Words: Josh Lee
Despite having well documented links with Neil Armstrong and James Bond, it is Omega’s unrelenting ties with sports that is perhaps the venture’s signature hallmark. Notably, having been the official timekeeper of the Olympics for the best part of a century, the Swiss watchmaker has chronicled the perimeter-pushing feats of the world’s greatest athletes: Usain Bolt’s iconic triple in front of the Beijing crowd; Sir Chris Hoy’s triumphs in London; Léon Marchand’s dominance in the pools of Paris. And, while this year’s collection of Olympians have long departed the athletes’village for a brief period of recovery (or retirement), Omega has been extremely quick to transition from its role in the French capital to one in Barcelona, owing to its official partnership with the 37th America’s Cup, which set off on 22 August and will conclude on 27 October.
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup, from £5,800, omegawatches.com
The backstory
The label’s affiliation with the beloved regatta kickstarted in 1995, when it backed Team New Zealand, before it eventually became the official timekeeping partner in 2000, 2003 and 2021, with a return at this year’s competition.
“I’m proud to say we’ve earned our place on the water, having served with distinction at three previous editions of the America’s Cup. We’re honoured to be tasked with measuring every microsecond of this historical boat race and the exciting new races under the America’s Cup banner,” says Omega president and chief-exec Raynald Aeschlimann.
The front and back
To mark its return to the waters, Omega has unveiled the Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup, a collectible piece of wristwear that’s produced from stainless steel and is instantly recognisable for its blue ceramic unidirectional bezel on which there is a regatta scale featuring two five-minute sections (used for race pre-starts), and a ‘START’ section complete with flag motif.
On the ceramic matte-finish dial is a pattern of subtly stylised laser-engraved waves, and the seconds hand features an America’s Cup trophy counterweight; the caseback, meanwhile, displays the Auld Mug with a ‘B’ for the host city.
The power
Driving it all is Omega’s Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8806, and the patented Quick-Change system is ideal for when wanting to make fluid switches between the stainless-steel bracelet and the blue rubber strap – options that are equally suitable when mastering the waves or back home on steadier ground.
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