26 January 2018 | OMEGA , Baselworld 2018

OMEGA has been the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932; that means 86 years and 27 games of honorable service and figures that deserve to be awarded a watch specifically designed to mark this milestone...or even a specifically designed collection, like the OMEGA Seamaster Olympic Games. This collection revamps the classic styles of the Seamaster Aqua Terra collection that has been revisited with a "vintage" inspiration connected to the chronographs used at the Innsbruck and Montreal games in 1976.

The domed dial of the Omega Seamaster Olympic Games Collection has a distinct readability; the white counter of the hours stands out on the black central disc and so does the counter of the minutes with its black end contrasting with the track on the outer white part. The cardiac pulse reader gives this timepiece a touch of sportiness; a very well-groomed detail despite its simplicity - three circumference arches measuring 20 seconds each. It is enough to count your pulse over the 20 second cycle and then multiply the result by 3 to get the correct value of your heart rate.

The reference to the Olympic Games can be seen on each watch, thanks to the presence of five circles located in the lower part of the dial and the dedicated case-back, but it is also evident from the colors of the collection itself. The OMEGA Seamaster Olympic Games comes in five color versions; black, yellow, red, green and blue - the same colors as the Olympic rings. The symmetrical 39,5mm case hosts the same in-house built caliber used in the new 38mm Aqua Terra timepieces; the OMEGA 8800 Master Chronometer with a Co-Axial escapement, an anti-magnetic with a date located at 6 o'clock and a power reserve of about 55 hours.

The anti-reflective sapphire crystal case-back shows the rhodium finish with an arabesque Côtes de Genève motif on the movement, while an anodized aluminum disc (painted according to the color of the watch) shows all the host cities and the dates of the OMEGA Olympic village, starting from Los Angeles 1932 all the way to Los Angeles 2028.

The latch of the case back reminds us of the Globmaster's one; four slotted screws inserted within four lugs give a retro touch to the Omega Seamaster Olympic Games Collection that is also present on the the domed winding crown sporting the OMEGA logo. The mixture of modernity and vintage is, in my opinion, a very successful achievement, thanks to the colorful strap made of pierced leather, the soft lines of the case and the presence of one of the most modern and technological calibers on the market. The OMEGA Seamaster Olympic Games will be available from the end of January at a retailing price of €5,100 in a limited edition of 2032 pieces for each color. This figure pays tribute to the collaboration between OMEGA and the Olympic Games - a collaboration that will certainly extend until 2032, exactly 100 years after that now distant Los Angeles 1932.

(Photo credit: courtesy of OMEGA Watches)

Matteo Bulla @Horbiter®

@Matteo Bulla

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