(June 27, 2013) – OMEGA unveiled the new Seamaster Diver ETNZ Limited
Edition timepiece at a special event with Emirates Team New Zealand
Skipper – and Brand Ambassador – Dean Barker on Wednesday in San
Francisco. Designed to commemorate the 34th America’s Cup and celebrate
OMEGA’s partnership with Emirates Team New Zealand, the new timepiece
was presented to Barker and to ETNZ managing director Grant Dalton in
front of media and guests at the ETNZ Base Camp on the Bay. Barker, an
OMEGA Ambassador, will skipper ETNZ’s new AC72 boat and lead the team in
the world’s most famous and prestigious sailing competition, which
begins with the Challenger Series on July 7th.
The Emirates Team New Zealand AC72sails near the Golden Gate Bridge in theSan Francisco Bay
OMEGA’s long-term
partnership with the Team dates back to 1995, the last year the
America’s Cup was contested in the United States, when syndicate head
Sir Peter Blake joined OMEGA as a Brand Ambassador and led the team to
victory in San Diego. Barker, an America’s Cup champion in 2000 and a
former Olympian, has been part of the OMEGA family since 2001. Today,
OMEGA continues to be an enthusiastic and visible presence at the
America’s Cup as it proudly supports Emirates Team New Zealand as one of
its top sponsors, with the OMEGA logo prominently featured on the jib,
both hulls and the wingsail of ETNZ’s AC72.
Emirates Team New Zealand Managing Director Grant Dalton, OMEGA President Stephen Urquhart and Emirates Team New Zealand Skipper Dean Barker
“We are thrilled to
be here in San Francisco, on the eve of America’s Cup competition, to
celebrate our long-time partnership with Emirates Team New Zealand and
to unveil the new OMEGA Seamaster Diver ETNZ Limited Edition timepiece,”
said OMEGA President Stephen Urquhart.
“OMEGA has an undeniable
connection to the sea, from being the only company in history to produce
a wristwatch that received marine chronometer certification, to our
history with Sir Peter Blake, solo yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur, and
ecologist/filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand,” Urquhart added. “We are
proud to serve as Official Timekeeper for Emirates Team New Zealand and
wish Dean and the team much success here in San Francisco.”
The
link between sailing and timekeeping dates back to the days when sailors
relied on high-precision marine chronometers for navigation. Though
sailors rely on new technologies like satellite systems to navigate
today, the OMEGA Seamaster remains the wristwatch of choice for many of
the world’s great sailors – including Barker and Dalton.
“I’m
honored to wear the new Seamaster Diver ETNZ Limited Edition timepiece
and am proud to represent OMEGA as we embark on the 34th America’s Cup,”
said Barker. “We appreciate OMEGA’s commitment to Emirates Team New
Zealand – and to the sport of sailing throughout history.”
“I
admire OMEGA’s passion for the sea,” added Team Managing Director Grant
Dalton, who joined Team New Zealand in 2003 after a storied, two-decade
racing career. “They are a terrific – and important – partner for Team
New Zealand and we appreciate their support.”
Following the
press conference, Barker, Dalton and Team New Zealand launched the ETNZ
AC72 into the Bay for a training session on Wednesday afternoon.
The
new OMEGA Seamaster Diver ETNZ Limited Edition boldly celebrates ETNZ’s
campaign to claim sailing’s greatest trophy. The screw-in caseback is
embossed with the ETNZ logo; the limited edition number and “Challenger
for the 34th America’s Cup” are engraved around the outside of the case
back. The new timepiece is powered by the Co-Axial calibre 3330, and,
befitting a watch inspired by and created for seafarers, the exclusive
chronograph is equipped with professional dive features including a
unidirectional rotating bezel and a helium escape valve, date corrector,
Super LumiNova coating, and is water resistant to 30 bar (300 metres /
1000 feet). Only 2,013 of the Seamaster Diver ETNZ Limited Edition
timepieces have been produced.