With the 2020/2021 Olympic Games now in the (record) books, Nick Gould and I can look back on a record number of watch spots for one event (here and here) – but we certainly didn’t flag up every single watch we noticed.
Which is why today I’d like to bring you a listing of all the athletes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games who wore a watch by Omega. Why Omega? Because this Swiss brand is the official sponsor and timekeeper of the Olympic Games and has had a presence at the Olympics since 1932. The Tokyo games represent Omega’s 29th turn as official timekeeper, a role it will next reprise in 2022 at the winter games in Beijing.
Feats of Omega’s timing capabilities at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
This was the biggest Olympic Games operation in Omega’s 89 years of timekeeping. It required 530 timekeepers, 400 tons of equipment, and 900 volunteers to ensure the operation ran smoothly. Over the course of two inspiring weeks, this timekeeping team measured 1,300,000 results.
Some of these results made particularly notable impressions: 171 Olympic and 31 world records were measured by the Omega equipment, including the amazing 49.45-second time in the men’s 100m butterfly swum by American swimmer and Omega ambassador Caeleb Dressel. He is the fourth male in history to win gold in a total of five events at the Olympics (100m butterfly, 100m freestyle, 50m freestyle, 4x100m relay, 4x100m freestyle relay), following in Omega ambassador Michael Phelps’ record-setting aquatic footsteps.
Caeleb Dressel wearing a two-tone Omega Seamaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer Chronograph Diver 300M at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Dressel did not wear a watch during the competition, but he did stop by the Omega pavilion to show off his two-tone Seamaster Co‑Axial Master Chronometer Chronograph Diver 300M in steel and 18-karat yellow gold with blue ceramic dial and bezel (on a NATO strap in the colors of the American flag). “I don’t usually choose navy blue,” the record-holder said of his chosen watch, “but this watch kind of screamed at me. I had to have it – and I really like gold.”
There were nine athletes wearing Omega watches while competing in the Olympic Games, and here they are.
Omega Aqua Terra 150 M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light: 7 Tokyo 2020 athletes’ choice
Seven of these nine athletes were wearing this year’s “Omega du jour,” the Aqua Terra 150 M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light.
Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light
The case of this watch is extremely light at just 55 grams on a NATO strap, which makes it particularly easy to wear by golfers and other athletes.
Its manually wound Caliber 8928 Ti with co-axial escapement is interesting too, and not just because of its METAS Master Chronometer certification ensuring precision. With bridges and a base plate in ceramized titanium, the movement features the co-axial escapement invented by Dr. George Daniels, whose free-sprung balance Omega has modified with a nonmagnetic silicon balance spring.
The movement’s special features also include resistance to magnetic fields up to 15,000 Gauss and twin serially operating spring barrels providing 72 hours of power reserve.
Golfers Rory McIlroy, Sebastian Muñoz, and Guido Migliozzi
The men’s individual golf tournament played its final round on Sunday, August 1 after thunderstorm-related delays had plagued previous rounds.
Rory McIlroy wearing an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was only eliminated by a birdie on the third extra hole in a seven-man sudden death playoff for bronze.
He wore a wonderfully personal variation on the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light thanks to the special message inscribed into its NATO strap: the name and birthdate of his daughter.
Sebastian Muñoz is 28 years old and hails from Bogotá, Columbia. Having turned professional in 2015, he won his first PGA Tour tournament in 2019. Guido Migliozzi, 24 years of age, is from Vicenza, Italy, but lives in Dubai. He turned professional in 2016.
Sebastian Muñoz wearing an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Like McIlroy, Muñoz was eliminated by birdie on the third extra hole in the seven-man sudden death playoff for bronze on the final day at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, Tokyo. Migliozzi did not make it quite that far in the tournament.
Guido Migliozzi wearing an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Both Muñoz and Migliozzi wore the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light while playing – Muñoz’s on a personalized strap.
Pole vaulter Armand Duplantis
American-born Swedish pole vaulter Armand (Mondo) Duplantis is an Omega ambassador. The current world record holder in pole vaulting wore the same model as the golfers during the Olympic Games in Tokyo (minus a special strap).
Armand Duplantis wearing an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
As expected, the 21-year-old Duplantis took home gold in the men’s pole vault event.
Swiss track star Léa Sprunger
Swiss track-and-field specialist Léa Sprunger from Nyon competed at the Olympics in the women’s 400-meter hurdles and the women’s 4x400m relay although unfortunately she did not take home a medal.
Léa Sprunger wearing an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Sprunger also wore the Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light in gamma titanium on a strap personalized with the Swiss cross.
U.S. track star Dalilah Muhammad
The United States’ Dalilah Muhammad also competed in track and field events at the Olympic Games – and in fact ran in the very same disciplines as Léa Sprunger – winning gold in the women’s 4x400m relay and silver in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, where she was edged out by TAG Heuer ambassador Sydney McLaughlin.
Dalilah Muhammad wearing an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Muhammad wore the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light during competition and the gorgeous Speedmaster 38 mm “Cappuccino” during a visit to the Omega pavilion in Tokyo.
High jumper Yaroslava Mahuchukikh
Nineteen-year-old high-jumper Yaroslava Mahuchukikh walked – or perhaps jumped? – away from the Olympic Games with a bronze medal for her native Ukraine.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh wearing an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
On her wrist, the light-as-a-feather Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light.
Golfer Collin Morikawa wore the Omega Speedmaster ’57 Co-Axial Chronograph
Collin Morikawa was wearing his Speedmaster ’57 Co-Axial Chronograph as he made his way through the men’s golf tournament alongside the other Omega golf ambassadors Rory McIlroy, Sebastian Muñoz, and Guido Migliozzi.
Collin Morikawa wearing an Omega Speedmaster ’57 Co-Axial Chronograph at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
While McIlroy and Muñoz were eliminated by birdie on the third extra hole in the seven-man sudden death playoff for bronze, Morikawa was eliminated by par on the fourth extra hole.
Swimmer Jérémy Desplanches and the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M
Jérémy Desplanches wore his Seamaster Diver 300M in steel with white ceramic dial and black ceramic bezel, which he secured to his wrist with a hard-to-miss Swiss flag-inspired NATO strap in red and white.
Jérémy Desplanches wearing an Omega Seamaster Diver 300M at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (photo courtesy Omega/magicpbk)
Geneva native Desplanches took home bronze in the 200m individual medley, winning the first swim medal for Switzerland at the Olympics since 1984 and setting a new Swiss record with his 1:56.17 time. Desplanches has been an Omega ambassador since 2020.
Quick Facts Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm Ultra Light
Case: 41 x 13.2 mm, gamma titanium, telescopic crown
Movement: manual winding Caliber 8928 Ti with co-axial escapement, 72-hour power reserve, 25,200 vph frequency, Master Chronometer certification by METAS, resistance to magnetic fields up to 15,000 Gauss, free-sprung balance with silicon balance spring, bridges and base plate in ceramized titanium, twin serially operating spring barrels
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds
Price: €47,600
Remark: 5-year warranty
Quick Facts Omega Speedmaster ’57 Co-Axial Chronograph
Case: 41.5 mm, stainless steel
Movement: automatic Caliber 9300/9301 with silicon free-sprung balance spring and co-axial escapement, column wheel control of chronograph, vertical clutch, twin serially operating spring barrels for 60-hour power reserve, 4 Hz/28,800 vph frequency, 54 jewels
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date, chronograph, tachymeter (scale on bezel)
Price: €7,800
Remark: 5-year warranty
Quick Facts Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Co-Axial Master Chronometer
Case: 42 mm, stainless steel with ceramic bezel and helium escape valve
Dial: ceramic
Movement: automatic Caliber 8800 with co-axial escapement and free-sprung balance with silicon balance spring; official METAS certification as a chronometer, 3.5 Hz/25,200 vph, 55 hours of power reserve frequency, resistance to magnetic fields of 15,000 Gauss
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date
Price: €4,800
Remark: 5-year warranty
You may also enjoy:
Wrist Watching: 5 Athletes’ Wristwatches At The 2020 Olympic Games In Tokyo
Olympic Wristwatch Stories In Honor Of Tokyo 2020
The Omega Watches Of Michael Phelps, The Most Successful Olympian. Ever.
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When I was watching the Olympic Games I saw around a dozen athletes wearing the ultra light aqua terra. Being an Omega fan I’m quite happy with that. It’s a watch that’s meant to be worn to handle the high level of activities.
On the other hand I did also spot lots of athletes wearing Richard Mille which seemed to not sit well with some collectors as the brand basically gave away the watches to the athletes for marketing purpose, which this action kinda contrast the fact that on the market collectors have to spend premium above retail price to obtain them?
Having watches on the wrists of real athletes as they perform their almost ultra-human feats is an intrinsic part of Richard Mille’s R&D philosophy and has been since the beginning. It’s part of the brand “DNA” if you will. There is no need for collectors to be upset over this; these watches are outside the limitation numbers as far as I know. And without these real-conditions lab experiences, some of these watches would not be here.
These are the Olympic athletes who wore Richard Mille during the Tokyo 2020 games:
Akani Simbine
Maria Vincente
Mutaz Barshim
Nafi Thiam
Nelly Korda
Wayde Van Niekerk
Yohan Blake
Very fair point you’d raised up as I didn’t think of it from the real life testing perspective but just purely from marketing angle. Thanks for shedding light on this!
How much do Olympic athletes make these days, to be wearing Richard Mille watches???!!!
These athletes do not buy the watches. They are marketing ambassadors and therefore receive them as part of their contracts.
You missed the best RM ambassador at Olympics – Jessica von Bredow-Werndl with two gold medals 🙂
Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe I forgot her in that list! We spotlighted her in the Olympics here: https://quillandpad.com/2021/07/30/wrist-watching-5-athletes-wristwatches-at-the-2020-olympic-games-in-tokyo/