Breitling VS Omega - Full Comparison

Which one of these two brands is the best?

Breitling VS Omega: Which is Best?

Our watch experts are often asked "Which is a better brand, Omega or Breitling?" and answering this question properly depends on the context of the question. Let's cover every angle, shall we?

These two brands are often highly considered when one is on the lookout for a new high-end watch. Both Omega and Breitling have a strong history as top quality watch brands, but a few questions need to be answered.

• Which is a higher quality watch? 
• Which is a more popular brand?
• Which has a better warranty?
• Which is more affordable?
• Which is more accurate?

Quality and Craftsmanship

Let's set the record straight. Whether you buy an Omega or Breitling watch you will receive a top-quality watch crafted by a highly respected watchmaker. Both watch brands offer their own unique innovations and strengths.

Breitling produces many watches that are marketed as watches for professionals. This, of course, refers to their many different timepieces that are made for pilots, astronauts, nautical professionals, diving professionals, search and rescue teams, and more. This innovative brand even produced a watch that has a tracking beacon built into it which would come in handy in the event of natural disaster or some other form of danger. Breitling also appreciates personal style and you can customize each watch from a variety of straps using the Breitling watch band of your choice. Omega also has a nice variety of NATO straps that can be purchased post-sale. However, they may not do it to the same degree as Breitling. 

Omega has several great watches for professional divers, such as the Seamaster PloProf 1200m which offers 1,200 meters of water resistance. They also produce some impressive chronographs (watches with a stopwatch function) and the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch pictured in the video below is a good example of such a watch. This function serves well for time-sensitive sports such as various forms of racing. They are a newer derivative of the original Omega watch that was there when Buzz Aldrin wore it on the lunar surface. Both watchmakers are great at design and today have many fans and followers who swear by each of them. Each has a long history and has come a long way since they created their first wristwatch. 

Accuracy & Precision

When it comes to accuracy, one of the most discussed and competitive aspects of watchmaking, these two brands both have their areas where they shine brightly. For starters, there are two categories of watches where categorically there are major differences in precision. The first category is mechanical watches. These types of watches receive their power via tightly wound springs and through a series of gears and components, the spring tension is incrementally released causing the hands to rotate around the dial telling the time. Some of the most accurate mechanical watches (such as automatic and hand-wound watches) are tested at a 3rd party facility in Switzerland called COSC. Once they are certified as highly-precise within COSC specs, they receive a COSC certificate and receive the Chronometer designation.

The next category is quartz watches. These are battery-powered watches and they use a different regulatory system that involves a quartz crystal. The battery sends a charge to the quartz crystal that causes the quartz to resonate at an extremely high and extremely stable rate. Through a series of gears, the hands turn but at a much higher rate of accuracy than any mechanical watch would. It’s a little ironic but the more expensive of the two types is the less accurate one which uses only mechanical components without any electronic charge. Part of the reason is that a mechanical watch is more labor-intensive to create. Another reason is that to the watch connoisseur and enthusiast, the mechanical caliber has an esoteric value that can't be found in a quartz watch.

Omega and Breitling have products in both categories; mechanical watches and quartz watches. While not available on every model, Omega's most accurate mechanical watches are certified by two different 3rd party labs, METAS and COSC. After sending the mechanical caliber to COSC and it receives a certificate, the caliber is then put and sent to METAS for further testing in the watch case while in real-life conditions that mimic what the watch would go through on the wrist. They are then adjusted to an even higher accuracy than COSC standards. Once they pass all tests they receive a METAS certification and the new designation of Master Chronometer.

On a side note, Rolex is another watchmaker that does further testing after a COSC certificate is issued but they do this testing in-house, whereas Omega thought it's important to keep a neutral 3rd party involved for the last stage of testing. We wrote a great comparison of how this testing is done and you can read about it here.

Omega has many mechanical watches that have the Master Chronometer designation that comes with two different certificates. Breitling, on the other hand, doesn't have any Master Chronometers but does have many watches with the one certificate from COSC and the Chronometer designation. On the other hand, they do have many quartz watches that have a COSC certified Quartz Chronometer designation which means that battery-powered movement is accurate to a higher standard than standard run-of-the-mill quartz movements. Breitling calls these watch movements SuperQuartz and can be found in many of their quartz watches. 

In terms of traditional watchmaking and mechanical watch accuracy, Omega has the upper hand with its many Master Chronometer watches. Regarding quartz-powered watches, Breitling in many cases wears the crown with the Breitling Superquartz calibers. 

Pricing

With regards to their pricing, you can get an entry-level Omega or an entry-level Breitling for pretty much the same price point, the most affordable new watches from both brands start at around $3,000. List prices for the most affordable models of the Omega Constellation, Aqua Terra is around $3,000 and Breitling Endurance Pro watches are around the same MSRP give or take a few hundred dollars. That said, Is Breitling worth the money? Read about what goes into the value first to decide for yourself. For your convenience, you can also browse both brands using the buttons below (right-click and open in a new tab) as you read this comparison. 

Browse Omega Collections  Browse Breitling Collections

Brand Comparison: Which is More Popular, Omega, or Breitling?

In terms of popularity, there are 16 brands of Swiss watches that rank in the top 50 Swiss brands. You can see just how important watchmaking is in Switzerland and how big these brands really are. People ask us "Is Breitling or Omega better?". Here's how Breitling versus Omega compares.

So in terms of how many comments you'll get if you wore each watch, chances are, you will hear "Hey, Nice Omega watch!" more often since a higher percentage of people (many of which are not "watch people" per se) will remember Omega compared to Breitling, especially because of some of their iconic watches such as the Moonwatch featured in the video below. However, anyone who knows anything at all about watches would know Breitling is a superb watch brand.

*Source: Most Valuable Swiss Brands by Interbrand, an agency that measures brand value.

Which Has a Better Warranty?

Omega AND Breitling now boast a 5-year manufacturer's warranty. This is considered to be good since most luxury watchmakers still only offer a 2 year warranty period with few exceptions. At PrestigeTime.com our guarantee on all new watches will honor the manufacturer's warranty period, whatever it may be. This duration is usually between 2 to 5 years and is displayed clearly on the item page for each watch we sell as well as on our warranty & repairs page. Use the buttons below to browse watches from each of these great watchmakers or click on the 'Shop' option of the main menu on this page to visit our site.