On 31 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!
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.
1932
1932 - An olympic games legacy begins
1932
An olympic games legacy begins
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.
1936 - Four golds for a legend
1936
Four golds for a legend
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.
1948 - Birth of modern timing
1948
Birth of modern timing
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.
1952 - Croix du mérite olympique
1952
Croix du mérite olympique
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.
1964 - Age of electronic timing
1964
Age of electronic timing
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.
1968 - Swimmer stops the clock
1968
Swimmer stops the clock
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.
1992 - Scan-o-vision just in time
1992
Scan-o-vision just in time
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.
2010 - Futurisitic starting pistol
2010
Futurisitic starting pistol
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.
2012 - A new era in timekeeping
2012
A new era in timekeeping
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.
1932 - An olympic games legacy begins
Olympic Games Timekeeping
9 great historical moments
Every edition of the Olympic Games has memorable moments but some truly stand out.
1932
An olympic games legacy begins
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.
Read moreShow less
1936
Four golds for a legend
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.
Read moreShow less
1948
Birth of modern timing
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.
Read moreShow less
1952
Croix du mérite olympique
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.
Read moreShow less
1964
Age of electronic timing
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.
Read moreShow less
1968
Swimmer stops the clock
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.
Read moreShow less
1992
Scan-o-vision just in time
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.
Read moreShow less
2010
Futurisitic starting pistol
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.
Read moreShow less
2012
A new era in timekeeping
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.
Read moreShow less
OUR HISTORIC OLYMPIC GAMES ADS
OMEGA’s Modern Timekeeping
OMEGA’s timekeeping systems are at the forefront of cutting-edge equipment and sport-specific innovations. These are just some of the technologies you are likely to see at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The problem with traditional pistols, is that sound travels slower than light, meaning that the athletes in the furthest [READ_MORE] lanes would hear the start later than everyone else. While closer athletes heard it first. Today, OMEGA’s solution is an electronic pistol that is connected to speakers positioned behind each racer. When the trigger is pressed, a sound is “played”, a light flash is emitted and a start pulse is given to the timing device. This system is the fairest way to give every athlete an equal start.
Video description: Starting Pistol video
Athletics Starting Blocks
As well as having integrated speakers, the starting blocks in athletics are also enhanced with built-in sensors that [READ_MORE] measure an athlete’s force against the footrest 4,000 times per second. The detection system instantly sends the force measurements to an on-site computer so that the starter can visually see any false start. The rules of World Athletics fix the minimum reaction time at 100 milliseconds (a tenth of a second). Any reaction which takes place below this limit is considered to be premature and places the runner in a false start situation.
Video description: Starting Blocks video
Scan ‘O’ Vision ULTIMATE
Featuring the highest resolution of any photofinish camera on the market, the Scan‘O’Vision ULTIMATE can capture up to 40,000 digital images per second on the finish line of races. This makes it faster for judges to decide the result and separate close finishes with maximum clarity. Dedicated colour sensors also enable cleaner images, without pixel interference.
Photocell Technology
Remember the traditional tape that was stretched across the finish line of races? Since 1948, this has been replaced [READ_MORE] 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.
Video description: Photocell video
Swimming Light Show
An innovative light system called the Swimming Light Show features lights mounted on the starting blocks at the end [READ_MORE] of the pool. When a race is over, a single large dot indicates the athlete that came first, two medium-sized dots show who came second, and three smaller dots of light confirm the third place finisher. It’s a perfect way for athletes and spectators to instantly see the outcome of a race.
Video description: Light Show video
Swimming Touchpads
At the end of a swimming race, the famous touchpads positioned at both ends of the pool allow swimmers [READ_MORE] to “stop the clock” by exerting 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.
Video description: Swimming Touchpads video
Quantum Timer
Mechanical stopwatches are a thing of the past! Today, OMEGA counts the seconds on its Quantum Timer, with an enhanced [READ_MORE] 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.
Video description: Quantum Timer video
Hi-Resolution Scoreboards
OMEGA’s hi-resolution scoreboards display not only text and live information, but also animations, athlete pictures [READ_MORE] 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.
Video description: Hi-Resolution Scoreboards video
“OMEGA has evolved, developed and implemented many of the most famous timekeeping technologies in sport.”
THE OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES
THE OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES
Get set for a summer of sporting action as OMEGA fulfils the role of Official Timekeeper at Paris 2024.
