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TABLE OF CONTENTS OMEGA AND TOKYO 2020 p.03 HIGHLIGHTS FROM HISTORY p.05 OMEGA’S 29 OLYMPIC GAMES p.15 OMEGA’S MODERN TIMEKEEPING p.17 NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR TOKYO 2020 p.25 HOW IT WORKS – MOTION SENSING AND POSITIONING SYSTEMS p.29 SPORT CLIMBING: TIMING A NEW SPORT p.37 ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN p.39 OMEGA WATCHES FOR TOKYO 2020 P.45 AN EYE ON THE FUTURE P.59
OMEGA AT TOKYO 2020 OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPER OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES 900 trained TOKYO 2020 volunteers It may be a little later than planned, but this year, reach this moment. Their dreams depend on the Land of the Rising Sun will finally become those final results, making OMEGA’s precision 85 OMEGA’s own land of Recording Dreams. For and equipment a vital part of every event. the 29th time in history, the brand will fulfil its role as the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Thankfully, OMEGA has experience! In fact, Games, bringing almost 90 years of experience the brand has been at the Olympic Games public to Tokyo 2020. for nearly every edition since 1932. During scoreboards those years, the brand has evolved, developed 2 00km 339 events in 33 sports will be competed in and implemented many of the most famous 350 Japan, and OMEGA will be measuring every timekeeping technologies in sport. second of action. This includes brand new sports for the Olympic Games, including karate, Now, at Tokyo 2020, OMEGA’s expertise will cables and sport climbing, surfing baseball/softball, and reach a new peak. As well as providing 400 skateboarding, giving the Swiss watchmaker tonnes of its most trusted and state-of-the-art sport-specific optical fibre more competitions to record than ever before. equipment, the brand will also continue a truly scoreboards exciting era of real-time data measurement. You Of course, the greatest focus will be on the are about to witness the Olympic Games in a determined athletes aiming for gold. Each of brand new way! them has dedicated years, months and hours to 53 0 timekeepers and on-site professionals 400 tonnes of equipment 3
HIGHLIGHTS FROM HISTORY As Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games on 29 occasions since 1932, OMEGA has enjoyed many innovative and memorable moments during that time. These are just a few of our most defining years.
1936 1932 GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN TIMEKEEPING IN WINTER LOS ANGELES THE LEGACY BEGINS OMEGA’s first Olympic Winter Games were the mountain in the pocket of the next skier. hosted at the twin villages of Garmisch- But OMEGA’s precision and dedication shone For the first time in history, a single watch com- ment that set the course for an incredible future. Partenkirchen. Compared to summer, the winter through yet again. The sun was also shining pany was selected as the Official Timekeeper The brand sent one watchmaker all the way from events posed a new set of challenges for the and weather conditions were perfect, setting of the Olympic Games. For its unrivalled repu- Bienne to Los Angeles, armed with 30 high-pre- Swiss watchmaker, particularly in alpine skiing, the stage for another year of historic results and tation in precision awards and excellence, that cision stopwatches that were accurate to the where the brand had to send starting times down times. prestigious title was given to OMEGA. It was a nearest 1/10th of a second. defining moment in the history of sports measure- 1948 LONDON THE ELECTRONIC ERA ARRIVES Two of the greatest revolutions in sports timekeeping made their first summer appearance at the Olympic Games in 1948 – courtesy of OMEGA. This was the beginning of the “electronic era” when technology began to outperform the capabilities of the human eye. Amongst OMEGA’s technologies were the first photofinish camera, pinpointing exact finish positions in races, as well as the first Photoelectric Cell, which electronically stopped the clock as the first athlete crossed the finish line. Precision had never been better! 8
1952 HELSINKI REWARDED FOR SERVICE 1964 In appreciation of OMEGA’s 20 years at the Olympic Games, the brand was awarded the INNSBRUCK IOC Cross of Merit in 1952 for its “exceptional TIME ON SCREEN services to the world of sport.” It was a fitting tribute to the milestones achieved so far, but also reflected the continuing advancements When OMEGA introduced its new Omegascope for millions to see, meaning that the brand had being made. One of those advancements was technology, the Olympic Games viewing to get every measurement exactly right. Never the quartz-driven OMEGA Time Recorder. This experience was changed forever. This new had spectators outside a venue been so quickly impressive electronic chronograph featured piece of equipment introduced the concept of informed about events. a high-speed printing device which enabled “real time” sports reporting by superimposing OMEGA to time events and instantly print out the live times of athletes on the bottom of the the results to the nearest 1/100th of a second. screen. OMEGA’s precision was now on display 1956 MELBOURNE – STOCKHOLM SWIMMING GOES ELECTRIC Considering its watery environment, swimming held electric timers. The system was better able has always posed a unique set of challenges to distinguish between swimmers who finished for timekeepers. In 1956, however, OMEGA at virtually the same time – and signalled the made a great leap forward by introducing the beginning of other new breakthroughs in the Swim Eight-O-Matic - the world’s first semi- sport. automatic swimming timer. The starting time was automatically triggered by the pistol while the counters were stopped at the finish by hand- 9
1984 LOS ANGELES CATCHING THE FALSE START The Olympic Games in 1984 were notable for The equipment was extremely sensitive and a number of memorable athletic performances, functioned by measuring the pressure that each including the four gold medals won by American runner exerted against the starting block. As the Carl Lewis. Out on the track, OMEGA was athlete launched forward, their reaction time making its own strides in timekeeping by was triggered by their physical force, enabling introducing the first false start detection device. OMEGA to detect the slightest false start. 1968 MEXICO CITY SWIMMING CHANGES FOREVER The arrival of OMEGA’s swimming touchpads reacted to the slightest of touches, so that when is considered to be one of the most important an athlete reached the finish, they were able to moments in timekeeping history. The pads were stop time with their own hands. Now there was no 90cm high by 240cm wide and two-thirds of disputing the precision of swimming results. their surface was immersed in the water. They 1976 MONTREAL SCOREBOARD REVOLUTIONS In Montreal, OMEGA’s new Video Matrix Board was able to show times, points and scores, as 1988 SEOUL well as black-and-white video recordings. It was designed for multiple alphabets and beamed its information out across the Stade Olympique. This new and exciting way to keep spectators and A STATISTICAL BREAKTHROUGH athletes informed of results helped to pave the way for many scoreboard updates and technical Seoul 1988 was the first Olympic Summer Games this data secure for the future, the brand innovations into the future. with computerised timekeeping. Now, instead also committed itself to providing real-time of just measuring, allocating and printing information for those in the main stadium, thanks out times, OMEGA was also able to digitally to a new video matrix board that delivered the store vital information and statistics needed first images and videos in colour. for understanding each sport. While keeping 12
2006 TORINO ATHLETES WEARING TECHNOLOGY For the first time since 1992, OMEGA was restored to its position as Official Timekeeper of all events at the Olympic Games. In the speed skating, there was particular focus on the brand’s newest piece of technology. For the first time at the Olympic Games, the athletes wore 2018 PYEONGCHANG special transponders on their ankles. These chips were able to send and receive radio signals and allowed OMEGA to capture specific time measurements throughout each race. MOTION SENSOR AND POSITIONING SYSTEMS PyeongChang 2018 was the beginning of a bold team – OMEGA provided in-depth information new era for OMEGA. Through new motion sensor for each event as it happened. For the athletes, and positioning systems, the Official Timekeeper the new technology provided the perfect analysis was able to provide continuous measurements of of their performance, while viewers at home were every athlete’s performance from start to finish. given a far greater understanding of each event Whether it was the live speed of a single alpine as it happened. skier - or the formations of an entire ice hockey 2012 LONDON A MILLIONTH OF A SECOND With an enhanced resolution of one millionth of a second, OMEGA’s new Quantum Timer in London was the beginning of a new generation of the brand’s timekeeping products. The resolution was 100 times greater than previous devices and, with a maximum variation of only one second out of every ten million seconds, it was five times more accurate. 13
OMEGA’S 29 OLYMPIC GAMES 1936 BERLIN 1952 1992 HELSINKI ALBERTVILLE 1948 1988 ST-MORITZ CALGARY 1948 / 2012 LONDON 1980 2008 MOSCOW BEIJING 1988 SEOUL 2010 VANCOUVER DISCOVER THE VIDEO 1976 MONTREAL 2014 1980 SOCHI LAKE PLACID 1968 GRENOBLE 1936 GARMISH 2021 1984 1932 / 1984 TOKYO SARAJEVO LOS ANGELES 1964 / 1976 2018 INNSBRUCK PYEONGCHANG 1960 ROME 2006 1968 TORINO MEXICO 1956 CORTINA 1956 2016 MELBOURNE RIO 15
OMEGA’S MODERN TIMEKEEPING Every event has its own timekeeping systems and sport-specific technology. These are just some of the familiar pieces of OMEGA equipment you are likely to see.
DISCOVER THE VIDEO THE ELECTRONIC STARTING PISTOL The problem with traditional pistols, is that positioned behind each racer. When the trigger sound travels slower than light, meaning that the is pressed, a sound is “played”, a light flash is athletes in the furthest lanes would hear the start emitted and a start pulse is given to the timing later than everyone else. While closer athletes device. This system is the fairest way to give every heard it first. Today, OMEGA’s solution is an athlete an equal start. electronic pistol that is connected to speakers ATHLETICS STARTING BLOCKS As well as having integrated speakers, the the starter can visually see any false start. The starting blocks in athletics are also enhanced rules of World Athletics fix the minimum reaction with built-in sensors that measure an athlete’s time at 100 milliseconds (a tenth of a second). force against the footrest 4,000 times per second. Any reaction which takes place below this limit The detection system instantly sends the force is considered to be premature and places the measurements to an on-site computer so that runner in a false start situation. SCAN’O’VISION MYRIA The Scan’O’Vision MYRIA is the most advanced photofinish camera in OMEGA’s history. Placed on the finish lines of sprints, hurdles and other races, it is able to record up to 10,000 digital images per second, producing a composite photo that enables judges to determine the official rankings and times of each event. The images from the photofinish camera are now a famous sight at the Olympic Games, and prove just how close some races can really be. DISCOVER THE VIDEO DISCOVER THE VIDEO 19
PHOTOCELL TECHNOLOGY Remember the traditional tape that was stretched across the finish line of races? Since 1948, this has been replaced by photocell technology, which emits beams of light instead. As soon as the winning athlete crosses those beams, their winning time is instantly recorded. OMEGA now uses four photocells on the finish line, all integrated into one unit, allowing more body patterns to be detected. While this gives OMEGA an immediate finishing time, the official time is always taken from the photofinish camera. DISCOVER THE VIDEO 22
SWIMMING LIGHT SHOW DISCOVER THE VIDEO An innovative light system called the Swimming Light Show features lights mounted on the starting blocks at the end of the pool. When a race is over, a single large dot indicates the athlete that came first, two medium-sized dots QUANTUM TIMER show who came second, and three smaller DISCOVER THE VIDEO dots of light confirm the third place finisher. It’s a perfect way for athletes and spectators to Mechanical stopwatches are a thing of the instantly see the outcome of a race. past! Today, OMEGA counts the seconds on its Quantum Timer, with an enhanced resolution of one millionth of a second. Driven by a micro crystal component imbedded in the timer, the resolution is 100 times greater than previous devices and, with a maximum variation of only one second out of every ten million seconds, it is five times more accurate. HI-RESOLUTION SCOREBOARDS OMEGA’s hi-resolution scoreboards display not only text and live information, but also DISCOVER THE VIDEO animations, athlete pictures and visual imagery. Using modern effects, winners’ names, results and their nation’s flag are boldly displayed, adding to the drama, thrill and excitement of each event. SWIMMING TOUCHPADS At the end of a swimming race, the famous touchpads positioned at both ends of the pool allow swimmers to “stop the clock” by exerting DISCOVER THE VIDEO a pressure of between 1.5 and 2.5 kg (3.3 and 5.5 pounds). Because of these touchpads, swimming has long been the only sport in which competitors can stop their own running time. It’s the most precise way to measure time in this challenging sport and OMEGA was responsible for first introducing the technology at the Olympic Games in 1968. 23
NEW OMEGA TECHNOLOGY FOR TOKYO 2020
With the arrival of Tokyo 2020, timekeeping is on the brink of a ground-breaking revolution. Very soon, the sports you watch will take on a new dimension, with athletic performance being measured and presented like you’ve never seen before. With its renowned legacy and expertise in sports, OMEGA’s timekeeping evolution is set to continue in Japan with new motion sensing and positioning technologies that will redefine our understanding of sport. So, what can we expect in this exciting future? From the very beginning of the Olympic Games swimming light show Tokyo 2020, OMEGA will be able to tell the complete story of each event as it happens. With the use of motion sensing and positioning systems, a comprehensive range of real-time data will be collected, giving everyone a total understanding of how each event was won. underwater lap counter scoreboard This competition relevant info will have numerous advantages. Firstly, it will show exactly how an athlete reached their final time and result. This is ideal for athletes and coaches to understand where they won or lost time. It will also be beneficial for spectators in the stadiums and at home, giving them added insight into the sport they’re watching. Furthermore, the information will give commentators and analysts much more content for their storytelling of a victory. Be prepared to not only witness the sports you love, but to be informed about every critical moment as it happens. control room 28
HOW IT WORKS
MOTION SENSING AND POSITIONING SYSTEMS SWIMMING Athletes in the pool will also have their complete Now you can watch the fast-paced 200m ATHLETICS performance measured – this time by image- tracking cameras around the pool that will track the movements of each swimmer. freestyle – and know the live positions of everyone in the water. You can watch the 100m butterfly – and compare the number of strokes to see how the race was won. You can even watch the closest The information provided by this computer finishes – and see who accelerated the most in vision technology will enable OMEGA to show the final few metres. Athletes on the track in Tokyo will all be fitted Now you can watch the 400m – and know exactly information such as: with motion sensor tags on their start numbers. where everyone is positioned on the turn. You can With all that water splashing around, it’s not These tags will interact with a number of receivers watch the 100m – and know who accelerated for • live positions (not just at every turn) always easy to see what’s happening in the pool. around the course, and send crucial information the best start, or when the winner reached their OMEGA’s information will now make everything • live speed back to OMEGA. top speed. You can even watch the 10,000m a lot clearer. and know the distance between runners, or who’s • acceleration With this technology, OMEGA will be able to speeding up and who’s slowing down. provide real-time information such as: • deceleration In Tokyo, every performance will be thoroughly • live positions (not just intermediate) measured, telling the full story of victory from start • distances between swimmers to finish. • live speed • number of strokes DISCOVER THE VIDEO • acceleration • deceleration • distance DISCOVER THE VIDEO 32
BEACH VOLLEYBALL For this dynamic and sandy sport, OMEGA will Everything gained will allow for a complete use image-tracking cameras installed around the tactical analysis of play, revealing the strengths field of play, capturing every moment of action. and strategies of each player and team. The cameras will be able to track the ball, as well as the players, to give us detailed information on the full game play and how each point was scored. Examples of information that OMEGA may be able to provide includes, • The distances each player covers • The speed of the players and the ball • The unique player techniques, including number of jumps and height • The type of shots, from smashes to blocks and spikes MILLER NIKY BELL JANE Total distance 1020.2 m Jumps 41 GYMNASTICS Total distance 1024.8 m CURTINA JULIE Jumps 33 Total distance 1164.3 m Jumps 26 A slightly different technology will be used in gymnastics – known as Pose Detection. This MAILLET OLIVIA incredibly advanced system is a huge step Total distance 1033.4 m Jumps 29 forward for the sport and registers the complete movements of each athlete. Pose Detection will also be used as an adjudication tool for judges. They will have it at their disposal to review an athlete’s technique. For example: • Review the synchronicity of performers in trampoline • Review the horizontal displacement in trampoline (how accurately the athlete hits the middle of the jumping mat) 34
3 BELL WILLIAM EQUESTRIAN OMEGA’s special image-tracking technology • distances will follow the action in equestrian, while laser detection will also be able to pinpoint the horse’s • live and average speeds movement. In this sport, the difference between gold and silver can come down to one obstacle, • time of flight over a jump so every second matters. OMEGA’s information • the rider’s exact path around the course will be able to break it down with: • trajectory over a jump OTHER The possibilities of motion sensing and positioning technologies are almost endless for OMEGA. RIDERS’ PATH COMPARISON Here are more sports in Tokyo where you may W.Bell J. Smith SPORTS see it in action: ROAD AND TRACK CYCLING • with motion sensor tags placed on the bikes. OPEN WATER SWIMMING • with athletes wearing tag bracelets to pinpoint their positions TRIATHLON 3 BELL WILLIAM 12 SMITH JAYDEN • with athletes wearing tags to pinpoint their positions. 304.98m Distance 302.46m 43.72 Time 39.21 +4.51 Gap 0.00 419m/min Av. Speed 464m/min 36
SPORT CLIMBING: TIMING A NEW SPORT LEAD Just 6 minutes on the OMEGA clock are given to TOUCH PAD - STOP athletes in this discipline and they must use the time to climb as high as possible on a 15m wall. A new event at the Olympic Games, sport Only one attempt is allowed and the ranking climbing has seen spectacular growth in recent is based on the height (hold number) achieved years and is particularly popular in urban within those 6 minutes. An athlete will also have settings, where climbing gyms have helped to a “+” added to their score if they are moving in accelerate interest amongst young people. the direction of the next hold when falling off the wall. At Tokyo 2020, the athletes will compete in three disciplines. The results of these will be combined as a single ranking to determine the men’s and women’s medals. The disciplines are: SPEED Simply the fastest to reach the top of a 15m wall. Two athletes will compete side by side and OMEGA has positioned two clocks at the top of the wall. When the climbers reach the top, they must stop their own time by hitting the new OMEGA climbing touchpads. Interestingly, this is now just the second Olympic Games sport, after swimming, where athletes will stop their own time. It marks a truly important evolution of this ZONE famous technology. STOP BOULDERING Athletes compete on 4.5m high structures known as boulders. Each boulder presents different touch pad challenges and the competitors must solve as many as they can within a set amount of time – which OMEGA will be carefully controlling from the side. TOUCH PAD - START START 37
ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
OMEGA’S INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN OMEGA has taken a captivating visual approach Duplantis, a young Swedish pole-vaulter who to its international advertising campaign for these has already set his sport alight with multiple Olympic Games, with a series of commercials wins on the global stage; and Léa Sprunger, the that highlight the magic of Japan alongside Swiss track and field athlete who will be hoping precise timekeeping and passionate athletes. to add more gold to her impressive athletics career so far. In each execution, whether it’s TV, digital or print, the layout and production is cleverly split At the heart of the advertising is OMEGA’s own between iconic Japanese themes, and those commitment to precision and timekeeping, and of the Olympic Games. Most of all, it perfectly to serve the athletes and record their Olympic highlights the dreams of the athletes who will be dreams. competing in Tokyo. To bring the concept to life, OMEGA has worked closely with a number of prominent Olympians, including Noah Lyles, Rory McIlroy and Chad le Clos; as well as world-record holder Armand 41
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OMEGA WATCHES FOR TOKYO 2020
SEAMASTER AQUA TERRA TOKYO 2020 LIMITED EDITION
DISCOVER THE VIDEO Just like the athletes at the Olympic Games, the Limited to just 2,020 pieces, the watch comes Seamaster Aqua Terra performs beautifully on ready for action on a structured blue rubber land and in the water. For this sporty Tokyo 2020 strap and includes an additional stainless steel model, OMEGA has introduced the collection’s bracelet in its special presentation box. Inside, first ceramic dial – crafted with a polished blue the timepiece is driven by the OMEGA Master finish and a laser-engraved Tokyo 2020 emblem. Chronometer Calibre 8900, delivering the Swiss industry’s highest standard of precision and Elsewhere, the symmetrical 41 mm case is built magnetic-resistance. from stainless steel and includes a sapphire crystal caseback with a transferred Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games emblem. 50
SEAMASTER PLANET OCEAN TOKYO 2020 LIMITED EDITION
Every host country of the Olympic Games brings Also limited to just 2,020 models, this timepiece a unique flair and culture to the event. Japan is is driven by the OMEGA Master Chronometer no exception! OMEGA is truly looking forward Calibre 8800 and features a sapphire crystal to its time in Tokyo and has crafted this patriotic caseback with a transferred Tokyo 2020 emblem. Seamaster with a true Japanese touch. It is delivered on a white leather strap and includes a stainless steel bracelet and additional The 39.5 mm case is in stainless steel and includes NATO strap in its presentation box. a white ceramic bezel ring with its diving scale in OMEGA Liquidmetal™. In tribute to the year of Tokyo 2020, the number 20 on the bezel is filled with red liquid ceramic. The polished white ceramic dial continues the Tokyo theme with a special lollipop central seconds hand! Beautifully representing the flag of Japan, its tip has been crafted with a varnished red dot. DISCOVER THE VIDEO 53
SEAMASTER DIVER 300M TOKYO 2020 • 56 •
We all know about diving at the Olympic window at 6 o’clock and the famous Seamaster Games, but this Diver 300M is more suited to an name highlighted in red. Blued hands and underwater ocean environment! The 42.00 mm indexes complete the design and are filled with case is in stainless steel and is mounted with a white Super-LumiNova. blue ceramic bezel ring filled with a white enamel diving scale. Stainless steel is also used for the Behind the sapphire crystal on the caseback, with polished-brushed bracelet that is seamlessly its transferred Tokyo 2020 emblem, you’ll find the integrated with the case. OMEGA Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8800 – which has been officially certified by the To complement the blue, there is a polished white Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS). ceramic dial with extra depth provided by the laser-engraved waves. Features include a date DISCOVER THE VIDEO 57
AN EYE ON THE FUTURE
On the 15th of May 2017, OMEGA extended its Official Timekeeper. This time, 109 events will be global partnership with the International Olympic contested, making full use of the legacy venues of Committee (IOC) through to 2032. Beijing 2008. There will also be seven new events to look out for, adding plenty of pioneering spirit This huge announcement means that The Games to the occasion. of the XXXV Olympiad in 2032 will mark 100 years since the start of OMEGA's relationship Then, in 2024, the Olympic Games will return to with the Olympic Games, which dates back to Europe. Paris 2024 will welcome the world to a 1932 in Los Angeles. truly inspirational destination, with the sporting celebration flowing alongside the Seine, while OMEGA’s signature represented the first the Olympic Village will be just 15 minutes from worldwide Olympic Games partner to commit to central city landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower the Olympic Movement through to 2032. It will and the Grand Palais. be the brand’s 35th time as Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games, and you can be sure that In 2028, it will be on to Los Angeles, where the technology and expertise will be at the very OMEGA’s Olympic Games timekeeping journey highest level. first began. It’s sure to be a meaningful and emotional return, with some very different Until then, we have a number of exciting and equipment to that original year. historic editions to look forward to! In just a few months, the torch will be lit for Beijing 2022, Plenty to look forward to. All in good time! marking OMEGA’s 30th occasion in the role of 61
LINKS PICTURES BY CHAPTER OMEGA AND TOKYO 2020 Link HIGHLIGHTS FROM HISTORY Link OMEGA’S 29 OLYMPIC GAMES Link OMEGA’S MODERN TIMEKEEPING Link NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR TOKYO 2020 Link HOW IT WORKS – MOTION SENSING AND POSITIONING SYSTEMS Link SPORT CLIMBING: TIMING A NEW SPORT Link THE INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN Link OMEGA WATCHES FOR TOKYO 2020 Link AN EYE ON THE FUTURE Link ALL CHAPTERS Link
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: OMEGA International Press Office Rue Jakob-Stämpfli 96 2502 Bienne Switzerland Tel. +41 32 343 9211 press@omega.ch https://press.omegawatches.com/ FOLLOW US: #OMEGAOfficialTimekeeper @OMEGA OMEGA Watches @OMEGAWatches @欧米茄 OMEGA is a company of the Swatch Group, the largest manufacturer and distributor of watches and jewellery in the world.
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