The watchmaker behind the Olympic's greatest timekeeping innovations
Omega and the Olympics go way back, with the Swiss watchmaker serving as the official timekeeper for the Games since 1932. With Paris 2024 upon us, Omega is primed to once again raise the bar in timekeeping excellence across all 329 events
By Cayle Reid
AT THE OLYMPICS, precision is everything. One centimetre of over-rotation can spell the end of a diver’s medal hopes. In shot put, a metre can separate a world champion from an amateur. And in a timed event like the 100-metre sprint or 50-metre freestyle, the difference between gold and silver can be a matter of milliseconds. The need for accuracy, then, is critical.
For nearly a century, Omega has been trusted with that exact task: maintaining accuracy to the highest degree. As the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games, Omega has become synonymous with excellence, setting standards and playing an integral role in shaping the Olympic experience we all know and love. Consider this a deep dive into the history of Omega’s relationship with the Olympics, as well as how the brand’s innovations have changed the Games and continue to do so.
Omega’s journey with the Olympics began at the 1932 Los Angeles Games. The watchmaker was chosen as the first official timekeeper due to its reputation for impeccable quality and reliability. Omega sent a single watchmaker, accompanied by 30 high-precision chronographs, to time all the events, marking the first time in Olympic history that one company was entrusted with the entire timing operation and establishing Omega as an ever-present force in Olympic folklore.
This early foray into timekeeping proved to be only the start of things to come. Omega remained the official timekeeper for both the Summer and Winter Games, consistently upping their innovation with every passing event. In 1948, at the London Olympics, Omega introduced the first photo-finish camera, the ‘Magic Eye’. This technology provided a definitive visual record of race finishes, eliminating disputes and ushering in electronic timekeeping.
The 1960 Olympics in Rome saw another milestone with the introduction of the Omegascope, which superimposed the time of day on-screen during television broadcasts. We might take it for granted now, seeing as this display is now ubiquitous, appearing on essentially every sporting broadcast, but we have Omega to thank for its inception.
Omega didn’t stop there. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the brand introduced the first false start detection system for swimming. This system used pressure-sensitive pads on the starting blocks to detect premature starts, enhancing the integrity of the competition. A similar system is still in place and can be seen in Paris.
So where does all of this leave us? Is Omega done with innovating after running out of ideas? Of course not.
Omega technology will continue to play a crucial role in the Olympics, starting with its 31st Games as official timekeeper – Paris 2024. Firstly, Omega is introducing the next generation of its photo-finish technology, the Scan ‘O’ Vision Ultimate. Incredibly, the high tech camera can capture up to 40,000 images per second, meaning judges will be able to assess tight finishes more quickly and with more certainty than ever before.
Elsewhere, Omega is introducing new computer vision technology that can track athletes’ and objects’ movements during events to provide insightful metrics. These cameras are specially trained for each sport and feed data into an artificial intelligence system that can pump out in-depth analysis on the spot. In tennis, this will result in displaying the reaction times of players in responding to a serve, a previously unrecorded stat.
Omega is also stepping up its graphics displays, with next generation Vionardo tech able to provide informative on-screen graphics in real time for a heightened viewing experience.
Of course, Omega’s excellence lies in all forms of timekeeping, but given the focus on Olympic tech, it’s easy to forget that at the end of the day, Omega is also a luxury watchmaker. Omega hasn’t forgotten, though; it will release a pair of shiny new timepieces to celebrate the Paris Games. There’s the Seamaster Diver 300M Paris 2024, which is made from stainless steel and 18k gold, features the Paris 2024 emblem on its underside, and has up to 300 metres of water resistance. There’s also the Speedmaster Chronoscope Paris 2024, which again features the Paris 2024 emblem but with a dial set in the official gold, black and white colour way of the Paris Olympics.
The 2024 Paris Olympics are yet to begin, but with Omega keeping the time and providing the high-tech gear to enhance the event’s accuracy, integrity and the viewing experience for those watching from home, one thing’s for sure: the Games are set to be one to remember.
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