omega’s 70-year return | cortina gets its paralympic countdown

Cortina d’Ampezzo holds a special, almost mythical status in the history of sports timekeeping. OMEGA was last there in 1956, timing the Olympic Winter Games during a golden era of sport. Now, almost exactly 70 years later, the Swiss watchmaker has returned to the iconic Italian resort to mark a new milestone: the ‘One Year To Go’ countdown for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

To mark the occasion, a special Countdown Clock was officially unveiled in the centre of Cortina at the Piazza Angelo Dibona. The installation is a striking piece, crafted in the shape of the giant Milano Cortina 2026 emblem. It features four continuous timers counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds in both Italian and English, building anticipation for both the Olympic and Paralympic events set to begin on March 6th, 2026.

The clock was officially activated by OMEGA’s President and CEO, Raynald Aeschlimann, who was joined for the ribbon-cutting by Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Andrea Varnier, CEO of Milano Cortina 2026. “For OMEGA, Cortina is a place of important sporting heritage,” says Aeschlimann. “We were here in 1956 to time the Olympic Winter Games, and so it feels very exciting to be coming back, exactly 70 years later. I can’t wait to see the incredible things that the athletes will accomplish.”

This event specifically highlights the deep partnership between OMEGA and the Paralympic Games. Parsons called it a “thrilling moment,” praising OMEGA as an “enthusiastic partner” that “recognises the values of the Paralympic movement.” OMEGA’s role as Official Timekeeper for the Paralympics, a duty it has held since Albertville 1992, is a complex technical challenge. Alain Zobrist, CEO of OMEGA Timing, explained that while the brand “relies on all of the same equipment as the Olympic Winter Games,” it also incorporates “several special additions for certain events. It’s therefore a role that requires a lot of expertise and knowledge.”

The clock’s placement in Cortina also represents the unique dual-city nature of the 2026 Games. “For the first time in history, the Games have the name of two cities,” says Varnier. “After the countdown to the Olympics in Milan started with OMEGA, now it’s Cortina’s turn.” This installation will now tick down to the arrival of 650 athletes from 50 National Paralympic Committees, who will compete across 79 medal events, all under OMEGA’s precise, expert gaze.

photography. courtesy of OMEGA
words. Gennaro Costanzo