Going For Gold: Omega At The Tokyo Olympics
What should have been the Olympic Summer games of 2020, was unfortunately delayed a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While it remains an edition unlike any other, with travel restrictions in place for many visitors, Tokyo proves to be a gracious host to top-athletes from around the world that are going for gold. Another participant is Omega, acting as the official timekeeper for the 29th time. It started in Los Angeles in 1932, where Omega was the first watch brand responsible for the timekeeping of the entire event. While it were still mechanical stopwatches that determined the winner back then, strides were made to increase accuracy. In 1948 at the Olympic Games in London, Omega introduced the first photo-finish camera and a photoelectric cell that electronically stopped the time as soon as an athlete passed it.
This legacy of precision is also what they took to Tokyo. A new electronic starting pistol is connected to speakers behind each athlete, ensuring that those closest to the starter won’t have the slight advantage of hearing the sound first. Important when fractions of a second can mean the difference between a gold medal, or none at all. For that reason, Omega also developed their latest photo-finish camera, which takes 10,000 digital images per second, ensuring that the first will also be crowned the winner.
To mark the occasion, Omega also introduced three watches dedicated to the Tokyo Olympics. The first is the Seamaster Aqua Terra Tokyo 2020 Limited Edition. This watch features a blue ceramic dial with the emblem of this edition of the Olympic Games laser-engraved in it. Underneath this stunning dial, we find caliber 8900, a Master Chronometer-certified automatic movement made in Omega’s manufacture in Biel, Switzerland. The Seamaster Planet Ocean Tokyo 2020 is another limited edition, yet here white is chosen as the primary color. The dial is made from polished ceramic, as is the insert of the diving bezel. A dash of color is provided by the red lollipop seconds hand as a reference to the flag of Japan. The 20-minute mark on the bezel is also made red, referring to the year these games should have taken place. The third timepiece dedicated to the Tokyo Olympics is the Seamaster Diver 300M Tokyo 2020. While it shares its movement with the Seamaster Planet Ocean Tokyo 2020, it combined the colors of both limited editions. Its white ceramic dial is engraved with a subtle yet distinct wave pattern, while the diving bezel is made out of the blue version of this material. The hands and outline of the hour markers also feature this color, creating a dashing sports watch made for champions that go for gold.
