In two weeks, The 33rd Summer Olympics will be held in Paris, France. The summer around the world will become even hotter with the unscripted drama that athletes from each country will create. Among the 32 Olympic events, Some are decided by scores, While others are determined by records. The latter require various measuring devices for accurate judgment.
The most basic of these is the stopwatch, Which is also the history of Omega timekeeping.

The History of Olympic Official Timekeeping and Measurement Technology

Electronic scoreboard used at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
(Seiko clock at top left) ©Olympic

TAG Heuer, Seiko, And Omega have all served as official Olympic timekeepers. Seiko was the official timekeeper at the Tokyo Olympics in Japan, And TAG Heuer served as a timekeeper for a relatively short period. Omega, However, Is the only brand that has consistently been the definitive Olympic timekeeper.

Stopwatch used at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics (Omega)

©Monochrome

The tradition of the original, With over 90 years of history, Began at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. The large stopwatch developed by Omega played an active role. The split-second stopwatch, Capable of measuring to 1/10th of a second and recording two times simultaneously, Was used to determine winners in track and other timed events.

The Racend Omega Timer, Developed in 1949, Was a device that used photographs to judge athletes crossing the finish line almost simultaneously in track events. This device later became known as the photo finish. At the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, The Omega Time Recorder, Which used a quartz clock to measure to 1/100th of a second and included a high-speed printer to print records, Was introduced.

1964 Innsbruck Olympics ©Omega

At the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, A groundbreaking device was introduced for viewers around the world watching the games on television. The Omegascope, Developed in 1961, Used a superimpose method to display a digital stopwatch on TV screens, Allowing viewers at home to check athletes' times as they crossed the finish line, Just as if they were at the stadium.

Touchpad technology first introduced at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics
Swimming competition
©Omega

Displaying both the competition and the records on one screen must have delivered a great sense of immersion and realism. Omega's timekeeping and measurement technology continued to advance with each Olympic Games, And at the 1968 Mexico Olympics, Electronic measurement timekeeping was officially used, Allowing for even more accurate and rapid recording and sharing of results.

Omega Scan O Vision Camera
©Robberport

In 1990, The Scan’O’Vision was developed, Capable of measuring to 1/1000th of a second and using continuous color photography for judgment. Around this time, Computers began to be used for timekeeping. Precision measurement, Which started at 1/10th of a second at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics and advanced to 1/1000th of a second in 1990, Reached 1/1000000th of a second with the Quantum Timer at the 2012 London Olympics, Dramatically improving accuracy and precision. Over 80 years, Accuracy improved by 100, 000 times.

Omega Olympic Editions

Along with Olympic timekeeping and measurement technology, Omega's Olympic Editions cannot be overlooked. There is no clear information about the very first Olympic Edition, But based on auction records, It is believed to have started with watches produced in the mid-1950s. The Seamaster (1948) appeared a bit earlier, As Omega was trying to establish the diver watch style. Although the function and design as a diver watch were not yet mature, Among vintage Seamasters from that time, There were watches with the Roman numeral XVI printed below the logo to commemorate the 16th Melbourne Olympics in 1956. Some watches had the Olympic rings engraved on the case back or printed on the dial.

Omega Seamaster Chrono-Quartz Montreal 1976
©Hodinkee

The officially recognized Olympic Edition is the 'Seamaster Quartz Chrono 32KHz, ' equipped with a quartz chronograph caliber.
This watch, Which combines two LCD windows and an analog display, Was made in the 1970s. Perhaps due to its unique dial layout or distinctive retro feel, It can fetch over $2, 000 in good condition. The Seamaster was mainly used for Olympic Editions to express the theme of the festival of sports.
With strong shock resistance and high water resistance, The Seamaster is especially suitable for the Summer Olympics, Which include water sports such as swimming. Most Olympic Editions produced since the early 1990s were based on the Seamaster.

Omega Lillehammer Olympic Edition
©Chrono24

Omega Speedmaster 2008 Beijing Olympic Edition
(5-counter chronograph)
©Master Horologer

Details using the five colors of the Olympic rings were most common, And the Lillehammer Olympic Edition for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway included five straps in the colors of the rings in the package. For the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Omega released a Speedmaster edition with a five-counter chronograph dial in the shape of the Olympic rings, Instead of the usual three-counter layout. Perhaps because the design was too direct, It did not receive much response.

Omega Seamaster London 2012 Edition
©Watch time

Ironically, The trend for Olympic Editions is moving toward not revealing the Olympics. Looking at the Seamaster Aqua Terra Date and Seamaster Aqua Terra Chronograph for the 2012 London Olympics, Except for the blue dial, There are no Olympic details on the dial. Only the London Olympic logo is engraved on the case back. The reason for not highlighting the Olympics is that after the event, Such products become difficult to sell as seasonal items, And the Olympics are no longer as popular or significant as they once were.

Seamaster Diver 300M Paris 2024

For the Paris 2024 Olympics, Which open on July 26,
two editions have been released. These are the traditional Seamaster and a chronograph dedicated to Omega timekeeping.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Paris 2024 Edition
©Omega

The Omega Seamaster for the Paris Olympics is based on the Diver 300M. Instead of the standard sunken wave dial, It features a special raised wave pattern and a pure white dial. The bezel is made of Moonshine Gold, With raised indexes for a luxurious look. The dial indexes and hands are also Moonshine Gold, And the tip of the lollipop second hand features the Paris Olympic logo. Except for the case back, This is the only detail that reveals it is an Olympic Edition.
Even after the Olympic season, The special color and details are likely to attract attention.

Seamaster Diver 300M 'Paris 2024' 522.21.42.20.04.001

42mm, White

Speedmaster Chronoscope Paris 2024

Speedmaster Chronoscope Steel, Leather Strap ©Omega

The foundation of Olympic timekeeping is the stopwatch, Or chronograph. In this respect, The Speedmaster Chronoscope is a suitable choice. It is a classic two-counter chronograph with a silver dial and black counters, But the three o'clock counter serves as both a 60-minute and 12-hour counter, Making it effectively a three-counter watch. The bezel features the Speedmaster's signature tachymeter scale, And the Chronoscope's distinctive snail-shaped multi-scale includes a telemeter and pulsometer for measuring distance and pulse. With Moonshine Gold hands and indexes, It is an attractive watch, And except for the Paris Olympic engraving on the case back, It is a standard Speedmaster Chronoscope.