Watchmaker agrees to renew tour sponsorship

Swiss watchmaker Omega has confirmed its commitment to developing professional golf in Asia by signing up to continue its sponsorship of the Omega Tour next year.

As part of its deal with the Asian Professional Golf Association (APGA), Omega will sponsor the tour for a fourth consecutive year with an option for another two seasons.

Financial details were not disclosed but it is known the company spends more than US$2 million annually in its sponsorship of golf around the world.

Kevin Rollenhagen, Omega vice-president China Hong Kong, said the company felt it was important to be involved in golf as the sport was most clearly associated with the image elements which Omega felt it represented.

'This is a sport which is as much about lifestyle as it is about technique and that's the same thing with our watches. This tournament is just before Christmas which is our peak selling time, so it allows us to feature the Omega name prominently and, from our point of view, it's an excellent stage for a successful tournament,' he said.

Mr Rollenhagen said Omega's market share had increased significantly in the past few years as Asia-Pacific was now the company's biggest market, accounting for more than 40 per cent of annual sales.