On your mark, get set, go! The 2024 Olympics in Paris are just around the corner and Omega is once again the official timekeeper for the Games. The Swiss brand has been supplying official timepieces and technical equipment to the sporting event since 1932. What distinguishes this partnership from others in the watch industry, and what models can we expect to see for the Summer Games in Paris? Let’s take a closer look at this long-standing collaboration and see what’s in store for us this year.
Omega and the Olympics: How It All Began
Most watch brands are masters at telling stories and romanticizing their history. The story of Omega and the Olympics began in 1932, when an Omega watchmaker left the company’s Biel/Bienne headquarters for Los Angeles with a suitcase full of pocket watches. The journey was certainly worth it! This year, Omega will be timekeeping for a total of 329 competitions across 32 sports – and they’ll benefit from all the promotional coverage that comes with it. Few events offer brands such a wide-reaching platform.
I personally find this partnership far more natural and authentic than, for example, the brand’s link to fictional secret agents. This is because the cooperation between the Olympics and Omega allows the watch brand to showcase its technology and expertise in precision stopwatches. During the 100-meter sprint, for example, fans will be able to track the live time while admiring Omega and its expertise as a timekeeper. The brand’s place in the Games goes far beyond fancy advertising billboards and logos; though there will be no shortage of these either. Kilometers of cable carry readings to professional Omega timekeepers, who are responsible for measuring and checking official times.
As you can see, Omega invests considerable time and effort into supporting the success of the Olympics. From a marketing perspective, Omega presents itself here as a helper and facilitator, not stealing the limelight but allowing the athletes, who spend years training for these competitions, to take center stage. We’ve seen Omega take on a similar role for out-of-this-world missions as well …
Paris 2024 Olympics Special Editions
Sprints, speed skating, swimming – despite the variety of sports, the requirements for Omega are the same: precision and reliability. The brand boasts several decades of experience in this field, particularly since 1964. At that year’s Winter Games in Innsbruck, Omega displayed athletes’ times “live” for the first time, making the results more transparent to spectators. This was remarkable in swimming competitions, in particular, where athletes touched contact surfaces at the edge of the pool to record their times – a technical revolution! Speaking of swimming, it’s fitting that Omega has historically released a special edition of its popular diver’s watch, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M, for the event – as it plans to do in 2024.
Omega Seamaster Driver 300M Paris 2024
This year’s special edition Seamaster has a 42-mm, two-tone case made of stainless steel and 18-karat Moonshine gold. The white, gold, and black color scheme looks both elegant and summery. The dial is made of polished white ceramic and features the model-typical, laser-engraved wave pattern. The hour markers and hands, also made of Moonshine gold, are filled with white Super-LumiNova, which ensures good readability in all lighting conditions.
Details such as the date display at 6 o’clock in the typography of this year’s games and the subtly integrated logo in the second hand are nods to the event at hand and round off the unique look of this special edition timepiece. Inside the watch is the automatic, in-house caliber 8800, which has been certified by METAS for its precision and resistance to magnetic fields. The case back also features the logo of the Paris 2024 Games in Moonshine gold. The standard model comes on a stainless steel bracelet, but like the other watches in the Seamaster Diver family, this special edition also looks fabulous on a rubber or NATO strap, giving it added versatility.
Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope Paris 2024
The Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope Special Edition Paris 2024 combines the incomparable appeal of the Speedmaster line with the spirit of the Olympic Games. The 43-mm ref. 522.30.43.51.02.001 is made of stainless steel and pays homage to Omega chronographs from the 1940s. The black, white, and gold color scheme is once again present, but mixed up for a unique look. The black anodized aluminium bezel with a white tachymeter scale retains the classic aesthetics of the Speedmaster.
Nevertheless, there’s a lot happening on the silver-white dial. In addition to two subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock, the timepiece features three scale rings in dark gray (tachymeter, pulsometer, and telemeter), which make the dial somewhat busier overall. However, the Arabic numerals and hands, both in Moonshine gold, provide ample contrast, which contributes to the watch’s readability. At the heart of this timepiece is the Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer caliber 9908, which is renowned for its accuracy, reliability, and resistance to magnetic fields.
The stainless steel case back is embossed with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games logo, giving this collector’s item an exclusive touch. Along with the stainless steel version described here, there is also a version in Moonshine gold. Both variants are available with a matching metal bracelet or optional leather strap.
Specialties Paris 2024 Bronze Gold Edition
Omega has released a third Paris 2024 special edition just as the Olympic Games begin this week. In contrast to its sporty colleagues described above, the Omega Specialties Paris 2024 Bronze Gold Edition (reference number 522.92.39.21.99.001) is more classic. Lovers of dress watches with that certain vintage twist will be particularly pleased with this model, which is inspired by an Omega watch from 1939 with small seconds and manual winding. But that’s not all when it comes to the design.
Omega has come up with something special to mark the occasion of the Games in Paris, particularly when it comes to the choice of materials: As an allusion to the Olympic medals, the watch combines the materials bronze, silver and gold. While the dial is made of 925 silver and looks particularly stylish with its “Clous de Paris” pattern in the center, the 39 mm case is made of Omega’s exclusive bronze-gold. The 18 K Sedna gold hands are also coated with this material. A vintage Omega logo on the dial and crown round off the design.
Like the two previous models, the back of the case features a stamped medallion with the logo of the Paris Games and the Olympic rings. The beating heart of this special edition is the hand-wound OMEGA 8926 caliber with a power reserve of 72 hours. The timepiece is stylishly presented on a brown calfskin strap.
