If I was an Olympian, I would wear…

Today's random assignment for our authors was: You are competing in the Olympics, what watch is going to be your best companion? 

Here are the results! 

Look, I’m sports-mad. I’m watch-obsessed. Add “fermented fluids” to the list and you have my three favourite things in the world. And yet, if I’m being brutally honest, if I were an Olympian, my answer would depend entirely on the discipline in which I was competing, and, for the majority of Olympic sports, I wouldn’t wear a watch at all. I concede that we have witnessed exceptions on more than one occasion as brand ambassadorship bleeds over from billboards and into the arena of competition itself, but I’m not going to pretend I think that’s a good thing.

I know we’re used to seeing Nadal wear his Richard Mille on his non-racket hand, but, if anything, that additional weight on his right wrist might actually be useful for balancing out the massive weight of his left bicep.

Yes, maybe McIlroy can swing a club while wearing an ultra-shock-resistant Omega without too much trouble, but Golf is perhaps an exception given the repeated and controlled motions of the sport. In more dynamic contests — team or contact sports especially — wearing a watch is an absolute no-no (and actually against the rules in all cases I can call to mind).

Perhaps Australian surfer Stephanie Gilmore’s elite core strength is such that she isn’t at all bothered by the Breitling Superocean she famously wore during the Tokyo games, but I don’t know how comfortable I’d feel donning anything that wasn’t directly aiding me during the most important competition of my life.

I haven’t seen the answers of my fellow contributors, so I can only speculate that I might be the only cynical old git amongst us, but I really don’t mind occupying that role in this case. I take sport and watchmaking very seriously, so in an attempt to give a sensible answer, I’ll imagine I’m a marathon runner going for a PB and thus might benefit from a good old-fashioned digital stopwatch. For that reason, I’d choose a Casio F-91W, which always served my dad well whenever he stepped up to the start line and stared down the fearsome stretch of road stretching out beneath his feet.

He never qualified for the Olympics, however. Maybe if he’d left the Casio in the car and donned it at the finish line, eternal glory might have been his.

Since I have no idea which Olympic sport I’m being thrown into, I decided I’d choose something that can handle pretty much anything. A go-anywhere-do-anything watch that’s compactly sized for my small wrist, water resistant (just in case I have to attempt the butterfly) and all-in-all a robust, precise and smart-looking sports watch. The Breitling Superocean 36 is exactly that; it boasts a reasonably sized 36mm stainless steel case with a pared-down aesthetic that’s easily readable no matter how fast you’re moving. I particularly love the sloped, high-contrast ring dial that sits beside chunky luminous indexes and box-shaped hands.

It's water resistant to 300 metres which is plenty for when I inevitably sink to the bottom of the Olympic sized swimming pool, and it comes on an array of brightly coloured rubber straps for water and sweat resistance. Finally, it delivers Breitling’s in-house Calibre 17 movement with chronometer certification, classic time-only function and a 38-hour power reserve.

If I were to compete in the Olympics, I would compete in swimming and wear a Breitling Superocean M17368.

I figure that for any watch worn during an athletic competition, legibility is key. You'd likely have to look at the watch and determine what time it is (or time things) extremely quickly, as your main focus is obviously on the sport at hand. I had the pleasure of trying this on at a local Breitling AD recently, and to me, this is one of the most legible and "clean" dials I have ever encountered:

Something about the numerals at the 6, 9, and 12 hour markers add to the legibility, as does the red tip on the second hand. Not to mention the yellow dial, which really denotes Breitling. In photos, one could be forgiven for thinking this color would interfere with the legibility. But in person, it is more of a "taxi cab" yellow. It's matte, unreflective, and beautiful. But also very easy to read even under bright lights.

The lume is also excellent on this watch, so even in darker underwater conditions, legibility should not be an issue. And with 2000m water resistance, I think it should survive a swim in the pool (wink). The black case and black silicon band are perfectly suited for sporting endeavors. The only disadvantage would be the weight and heft of the watch, which is admittedly significant. And at 46mm, it's not exactly sleek. Still, I think the legibility benefits more than make up for this.

Wearing the Breitling Superocean, I would have confidence in its durability and precision, two crucial aspects for an Olympic-level competition. Whether checking splits between laps or ensuring my timing is on point, this watch would serve as a reliable companion throughout the intense two weeks of the games.

With the Olympics fast approaching, I’ve been thinking about what watch I would wear if I were competing. Given my fondness for shooting as a kid, I’d likely participate in that event. As Omega is the official-time sponsor of the 2024 Olympics, my choice would be an Omega, specifically the Orbis Edition Speedmaster 38.

Orbis International is a charity dedicated to fighting preventable blindness around the world. They fund a Flying Eye Hospital that brings high-level eye care to some of the most remote regions.

The tri-compact dial features a striking blend of whites and blues, making this watch a real eye-catcher. The 38mm stainless steel case is complemented by a blue aluminium tachymeter scale. This frames the stunning sun-brushed blue dial, which showcases horizontal light blue sub-dials and a vertical oval date window at 6 o’clock. Rhodium-plated hands and indices provide excellent contrast and legibility against the dial.

A standout feature is the blue central-seconds hand with an Orbis teddy bear counterweight, accompanied by chronograph minutes and hour hands at 3 and 6 o’clock. The case back is emblazoned with “Speedmaster” and stamped with the Orbis teddy bear, adding a unique touch to this special edition watch.

Powering this, is the Omega Co-Axial Calibre 3330 column wheel movement, which offers a 52-hour power reserve, ample for a couple of days between wears. The watch is paired with a perfectly matched blue alligator strap featuring a polished fold-over clasp.

The Omega Orbis Edition 38mm Speedmaster is priced at £5,300.00, making it a stylish and meaningful choice for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

This watch not only serves as a superb timekeeping device but also supports a great cause, making it the perfect accessory for any Olympic enthusiast.