News 
Omega has extended its partnership with the International Bobsleigh and Toboggan Federation through a new agreement which will run until the 2026/2027 season.
When the world’s first bobsleigh club opened in St. Moritz in 1897, the only vehicles available were wooden sleds with rudimentary steering mechanisms. Since then, the sport has evolved greatly and both four-man and two-man bobsleighs are now part of the Olympic disciplines.
In 2011, the monobob was introduced. This new discipline attracted the attention of Omega, which invested in its development. It has now been included in the Olympic Games since last year.
Known as the “Formula One” of winter sports, monobob offers a dynamic twist on a classic winter event and features sleek one-person bobs, which are pushed, steered and braked by just one athlete. For this reason, the skill of the pilot makes all the difference.
At 2.30 metres in length, the monobob is also quite light, weighing only around 130 kilograms and can therefore reach speeds of up to 120 km/h as well as exerting a gravitational force of three to four Gs.
The sport features a range of Omega timekeeping equipment, including some of the same technologies often featured in traditional bobsleigh, such as sensors inside each monobob, which can measure various factors such as G forces, angles, trajectory and acceleration.
The Omega bobsleigh measurement system is an exclusive design enabling accurate analysis and evaluation, and presents the public with important kinetic data recorded over the entire race.
With so many measurements being captured in bobsleigh, it seems perfect that the watchmaking brand should celebrate the sport with the Speedmaster Chronoscope. This watch combines a range of timing functions, including the three “snail” scales that appear on the silvery dial – a tachymeter scale, a pulsometer scale, and a telemeter scale. There is also a small-seconds counter at 9 o’clock and a 60-minute and 12-hour recorder at 3 o’clock.
Overall, the design takes inspiration from Omega’s chronograph wristwatches from the 1940s, bringing a classic edge to the look. The 43mm case is made in stainless steel and features a matching linked bracelet. For a cool winter colourway, the anodised aluminium bezel, the leaf-shaped hands and the Arabic numerals are all in blue. The Co-Axial Master Chronometer calibre beats at the heart of this piece with its resolutely sporty look.
February 16, 2023