In-Depth: How Omega Scored At The Tokyo Olympics

Omega, as Official Timekeeper, was responsible for all the timing, scoring, and what it described as “venue results systems and services” during the Olympics. And while Tokyo was the 29th time the manufacture has carried out these duties at the Games, utilizing the most cutting-edge technologies to help score the events, new challenges will always arise. Take, for example, the deadlock between Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi during the high jump final.
 

After the Olympic official suggests a tie-breaking “jump off,” Barshim asked, “Can we have two golds?” The International Olympic Committee agreed, and the exhausted yet friendly competitors made history. So hats off to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, who, incidentally, was spotted in Tokyo sporting an 18-karat yellow gold watch from the Omega Seamaster Olympic Games Gold collection. This 39.5mm, white-dialed model was released prior to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Two days before the closing ceremonies, Bach told the press that the Tokyo Games had far exceeded his expectations because when spectators were forbidden to attend as part of pandemic precautions, he feared that these Olympics could become a “Games without soul.”

Instead, Bach said that there was a new kind of intimacy created in the quiet venues. “In many cases, you did not realize that there were no spectators,” he said. “You could even experience the feelings of the athletes closer and better than being surrounded by so many spectators.”
 

For enthusiasts, one of the most interesting things about these games was how many athletes wore timepieces during their events.

For example, US bronze medalist and Omega Ambassador Noah Lyles wore an Omega Aqua Terra “Ultra Light” during the men’s 200-meter final. This mechanical marvel weighs just 55 grams – or a little more than the weight of two AA batteries. And considering that the winners of 200-meter races are often decided by tenths of a second, you don’t want any extra weight to slow you down.
 

For some competitors, wearing a watch helps fuel their drive. Irish golfer and longtime Omega Ambassador Rory McIlroy may have finished off the medal podium, but still won gold in our hearts for wearing a 41mm Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer Ultra Light with a special message worked into its white NATO strap: the name and birthdate of his daughter.
 

The Aqua Terra Ultra Light also showed up in competition on the wrist of American-born Swedish pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis. The world record holder and Omega Ambassador wore the same model as McIlroy during the Olympic Games in Tokyo minus the special strap.

It really says something about the lightness of this watch when an Olympian will wear it while defying gravity!

In the hurdles, competitors not only fly through the air, but they also have to hit the ground running. It’s a physically punishing sport not just for the athlete but also for a watch.
 

Omega’s commitment to sports isn’t just limited to game days. Take, for example, the brand’s partnership with New Zealand sailors and Omega Ambassadors Pete Burling and Blair Tuke, who won silver in the Men’s 49er. The brand’s long-standing sponsorship helped fund the duo’s training. And before the games, Burling and Tuke helped debut the Planet Ocean 600M CoAxial Master Chronometer 39.5mm “Tokyo 2020” Limited Edition.
 

Limited to 2,020 pieces, the special design of this watch includes a polished white ceramic dial with a red-tipped central seconds hand to represent the flag of Japan. Its white ceramic bezel also has a Liquidmetal diving scale and the number 20 filled with red liquid ceramic. Additionally, presented on a white leather strap, the watch features a sapphire crystal caseback with the Tokyo 2020 logo transferred in blue.
 

Through the caseback, you can see the Omega Master Chronometer Calibre 8800 inside. The presentation box includes an additional stainless steel bracelet and NATO strap.