Omega is the Swatch Group brand that serves as the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games.
Omega’s Olympic timing history began at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where the company supplied a single timekeeper and precision stopwatches. Its role later expanded from hand timing to sophisticated electronic systems, including photo-finish cameras, electronic starting equipment, scoreboards, and systems that distribute official results.
The relationship has not been completely uninterrupted: Longines handled Olympic timing at the 1972 Games, but Omega returned for the 1976 Olympics. Omega has remained the Olympic movement’s principal official timekeeper in the modern era, including the 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, 2016 Rio, and 2020 Tokyo Games. The Tokyo Olympics were held in 2021 after postponement.
A common mix-up is confusing the timekeeper with an Olympic sponsor or with another Swatch Group watchmaker. Longines, Tissot, and Omega all belong to the same group, but Omega is the brand associated with the Olympics. The connection also helps explain Omega’s emphasis on chronographs and precision sports timing.