Even though the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro are two years ahead of us, Omega has already released its first piece dedicated to the event which it is going to be sponsoring. The watch made for the Olympics 2016 is actually a special version of Speedmaster Mark II timekeeper. It is a watch supplied with a proprietary automatic movement with co-axial escapement and equipped with a column-wheel chronograph feature. Omega Speedmaster Mark II Rio 2016 is inspired by the original Speedmaster Mark II watch dating from the late 1960s and has its appearance largely modeled after this vintage model. When it comes to the special accents which tribute the upcoming Olympic Games, the watch which is appropriately made in a limited edition of 2016 pieces has its chrono counters encircled with colors of the medals and possesses a special engraving of the event’s logo on its case-back.
Omega Speedmaster Mark II Rio 2016 Watch
Official Timekeeper of the Olympics for the 27th Time
Omega has a long-lasting relationship with the International Olympic Committee that kicked off at the start of the 20th century. It sounds almost surreal to say that the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will be actually the 27th time that Omega is the competition’s official timekeeper. Proud of its collaboration with the most celebrated sports event in the world, Omega was eager to present its special limited piece dedicated to the games, even though they will not be starting for another two years.
Original Barrel Shape
The timekeeper dedicated to the next edition of the Olympics is a special version of the Speedmaster Mark II piece which saw the light of day earlier this year. It is a watch whose appearance heavily stems from the original Speedmaster II which was introduced way back in 1969. It was a hand-wound piece which is naturally quite different in the technical sense, but most of it looks is more or less replicated in the novel piece. For starters, two watches share the same case shape. As its archetype model, the new edition is made in the barrel shape. It is made of stainless steel with alternating brushed and polished finishes. When it comes to the dimensions of the newcomer, we should say that its length is 46.2 mm, while its width measures to 42.4 mm. The rear side of the watch with waterproofness of 100 meters is stamped with the logo of the 31st Olympic Games which will be organized in the Brazilian city. Moreover, Omega Speedmaster Mark II Rio 2016 timepiece also has a brushed stainless steel three-row bracelet which has a clever construction that allows the wearer to adjust the length via patented fold-over rack-and-pusher clasp.
Omega Speedmaster Mark II Rio 2016 Watch Case
Rings in the Materials of the Medals
The matt black dial of Omega Speedmaster Mark I Rio 2016 has the same arrangement of the sub-counters as it was originally the case. The 30-minute counter is at the right, the 12-hour recorder lays at the bottom, while the small seconds sub-dial occupies the left side of the matte black dial. In order to underline the Olympic spirit in the piece, these counters are encircled with rings that match the colors of the medals that are awarded to the three top competitors. True to the image they aspire to, the rings are made of 18 K yellow gold, 925 silver and bronze, respectively. The Olympics watch by Omega has more modern details on its face. One of the most notable of them is the presence of a tachymetric scale which is printed directly on its flat sapphire crystal with double reflective coating. Underneath the scale there is a ring made of aluminum which is coated with white SuperLuminouva, in order to enable good readability in the dark. The same type of coating is applied on the hour markers, the varnished hour and minute hands, as well as on the central chrono hand.
Omega Speedmaster Mark II Rio 2016 Watch Back
Obviously, the biggest difference between the original Speedmaster Mark II and its modern iteration (and thus the special edition made for the Olympics) lays inside the barrel-shaped housing. Namely, it is modern co-axial Caliber Omega 330. It is an automatic chronograph movement fitted with a traditional solution – a column-wheel mechanism – as well with modern features, such as exceptionally light and magnetic-proof Si14 silicon balance spring included in its free-sprung balance which operates at the frequency of 28,800 vph. The caliber with 31 jewels has a power reserve that lasts for 52 hours, while its accuracy is guaranteed with the COSC chronometric certification.
Omega Speedmaster Mark II Rio 2016 Watch Front
