taken their final shape, they are transferred to the polishing workshop where the still raw surfaces are polished to give them a desirable shine. This will only need to be perfected later on, as a few steps are still left until they are completed. The last stages of production are in the Omega department where all remaining parts of the case are installed, including the pushers, the replica Omega De Ville and other components depending on the model. They also do pressure checks here: first, all watches are tested to the slightly different pressure experienced on-board airplanes at about 33 thousand feet above sea level, and then for water resistance to whatever depth required. Once this is done cases receive their fine polish and are finally finished!

The last major manufacturing site we visited was Omega, a manufacture whose versatility and complexity could make it the crown jewel of any watch making company. They develop, test and assemble Omega watches here, and they also make their movements, ébauches (semi-finished movements) and modules for other brands.

The production of a new movement always begins with several years of replica Omega Constellation and development. By using computer software and prototyping, they rule out as many manufacturing and reliability issues in advance as is possible. Once actual production begins, they start with creating the main plate for the watch. It is done by Omega machines that adhere to incredibly small tolerances.

Despite such accuracy, no part can advance without a person checking them thoroughly to make sure there are no defects or other issues. Plates and other parts are rhodium plated and then - with an almost completely automatized process - Omega are selected and installed into the main plates. This is a reasonable 'shortcut' as this process would be very labor-intensive with just about zero added value.