'This book OMEGA: A Journey Through Time by Marco Richon is dedicated to all Omega watch collectors.' - Marco Richon, Curator of the Omega Museum; 2007

As a vintage watch collector, if I have to start from scratch to collect watches, I'd start buying watch books first. They feed our passion with knowledge, allowing us to live stories about our favorite models. And it isn't only about a thirst to know, but a more pratical thing: the vintage watch I'm on the point of buying is completely original?

This is why watch books, expecially regarding vintage watches, come to the rescue. Is OMEGA: A Journey Through Time one of them? Yes...and no. Here's why.

Things We Love About OMEGA: A Journey Through Time

The book is intended to help the Omega collector in their research when purchasing watches that may not be as original as a first thought, and to shed some light on Omega models that may be outside the main focus of their interest.

Reading the book is like walking into the Omega Museum and you can feel the insane amount of work Mr. Richon put into creating it. OMEGA: A Journey Through Time illustrates the watches with a large number of advertisements bringing them to life with the colour, the ambiance and perfume of their time and many watches are accompanied with a short historical background. 

The collector will also love the 1:1 life scale Omega caliber section into an entire chapter dedicated to Omega calibers, complete with the nomenclature from 1894 to 2007. Not to mention the second chapter, almost 50 pages about pocket watches containing information and pictures otherwise hard to find. 

Things You Should Know Before Buying OMEGA: A Journey Through Time

When it comes to help the Omega collector in their research when purchasing watches, you need to know this: Omega created more than 15000 main models, this is why the present book represents only the tip of the iceberg. It's an album of annotated photographs, a descriptive review catalogue of the Omega Museum and a portrayal of the evolution of the brand from its birth to 2007.

Before pulling the trigger, you need to know this isn't a watch book that deepens into a specific watch reference, so it might not be exaustive when it comes to identify the originality of a single watch part. Even if it's high-quality paper, you have to consider not all the pictures are printed with the finest resolution.

The connoisseur will appreciate the Omega Speedmaster chapter and in particular we loved the in-depth table of Speedmaster's bracelets for every reference. But if you are just interested in this model, I'd consider to buy 'Moonwatch Only' by Grégoire Rossier and Anthony Marquié first.

Do you have this book? Would you re-purchase it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

OMEGA: A Journey Through Time Chapters

Collecting watches is a journey through time and I definitely love 'OMEGA: A Journey Through Time' by Marco Richon. Check out if a copy is still available for sale here.