OMEGA celebrates the Olympic Winter Games in a timely manner

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Omega is all set on the starter block at PyeongChang 2018. As the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games, it will provide a brand new dimension to every athlete’s performance and enhance viewers’ experience with new technologies. And to celebrate its timekeeping legacy, the iconic brand has launched the limited edition Seamaster Planet Ocean “PyeongChang 2018”, and Seamaster Olympic Games Collection watches to commemorate the occasion.

The art of high-speed and high-intensity timing

Omega has been keeping official time at the Olympic Games since 1932 and innovating its technology and expertise for the past 86 years, establishing an unrivalled reputation in timekeeping.

For its first outing at the Olympic Winter Games in Germany in 1936, Omega sent a single technician with just 27 Omega stopwatches used to time every second. Today in its 28th time as Official Timekeeper, the Omega team has expanded to 300 timekeepers supported by 350 trained volunteers and 230 tons of high tech equipment in PyeongChang.

Omega’s technological innovation in high-speed and high-intensity timing are countless. In 1948, it introduced photoelectric cells which replaced the capabilities of the human eye and guarantees the most accurate finishing time possible. The “Starting Gates”, introduced in 1956 in alpine skiing to signal the beginning of each run, has been upgraded to “Snowgate” with the timing system activated automatically when an athlete bursts through. Omega’s precise photofinish Scan’O’Vision cameras, introduced in 1992, continues to evolve with images used by judges to determine the official results.

New technologies in PyeongChang

Omega paves the way for a dynamic Olympic Games future at PyeongChang 2018 with in-depth data that are instantly available. For the first time, incredible sensor systems provide continuous measurements from start to finish of events, enabling athletes to gain an immediate understanding of where they gained or lost time, or where they won or lost points. The information also gives all viewers, whether on-site or at home, a far greater understanding of each sport as it happens.

For fast-paced speed skating, live speeds will be shown on screen and updated as the speed changes in individual events. Viewers will get more enthralled as they get a unique understanding of how each competitor is progressing.

In bobsleigh, sensors placed inside each sled will measure various factors including G forces, angles, trajectory and acceleration, enabling teams to understand where they won or lost time on the track. The Sled Path system will also help to compare the performances between different times.

Celebrate with Seamaster Planet Ocean “PyeongChang 2018”

Matching the technological prowess of the timekeeping equipment is the Seamaster Planet Ocean “PyeongChang 2018” Limited Edition watch in bold blue and red, the colours of the Korean flag. The aesthetically striking timepiece features a polished blue ceramic [ZrO2] dial, while the Super-Luminova-filled hands glow blue as well. The colour theme extends to the unidirectional rotating diving bezel featuring polished blue ceramic ring with rubber and Omega Liquidmetal® diving scale, with red rubber for the first 15 minutes.

The stainless steel case houses the Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8900, a Master Chronometer movement certified by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (METAS).

The sapphire crystal caseback features "PyeongChang 2018" and the Winter Olympics logo, while the words PLANET OCEAN and LIMITED EDITION, as well as the watch's Limited Edition number, are engraved in blue. And as you can guess, the edition is limited to 2018 pieces.

Salute excellence with Seamaster Olympic Games Collection

Whether you are interested in the Olympics or not, the Seamaster Olympic Games Collection is a covetable watch that salutes Omega’s unrivalled legacy in timekeeping.

The unique collection comes in five vibrant shades representing the famous Rings of the Olympic Games – black, yellow, green, blue and red. Inspired by Omega’s stopwatches used at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and Innsbruck, the eye-catching domed black and white dial is designed to be effortlessly read at a glance. Adding to the athletic spirit is a coloured pulse reader that encircles the dial, enabling the wearer to easily calculate their pulse beats-per-minute. The balanced and functional display of the dial makes excellent use of their accent colours.

The 39.5mm stainless steel case houses the Master Chronometer calibre 8800. The caseback features an anodised aluminium ring listing the host cities and dates from Omega’s Olympic Games journey, from Los Angeles 1932 up to Los Angeles 2028. For a stylistic touch and to enhance wearing comfort, the leather strap is micro-perforated.

With only 2,032 pieces of each colour variant created in reference to Omega’s role as Official Timekeeper through till 2032, marking a century of Olympic timekeeping, this collection is destined to become highly sought after by Olympic fans and Omega aficionados alike.