From August 1 to August 16, 1936, Berlin hosted the Summer Olympics, welcoming the world to Germany. These Games hold deep historical significance, not only for the remarkable athletic performances but also for the political and social climate, as they unfolded against the backdrop of Nazi Germany.
Since the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the Swiss luxury brand Omega has proudly held the prestigious role of official timekeeper for the Olympic Games. By that time, Omega had already earned a reputation as a leader in precision timekeeping, backed by numerous awards from observatory trials, which tested the accuracy of timepieces. This legacy of excellence positioned Omega as the ideal choice for timekeeping at major international events like the Olympics, where split-second accuracy is critical. 
The 1936 Olympics marked a historic first as they were broadcast on television, with over 70 hours of live coverage shown on closed-circuit screens in public viewing rooms throughout Berlin. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime aimed to use the Games as a propaganda tool, showcasing their ideology of racial superiority. Yet, it was an African American athlete, Jesse Owens, who stole the spotlight and made history. Owens’ remarkable performance—winning four gold medals in the 100 meters (10.3 seconds), 200 meters (20.7 seconds), long jump (8.06 meters), and the 4×100-meter relay (39.8 seconds with teammates Ralph Metcalfe, Foy Draper, and Frank Wykoff)—powerfully defied Nazi racial ideology.
Timing at the 1936 Olympics was predominantly manual, relying on skilled timekeepers and Omega’s highly precise chronographs. For most events, hand-operated stopwatches were used, with Omega providing 185 mechanical chronographs capable of measuring times to the nearest 1/10th of a second. Multiple timekeepers were assigned to each event to minimize errors, and any discrepancies were resolved by averaging or reviewing the recorded times, ensuring the highest possible accuracy for the era.
Owens’ success can, in small part, be credited to a young Adolph Dassler, who would later found Adidas. In 1936, Dassler, along with his brother Rudolf, was running their family business, the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory, which specialized in athletic footwear. Amid the racial and political tensions of the time, Dassler made a bold move by offering Owens a pair of his innovative, lightweight, spiked running shoes. Owens accepted, becoming one of the first international athletes to wear Dassler’s shoes—a decision that helped propel both Owens and Dassler into sports history.
Nearly a century ago, a remarkable duo and a brand, driven by a perfect alignment of forces, became a powerful symbol of hope, proving that goodness can triumph even in the face of tyranny. Today, Adidas thrives as a global leader in sportswear, renowned for its high-performance footwear, while Omega remains the official timekeeper for the Olympic Games, utilizing cutting-edge technology like touchpads, photocells, high-speed cameras, and timers with a precision of 1 microsecond. Although Jesse Owens passed away in 1980, his enduring legacy lives on, as he not only shattered racial barriers but also served as a powerful ambassador for sports and equality worldwide.
