In celebration of its role as Official Timekeeper of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, the Swiss watchmaker Omega has proudly opened its ‘Omega Olympic Games Exhibition’ inside the Lotte World Mall in Seoul, South 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.”
Julia Choi, CEO of Swatch Group Korea said: “The Olympic Winter Games are an exciting moment for South Korea and I feel very proud to welcome guests in Seoul to this special exhibition. It lets everyone understand Omega’s important role in the event and how the brand is helping to make every moment a success. South Korean hospitality is sure to be at its best, and here you can see that the timekeeping will be too.”
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 Lotte World Mall, Jamsil. It is open from 10:30 am to 10 pm every day with free admission.
