For many years now, Omega has been surprising watch lovers with exclusive special models and limited editions to mark the Olympic Games. We now also know which models the Swiss luxury watch brand has dedicated to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. We took a closer look and present them to the readers of our magazine in this article.
An Eventful Summer for Omega Fans
July 2019 brought not one but two high-profile events for fans of Omega watches. For one, the brand celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first manned Moon landing in July 1969, when its legendary and still popular model, the Speedmaster Professional, became the "Moonwatch".
For another, exactly one year before the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Omega unveiled its new Olympic collection. The brand has had a particularly close relationship with both space exploration and sport – and especially with the Olympic Games – for many decades.
A Sporting Debut: the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles
Omega's commitment to the Olympic ideal, which has long since become an established tradition, dates back to the early 1930s. At the 1932 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles, the brand served for the first time as Official Timekeeper for all Olympic disciplines.
Twenty years later, it made watchmaking and Olympic history once again when, at the 1952 Games in Helsinki, it became the very first company to use electronic timing in sport. Over the years, a series of innovative technical devices was developed specifically for this purpose, including the Omega Time Recorder, the OMEGAscope, a "contact pad" for timing swimming events, and the "Scan'O'Vision" photo-finish camera. The brand also served as Official Timekeeper in London 2012 and in Rio de Janeiro 2016.
Likewise, the Omega Olympic Collection included limited editions for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang.
Two New Watch Highlights for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Around the world, athletes hoping to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have long since begun their intensive preparations and are already training for the big event. Meanwhile, Omega's watchmakers have launched two new special models that are likely to delight more than just Olympic fans across the globe. The Tokyo limited edition comes from the Seamaster collection, whose watches have always stood out for combining elegant sportiness with robust, reliable watchmaking.
The two models are the Seamaster Aqua Terra Tokyo 2020 and the Seamaster Planet Ocean Tokyo 2020. Only 2,020 pieces of each of these special models for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be produced.
The Seamaster Aqua Terra Tokyo 2020: a Symphony in Blue
The Seamaster Aqua Terra Tokyo 2020 is all about the color blue and its many shades. For the first time in the Seamaster collection, it features a ceramic dial, its polished surface engraved with a pattern that echoes the official logo of the Tokyo Games. The watch has a 41 mm stainless steel case with a sapphire crystal caseback. This offers a view of Omega's "Master Chronometer" Caliber 8900, which stands for the highest Swiss precision and resistance to disruptive magnetic fields, as well as of the self-winding rotor.
The sapphire caseback also displays the world-famous emblem of the Olympic Games with its five rings, while the metal rim of the caseback is engraved with the words Tokyo 2020 Limited Edition and the individual number of each piece. This exclusive special edition of the Omega Seamaster comes with a textured blue rubber strap and an interchangeable stainless steel bracelet, presented in a specially designed presentation box.
Not Just for Olympic Water Sports: the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Tokyo 2020
The second model in the Tokyo 2020 limited edition is perfectly equipped for all kinds of water sports, but it is also likely to attract keen interest from several other groups. Alongside divers and water sports enthusiasts, who particularly value the toughness of the Planet Ocean line, patriotic Japanese buyers will probably take to this model quickly. That is thanks to the distinctive design of the Seamaster Planet Ocean Tokyo 2020 Limited Edition, which takes its cue from the colors and design of the Japanese flag. The strap, dial and bezel gleam in pure white, against which two red details stand out in striking contrast.
First, the number 20 on the unidirectional rotating diving bezel is filled with red ceramic, a nod to the year of the Tokyo Olympics. Second, the central seconds hand on this special model has a "lollipop" design, with a small round disc in place of the tip. This disc is lacquered red and creates the impression that the Japanese flag is circling the dial once a minute.
With a case diameter of 39.5 mm, this special model can be worn by both women and men.
It is powered by Omega's Master Chronometer Caliber 8800. Here, too, the sapphire caseback bears the Olympic emblem, and in addition to the bright white leather strap, this model also comes with a stainless steel bracelet and a light gray NATO strap with white edge stripes – and, of course, a matching presentation box.
Tokyo Limited Editions: a Reminder of Three High-Profile Sporting Events
If you secure one of the special models from Omega's latest Olympic collection, you add more to your watch collection than just a memento of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. In the 2020 Olympic year, Omega is involved not only in the Olympic Games but also serves as timekeeper for the Paralympics and the Youth Olympic Games.
Whether Aqua Terra or Planet Ocean, both Seamaster special editions commemorate not just one but three high-profile sporting competitions. And as with every limited special edition, the famous Olympic motto is likely to hold a very special meaning for watch lovers here, too: taking part is what counts!
