Foundationsfor the Future

THE OPENING OF OMEGA’S NEWEST FACTORY

PRESSINFORMATION

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 _ 7 The Doors Are Opened

CHAPTER 2 _ 17The Technology Inside

CHAPTER 3 _ 23People power

CHAPTER 4 _ 27The new Home of METAS testing

CHAPTER 5 _ 31Efficient Energy

CHAPTER 6 _ 35The History of the Site

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1Signalling the next chapter in its renowned history of innovation and manufacturing excellence, OMEGA is proud to offi cially open the newest production building at its HQ site in Bienne, Switzerland.

The new factory represents the indus-try’s most cutting-edge facility for watch assembly, training and quality control. Designed by the inspiring and award-win-ning Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, it is an eco-friendly masterpiece built entirely from Swiss spruce and concrete. Inside, OMEGA has used the 5 fl oors of space in the most effective way possible, bringing technical innovation and human expertise together for a fully streamlined manufac-turing process.

The key benefi t for OMEGA is effi ciency. This new building now combines all of the brand’s assembly and testing processes under one roof. It is a complete consoli-dation of work, meaning that the compa-ny’s overall output will become more pro-ductive and dynamic than ever before.

All steps, including T2 (watch assembly), T3 (bracelets), and T4 (shipping), as well as stock and logistics, are completed inside . In addition to this, the building is designed for training purposes, enabling OMEGA to sharpen and constantly improve the skills of the staff inside.

As a new generation of watch buyers emerges, OMEGA has revolutionised its facilities with this exciting development, all in readiness to meet their demands.

The DoorsAre Opened

Building size

Length: 70m

Width: 30m

Height: 30m

The evolutionof the building

2014

2015

2016

2017

Known for his structural sophistication and unconventional techniques, Shigeru Ban has made his name as one of the world’s leading and most exciting architects. From curvaceous museum designs in France to a cardboard church in Japan, his work has had a global effect and garnered praise not only from his peers, but also from the likes of Time magazine, who cited him as one of the 21st century’s top innovators in the field of architecture and design.

By blending the themes of Japanese ar-chitecture with western modernism, Ban has established his own unique design approach. More than that, he has be-come synonymous with the use of unex-pected building materials. Most famously, his ingenious work with paper and card-board tubing has led the way for low-cost and recyclable structures. But his archi-tecture has not been limited to these ma-terials alone. His clever and spectacular use of timber and glass can also be seen the world over, most recently at OMEGA’s HQ site in Bienne, Switzerland.

In 2014, Ban won the Pritzker Prize, the most prestigious award in architecture, for his significant contributions to archi-tectural innovation and philanthropy, with the jury declaring him a “tireless archi-tect whose work exudes optimism.” This great accolade was largely attributed to the fast, economical and sustainable housing solutions that Ban had created for the homeless and displaced victims of disaster. Through this work, Ban has prov-en that his creations are not just beautiful, but also truly beneficial for those in need.

Certainly, Shigeru Ban is a master of his trade. For OMEGA, one of the world’s leading and most pioneering watchmak-ers, Ban was the clear choice for an ex-emplary building project.

OMEGA’s main production building is designed to architecturally represent the philosophy of the OMEGA brand. The structural system of the building is characterized in its rigid and formal column / beam timber frame with its wood joinery detail, expressing the accuracy and precision of OMEGA. Shigeru Ban

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Being in Switzerland, the world leader in woodengineering, it was a very appropriate choice todesign the Omega building with a timber structure.The entire volume of timber used in the Omega production building corresponds to just 2.6 hours of tree growth in Switzerland. Shigeru Ban

OTHER WORKSBY SHIGERU BAN:

Paper Church in Kobe, Japan 1995When a huge earthquake in 1995 destroyed the Takatori

Church in Kobe, Ban designed a new, temporary church made from innovative paper tubing.

Metal Shutter House in New York, U.S.A 2010Situated in Manhattan, this building was designed to take

advantage of natural light and the surrounding views. The design used fl oor-to-ceiling glass doors and roll-up

perforated shutters that offered privacy as well as openness to the city beyond.

Nicolas G. Hayek Center in Tokyo, Japan 2007The headquarters for the Swatch Group in Japan, this building

was designed to refl ect the surrounding area of Ginza, with four-story-high glass shutters, a large atrium fi lled with

vegetation and a stunning event hall.

Japan Pavilion for Expo 2000Hannover, Germany

This grid structure was made from recyclable paper tubes and resulted in an astonishing building with a honeycomb effect.

Nomadic Museum, New York, U.S.A 2005This temporary museum was designed to travel and is

constructed out of locally rented shipping containers and recyclable paper tubes.

La Seine Musicale, France 2017A 4,000 seat multi-purpose hall in the western suburbs of

Paris. The design includes a large solar panel sail that can track the sun and provide increased effi ciency.

Centre Pompidou-Metz, France 2010A curvaceous creation with an undulating roof made with a

captivating hexagonal pattern. It was inspired by the woven structure of a Chinese hat that Ban found in Paris.

Tamedia Offi ce Building in Zurich, Switzerland 2013This carbon neutral offi ce building was created from

interlocking wooden beams without the need for any metal joints or glue. The wooden design is complemented by a

glass façade that fi lls the interior with light.

© Hiroyuki Hirai

© Hiroyuki Hirai

© Michael Moran

© Hiroyuki Hirai

© Didier Boy de la Tour

© Michael Moran

© Didier Boy de la Tour

© Didier Boy de la Tour

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2 OMEGA’s watchmaking has long been at the forefront of the industry. A glimpse inside its newest building reveals how hu-man expertise is now interacting with ro-botic assistance at the very highest level.

At the core of the building, OMEGA has installed a fully automated storage system that rises up through 3 fl oors of the build-ing. Like something from a science-fi ction movie, the fi reproofed central stock con-tains over 30,000 boxes fi lled with all the necessary parts required for the brand’s watchmaking. Visitors to the building can marvel at the storage system and its ro-botic arms in action through specially built windows.

Only two specially trained people are au-thorized to enter the central stock system. This is because the oxygen inside has been reduced to 15.2% to ensure that fi res cannot start or spread.

In addition to this, there are several oth-er examples of technology which prove the superb effi ciency of OMEGA’s man-ufacturing today. This includes the robot-ic arms and systems used for the Master Chronometer testing. For humans, the physical transportation and organisa-tion of the watches is a monotonous and time-consuming job. That’s why OME-GA’s huge robotic arms are completely customised to fulfi ll the task. By measur-ing, photographing, winding, shifting and spinning the watches, the robotic arms provide OMEGA with a consistent and constant level of operation. It’s a beauti-ful assembly line that never misses a beat.

But that’s not to say that the human touch is not needed. While the menial tasks have been given to the robots, OMEGA’s staff can concentrate fully on the testing results and making sure that every watch is fi nely-tuned and ready for the customer.

The Technology Inside

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THE CENTRAL STOCK FACTSHEET

SPEED 4 metres per second

CAPACITY >30,000 storage boxes

LIFTS 2 vertical lifts

LENGTH 27.4 metres

WIDTH 9.4 metres

HEIGHT 14.2 metres

VOLUME 3,660 cubic metres

WORKLOAD 1,400 operations per hour

There are also robotic arms used for the identification and final packaging of each watch. Reader systems ensure that each watch is picked from the assem-bly line and delivered with the correct warranty and certification, and all other necessary inclusions. Another example of technology includes the arms for laser en-graving, which give each watch its unique identity.

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A glimpse inside OMEGA’s newest building reveals how human expertise is now interacting with robotic assistance at the very highest level.

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3 “Swiss Made” is a virtue that OMEGA is proud to have at the heart of its brand. But these words go further than describ-ing the pieces of a watch or the compa-ny’s technical innovation. They also rep-resent the standard of OMEGA’s people, who work tirelessly to achieve the world’s best watches.

Certainly, OMEGA’s greatest tool is its staff. You only need to walk through the new building to see the intense concen-tration and delicate skills employed at every desk. From setting the hands per-fectly on a dial to the fi nal casing of a completed timepiece, the watchmakers all carry the same pride and commit-ment that has powered the “Swiss Made” OMEGA brand for almost 170 years.

To give its people an added advantage, OMEGA has maximised the working envi-ronment of its new building. From carefully managed temperature control to the air conditioning and overall ergonomics, everything has been integrated for an exceptional fl ow. Even the stringent elimi-nation of dust proves that OMEGA’s man-ufacturing can operate at a high, and very diffi cult-to-achieve, standard.

By creating this optimum space to work, there is no doubt that OMEGA will excel even further in its watchmaking. After all, it’s this sort of renowned ambition that has made the “Swiss Made” mark so famous around the world. To keep it thriving for the future, OMEGA’s people are in the best position possible.

People power

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Certainly, OMEGA’s greatest tool is its staff. You only need to walk through the new building to see the intense concentration and delicate skills employed at every desk.

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Importantly, OMEGA’s new factory has been created to house OMEGA’s quality and technical control processes, including the METAS testing for Master Chronom-eter certifi cation. All technology for the 8 METAS tests can be found on the 3rd fl oor, including the powerful magnets that subject each watch to a fi eld of 15,000 gauss. It is here that OMEGA will certify its watches at the industry’s highest standard for precision, performance and magnetic resistance.

4 The new homeof METAS Testing

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5 In keeping with the innovation of this ambitious building project, the new fac-tory has been designed with an ingenious indoor climate and energy concept. Fol-lowing three clear steps, OMEGA has been able to achieve maximum efficiency through a truly sustainable development.

Energy savings and load reduction Firstly, the insulation level chosen for the building actually exceeds the require-ments of the Swiss building code. By relying on this effective, built-in energy, OMEGA can gladly reduce the external loads on the building’s heating system.

On the glass exterior, highly efficient solar shading has been included on each window. These external shading blinds are controlled by the sun, depending on which direction the window is facing.

Inside, all artificial lighting is based on LED use. This guarantees low installed power, low electricity consumption and low internal heat loads. The lighting is also controlled by daylight and occu-pancy-sensors that only switch on when required.

Optimizationand improvement of systems In general, radiant systems have been used for all of the room conditioning. This renowned method offers improved comfort and low energy consumption, because the system works based on high cooling temperatures and low heating temperatures. In other words, the heating and cooling of the building can be pro-duced with very high efficiency.

In an impressive example of recycling, the new factory uses its own excess heat from production processes such as compressed air, vacuums and O2- reduction, for other required areas, such as the preheating of domestic hot water.

Even the fans used in the air-handling unit are energy efficient to limit the elec-tricity consumption. The ventilation rates also vary upon need and are lowered as far as possible at night. Similarly, in the workshops, the air-change rates are con-trolled differently depending on the spe-cific needs of the production process.

EfficientEnergy

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Use of renewable energy potentials The entire energy supply of the building is based on a geothermal system, which uses the regenerative energy potential of groundwater. This is sourced via several wells on the site. The pumped groundwa-ter runs via a heat exchange to directly cool the rooms.

The radiant panels inside the building run with inlet temperatures of 16 to 18°C, which can be supplied directly from the groundwater, without any additional cooling. For heating, the groundwater is controlled with a heat pump.

Finally, to produce some of the electricity needed for heating, cooling, ventilation and renewable lighting, the south-east roof of Building O is covered with photo-voltaic modules (solar panels).

As a world premiere, the newly developed BLUE AC micro-inverters from Belenos, are used in the OMEGA factory. These devices are installed directly behind the solar panel. They are directly connected to the electricity network, for which they convert the direct current of the sun into alternating current for the building and thus produce renewable energy.

The entire volume of timber used in the Omega production building corresponds to just 2.6 hours of tree growth in Switzer-land.

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6 The History of the Site

With the opening of its newest factory , the future has certainly arrived for OMEGA. It was in 1882 that “Louis Brandt & Fils” fi rst moved to its watch-manufacturing site at Rue Jakob-Stampfl i 96 in Bienne, Swit-zerland. The company, which we know today as OMEGA, has remained at the same location ever since. Over the years, the buildings and capabilities have con-tinued to grow and this next addition is certainly one of the most important.

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It was in 1882 that “Louis Brandt & Fils” fi rst moved to its watch-manufacturing site at Rue

Jakob-Stampfl i 96 in Bienne.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

OMEGA International Press OfficeRue Jakob-Stämpfli 96 • 2500 Bienne 4 • Switzerland

Tel. +41 32 343 92 11press@omega.ch

www.omegawatches.com

OMEGA is a company of the Swatch Group, the largest manufacturerand distributor of watches and jewellery in the world.