Sports, star-power and one of the world’s most celebrated, most iconic watch brands. It was an exciting time for Paris while the Olympic Games 2024 were underway and at the heart of every event was OMEGA, the Official Timekeeper for the Olympics for the past 92 years.
For the duration of the Olympics, the OMEGA House Paris celebrated its official association with the games through a series of events and ceremonies. During the day, members could relax in a variety of sophisticated spaces while by night, the location hosted a series of VIP events and themed evenings. The brand’s close association with athletics as well as the world of entertainment ensured that a multitude of stars attended these events and also witnessed the brand’s renowned timekeeping live at the venues during competitions.
One of the events hosted at the OMEGA House was the Seamaster Night, honoring the athletes who competed in swimming and diving. The event celebrated the conclusion of the aquatic competitions at the Olympics and was attended by renowned athletes such as swimming legend Michael Phelps, quadruple medal-winning OMEGA ambassador Leon Marchand and four gold medal winners from this year’s Olympics: swimmers Kaylee McKeown and Thomas Ceccon and sailors Diego Botin and Florian Trittel.
The event was particularly significant because it not only recognized the efforts of some of the world’s top athletes but also because it highlighted OMEGA’s illustrious history at the forefront of international competitive swimming and diving. The brand is responsible for developing some of the key technologies used in the pool, such as Touchpads and underwater lap counters, enabling the most precise and in-depth measurement of the sport.
The Paris By Night soiree was another event hosted by OMEGA, following the first week of the competition. Speaking during the evening, OMEGA President and CEO, Raynald Aeschlimann, said, “It was essential for OMEGA House to pay tribute to Paris. This iconic city has welcomed the world and delivered a show full of sporting highlights and breathtaking venues. We’re loving the culture and the hospitality, and we know there is much more to look forward to across the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Guests at the event included the legendary French actress, Isabelle Huppert; the French rapper, SDM, who wrote and performed his own original music for OMEGA’s Paris 2024 advertising campaign; and the rapper Rim’K, who most recently performed at the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. Some of France’s finest acting talent was also in attendance, including Laetitia Dosch, Gina Jimenez, Damien Bonnard and Makita Samba.
A special ‘Her Time’ event was hosted, spotlighting women’s style. Leading the celebrations was OMEGA’s global ambassador, Nicole Kidman, who arrived as the guest of honour alongside her daughter, Sunday. Nicole has been an OMEGA ambassador since 2005 and has created a range of iconic looks, wearing the brand’s vintage timepieces on the red carpet.
Other notable guests at the event included Judo gold medallist and OMEGA ambassador Hifumi Abe; legendary Olympians Nadia Comăneci and Katarina Witt; the actress Rebel Wilson; the French actor Guillaume Duhesme; and the social media personality Kristy Sarah.
The ending of the athletics events in Paris was celebrated with an Athletics Night, honouring all the track and field competitions at the Olympics. Special guests at the event included a number of OMEGA’s sporting ambassadors, with legendary track and field athlete, Marie-José Pérec; High Jump gold medallist, Yaroslava Mahuchikh; javelin silver medallist, Neeraj Chopra; the sprinter, Erriyon Knighton; decathlete, Simon Ehammer; and former Olympic gold medallist, Dalilah Muhammad.
The stars descended from Hollywood halfway through the Olympics to celebrate ‘LA28’ at the OMEGA House, in recognition of the next destination for the games: Los Angeles in the year 2028. The evening was attended by the world’s most decorated track and field athlete, Allyson Felix, Chairperson of LA28, Casey Wasserman, and the friends of the brand, Alisha Boe, Paul Wesley, Jesse Williams, and Chase Stokes. Other notable guests included the golfer and OMEGA ambassador Erik Van Rooyen, and the legendary Olympic Games diver, Greg Louganis.
Significantly, OMEGA first became the Official Timekeeper at the Olympics at the games in Los Angeles back in 1932. Speaking to guests, OMEGA President and CEO, Raynald Aeschlimann, said, “We began our legacy as Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games at Los Angeles in 1932. So, in a way, the LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games will feel like a homecoming for our brand. It has real sentimental value and, as you can see, we’re already looking forward to it. Casey, Alisha, Paul, Chase, and Jesse all have a great connection to that city, so we’re thrilled they could join us here to celebrate.”
At another event, the sights and sounds of Korean pop culture took centerstage as OMEGA House Paris welcomed guests to an exclusive K-Wave celebration. At the heart of the event was actress and OMEGA global ambassador, So-hee Han, who brought her undeniable style and charisma to the occasion.
OMEGA’s global brand ambassador, Daniel Craig, also made a special visit to the Olympic Games to experience the magic of Paris 2024. During his time in the host city, the actor was able to watch the Showjumping events at the Château de Versailles and the Skateboarding events at La Concorde, before dropping into OMEGA House, to see how the brand is celebrating its role as Official Timekeeper.
The culmination of the Olympics tournament was highlighted by a grand farewell celebration in the form of OMEGA’s Closing Night event. Amongst the OMEGA guests on the night were friends of the brand including the Academy Award-winning star of West Side Story, Ariana DeBose; the New York Times Bestselling Author and the food and wine expert of Queer Eye, Antoni Porowski; and the actor, producer, and singer Diego Boneta, star of Rock of Ages.
Other notable guests from OMEGA’s ambassador family included several gold-medallists from Paris 2024; with the sprinter Noah Lyles, the long jumper Jordan Diaz; the judoka Romane Dicko; and the swimmers Katie Grimes and Gregorio Paltrinieri. The actress, Karla Souza, also made an appearance on the night.
The evening was also a chance for the athletes of the Olympic Games to relax and enjoy themselves. Having competed at the highest level over the past several weeks, they finally found time to embrace the party atmosphere in Paris.
Bolstering the spirit of festivity was the fact that many of OMEGA’s sports ambassadors had emerged as victors in the games. Among these was Léon Marchand of France, who won his first ever gold medal at the Men’s 400m Individual Medley, setting a new Olympic Record and Hifumi Abe of Japan who won the Men’s -66kg Judo gold medal, in which he had also won at Tokyo 2020.
With the excitement in Paris having come to an end, the OMEGA family is already looking forward to the competitions going underway yet again in Los Angeles in 2028. The spirit of competition, the world’s top athletes and OMEGA timekeeping – it all comes together to create magic!
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