Olympic Games : a race proudly won by OMEGA

OMEGA’S PROUD OLYMPIC GAMES TIMEKEEPING LEGACY

On 30 occasions since 1932, OMEGA has fulfilled the role of Official Timekeeper at the Olympic Games. We are also proud to record the extraordinary performances at the Paralympic Games and Youth Olympic Games. In all events, from start to finish, it’s our duty to capture every thrilling second and result. What a challenge. What an honour!

On the left, a man with one of the first start gun. On the right a woman with the latest version of the start gun

TIMEKEEPING TECHNOLOGY’S RELENTLESS EVOLUTION

A lone Swiss watchmaker arrived in Los Angeles in 1932 with 30 split-second chronographs. Now, a team of timekeeping professionals is supported by up to 450 tons of equipment but the goal remains the same: to deliver flawless timing to the world’s finest competitors.

9 GREAT MOMENTS IN OMEGA’S OLYMPIC GAMES TIMEKEEPING HISTORY

Every edition of the Olympic Games has memorable moments but some truly stand out.
AN OLYMPIC GAMES LEGACY BEGINS

1932
Sports Technical Director William Henry wrote, “It is impossible to contemplate the wonderfully successful Olympic Games without recognizing the part played by OMEGA in this great international event.” A partnership had begun.
FOUR GOLDS FOR A LEGEND

1936
At the Berlin 1936 Games, the great Jesse Owens (USA) memorably won four gold medals in the days when athletes dug their own starting holes with small shovels. OMEGA timed every outstanding performance.
BIRTH OF MODERN TIMING

1948
OMEGA used the photoelectric cell for the first time at the 1948 Olympic Winter Games in St. Moritz and at the Games in London. It was at this Olympiad that machines began to out-perform human beings for accuracy.
CROIX DU MÉRITE OLYMPIQUE

1952
The electronics era arrived. The OMEGA Time Recorder allowed results to be printed, winning OMEGA the prestigious Croix du Mérite Olympique. Official times were now recorded to the nearest hundredth of a second.
AGE OF ELECTRONIC TIMING

1964
The Omegascope introduced the concept of real time in televised sports, superimposing numbers on the bottom of the screen; it revolutionized timekeeping when it debuted in Innsbruck, the first fully electronic Games.
SWIMMER STOPS THE CLOCK

1968
The most talked-about technology in Mexico City was the touch pad in the pool that allowed the swimmer’s own hand to stop the clock, eliminating the need for poolside timekeepers. It remains a timekeeping milestone.
SCAN-O-VISION JUST IN TIME

1992
At the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, speed skaters were treated to the OMEGA Scan-O-Vision system that digitally measured times to the nearest thousandth of a second as the skaters crossed the finish line.
FUTURISITIC STARTING PISTOL

2010
The most talked-about bit of new sports timekeeping equipment In Vancouver was the Electronic Start System. A streamlined, futuristic red flash gun and a sound generation box replaced the traditional starting pistol.
A NEW ERA IN TIMEKEEPING

2012
With an enhanced resolution of 1 µs (one millionth of a second) the Quantum Timer heralded a new generation of OMEGA Timing products. There is a maximum variation of only one second out of ten million seconds.

The History of Olympic Timekeeping

Every Split Second Counts

The difference between gold and silver can come down to microseconds. OMEGA's timekeeping documentary 'Every Split Second Counts' explores the glory and heartache of such moments through interviews with athletes from both sides of that very fine line.