04/06/2026
Commemoratives come and go but there's a world of difference between the generic and those tied to something truly important.
In 1956, when Omega was marking 25 years as official timekeeper for the Olympic Games, it did so with a true anniversary piece, launched concurrently with the XVI Olympiad being held in Melbourne. The result, the Seamaster XVI, is an elegant watch in pink gold with matching bracelet, both a celebration of the company's milestone and a statement for what was to come.
Melbourne '56 remains the only Olympic Games to be staged in the Southern Hemisphere and the first to be hosted by a city rather than a capital. It would prove to be an intimate affair that reflected the quiet confidence of the host nation. In response, Omega's watch was both warm and refined, yet unadorned - qualities perfectly captured in a timepiece that is both a reflection of its era and something more.
The Reference 2850 SC wears its history lightly but the harmony comes from Omega using pink gold for both case and bracelet - their integration underscored by a manufacture that looked beyond brief trends and to a design that would last long after the Games had ended.
Twenty-five years of Olympic service, marked by a single reference - this is that watch.