86 years of timekeeping history displayed at the OMEGA Olympic Games Exhibition in Seoul
In celebration of its role as Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, Worldwide TOP Partner OMEGA has opened an ‘OMEGA Olympic Games Exhibition’ inside the Lotte World Mall in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The launch event included many guests of honour including Alain Zobrist, CEO of OMEGA Timing; Julia Choi, CEO of Swatch Group Korea; OMEGA friend and Olympic Games athlete Yuna Kim; and Hyunchul Park, the Director of Lotte Property & Development.
The ‘OMEGA Olympic Games Exhibition’ displays 86 years of the brand’s timekeeping history, which extends through 28 Olympic Games since 1932. The showcase takes guests through a race-themed tunnel, featuring “Start”, “In-Race” and “Finish Line” sections, showing some of the most important technologies that have been developed and used by OMEGA over the decades.
Alain Zobrist, CEO of OMEGA Timing, said: “For OMEGA, our Olympic Games role has been a passion and a dedication for many years. It’s such a pleasure to open this exhibition and share some of that history and innovation. Timekeeping at such a huge event requires a lot of expertise and technology. In this showcase, you can really see how we measure every second so precisely. It’s definitely an exhibition that all sports fans should see.”
In the “Start” section of the exhibition, one of the highlights is the comparison between the traditional starting pistol and today’s streamlined electronic gun. Moving into the ‘In-Race’ section allows visitors to view the new ‘Motion Sensors’, which will be introduced at PyeongChang 2018, as well as the ‘Omegascope’, a piece of equipment introduced in 1964 that first allowed times to be shown on television. In the ‘Finish Line’ section, OMEGA has included a handcrafted ‘Last Lap Bell’ and more modern technologies such as Photofinish Cameras and Photoelectric Cells, which are all used to determine the results of races. In addition to these special sections, a photo zone with a stadium background enables visitors to take their own pictures as if they were passing the finish line.
The exhibition also displays OMEGA’s new Seamaster Olympic Games Collection. Representing the different colours of the famous Olympic rings, there are five models available in black, yellow, green, blue or red. As well as having a vibrant colour design and playful spirit, the watches have largely been inspired by several OMEGA stopwatches from the brand’s timekeeping past – particularly those used at the 1976 events in Montreal and Innsbruck.
The OMEGA Olympic Games Exhibition can be found at the atrium on the 1st floor of the Lotte World Mall, Jamsil. It is open from 10.30 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day with free admission.
OMEGA in PyeongChang
In PyeongChang, every performance will be measured and distributed thanks to 300 timekeepers, 350 trained volunteers and 230 tons of equipment. Amongst this vast collection of equipment will be the Scan’O’Vision MYRIA, a high-speed photofinish camera that can capture 10,000 digital images per second. There will also be OMEGA’s innovative Electronic Start Pistol and the brand’s Photoelectric Cells, which stop time as soon as an athlete crosses the finish line.
For more details: www.omegawatches.com