Human timekeepers make way for automation

The Olympic Winter Games St Moritz 1948 saw human timekeepers replaced by automated timers that used photoelectric cell technology developed by Omega. The Official Olympic Timekeeper since Los Angeles 1932, the Swiss watchmaker’s new system consisted of a starting gun and a reflective mirror that projected a light beam across the finish line. Used in the speed skating, cross-country and Alpine skiing events, the timer was triggered by the firing of the gun. When the light beam was broken by an athlete crossing the line, the device recorded the time.

The invention symbolised Swiss technological precision, which has developed greatly since then. Today’s precision timekeeping devices are capable of collecting 10,000 images per second and measuring time to a thousandth of a second, while as much as 450 tonnes of equipment is now required to time athletes at the Olympic Games.