During the days of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games Milan Cortina 2026Milan has consolidated its role as the symbolic capital of the event not only on a sporting level, but also on a cultural, institutional and glamorous one. The experience of theOMEGA House Milano, a temporary space designed to showcase the relationship between the Swiss brand and the Olympics, but also to create a meeting place for different worlds: sport, music, cinema, fashion, and high technology.
Within the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, in the spaces of the restaurant designed by the chef Carlo CraccoOMEGA House remained open from February 8th to 21st, offering an intimate and immersive environment. During the day, guests could follow the competitions live on large screens; in the evening, the space transformed into an international lounge, punctuated by themed events and celebratory evenings.
Among the most representative faces present in Milan is Marco Mengoni, OMEGA ambassador, who took part in one of the evenings dedicated to the brand's guests together with the British actor Aaron Taylor-JohnsonAround them, a constellation of Olympic and Paralympic champions helped to make visible the direct link between the brand and the competitions: from the Swiss freestyle skier Mathilde Gremaud, winner of the gold medal in slopestyle, to the French figure skaters Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry, up to the American speed skater Erin Jackson.
The presence of these athletes reinforced the central message of the evenings: time, at the Olympics, is not just a technical measurement, but a narrative element that determines results, recounts feats, and builds collective memory. This is a concept that OMEGA has embodied since 1932, the year of its first experience as Official Timekeeper, a role that reached its 32nd Olympic edition in Milan Cortina.
Alongside the story of the present, theOMEGA House It also hosted an explicit look towards the future. One of the evenings was dedicated to French Alps 2030, with a setting inspired by an imagery of "Alpine glamour" and references to French culture. The event featured the ambassador Ashley Graham and the friend of the brand Stefano Accorsi, joined by guests such as the Swiss designer Kevin Germanier, the former figure skater and double Olympic champion Katarina Witt and the Italian Paralympic swimmer Simone Barlaam.
In his speech, the President and CEO Raynald Aeschlimann He emphasized how Milan Cortina represents a turning point: the end of one edition of the Games and, at the same time, the beginning of preparations for 2030, which will mark OMEGA's 34th time as Official Timekeeper. A legacy built on continuity, but also on constant technological evolution.
Another key moment of the program was the "Milan by Night" event, dedicated to the host city. The evening, featuring specially designed architectural lighting and a sophisticated atmosphere, featured the participation of British actress Marisa Abel and the Italian actress Miriam Leone, along with other guests from the world of entertainment and music. The tribute to Milan highlighted the city's role as a crossroads of style, culture, and organizational prowess, elements that have made it one of the capitals of the 2026 Winter Games.
Alongside the social events, OMEGA House also served as an educational platform. Through installations and presentations, the brand showcased the technologies used for Milano Cortina 2026: from the latest-generation Scan'O'Vision ULTIMATE photofinish system, capable of distinguishing finishes to the nearest thousandth of a second, to computer vision and artificial intelligence systems capable of analyzing athletes' movements, speed, and trajectories. These innovations have found application in disciplines such as speed skating, alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, and ski jumping, offering an increasingly detailed understanding of the competition.
This technological journey is part of a history spanning nearly a century: from the first photoelectric cells introduced after World War II, to real-time scoreboards, to wearable sensors and biomechanical analyses. An evolution that has transformed timekeeping from a simple measurement tool to the narrative language of contemporary sport.
Completing the narrative, the presentation of the commemorative watches dedicated to Milano Cortina 2026—Seamaster, Speedmaster, and Seamaster Diver—offered a further symbolic layer, linking design and craftsmanship to the Olympic legacy. These models were conceived not only as luxury objects, but as tangible testaments to a historic event.
Overall, OMEGA House Milan conveyed a multifaceted image of the Games: not just a sporting competition, but an ecosystem of culture, technology, image, and strategic vision. In this context, the presence of Marco Mengoni and the other ambassadors helped connect the language of sport with that of music, film, and fashion, while the Swiss brand's gaze has already projected beyond 2026, toward the challenges that await the Winter Olympics of the next decade.
