Bangkok--21 Aug-- OMEGA, the Swiss luxury watchmaker and Official Timekeeper of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, reveals the extraordinary “Beijing 2008, Unique No. 8 Collection” whose beauty, rarity, and extravagance define it as the ultimate Olympic collector’s item. Based on the “lucky number 8” concept, it includes an example of every OMEGA timepiece licensed for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing. The watches are delivered in a striking, black walnut pagoda-influenced tower with a lacquered finish. The Unique No. 8 Collection, is limited to . . . one. It is composed of the eighth numbered piece of each of the 32 Limited Edition watches in the OMEGA Beijing Olympic Collection, plus three “Olympic Split Seconds Chronograph 1932” pocket watches, also numbered 008 in their limited editions of 100 pieces. The launch of the 32 Limited Edition watches corresponds to countdown dates leading up to the Olympic Games, starting with Minus One Year, followed by Minus 288 days, Minus 188 days, Minus 88 days and finally culminating with Countdown 0, the 8th of August, 2008. The 35 classic timepieces in this one-of-a-kind collection are presented in an elegant black walnut case whose intricate design pays homage to traditional Chinese architecture. Popular belief in China holds that the number 8 is fortuitous, so the watches representing the Beijing Olympic Collection are housed in the black tower in eight separate drawers, placed one above the other reminiscent of a rectangular pagoda. The concept also reflects OMEGA’s long-established links to the Far East: the brand entered the Chinese market in 1895, and as China gears up for its first Olympic Games, OMEGA, in its role as Official Timekeeper, will be a familiar presence in Beijing and throughout the country. The eight drawers contain (from the top): 1. Three “Olympic Split Seconds Chronograph 1932” pocket watches, one each in 18 Ct yellow, white, and red gold, all with limited edition number 008/100. These watches were purchased especially for the “Beijing 2008, Unique No. 8 Collection” on the occasion of the enormously successful Omegamania auction which took place in April of 2007. 2. A Seamaster XXIX commemorating the Seamaster XVI which was released in 1956 in honour of the Melbourne Olympic Games (limited edition number 8/88, date of issue 08/08/2008). The Seamaster XXIX has a 37 mm 18 Ct yellow gold case and a distinctive black caiman leather strap as well as OMEGA’s revolutionary Co-Axial technology. These are to be launched at Countdown 0 — the 8th of August, 2008, the first day of the Olympic Games. 88 pieces will be released each day of the games — from the 8th to the 24th of August, 2008. 3. Two De Ville Prestige Ladies’ 22.50 mm watches (one in 18 Ct yellow gold and steel with diamond indices on the dial; the other in 18 Ct yellow gold and steel with applied golden numerals) and two De Ville Prestige 36.50 mm watches (one in 18 Ct yellow gold and steel with diamond indices on the dial; the other in 18 Ct yellow gold and steel with applied golden numerals). Each of the four watches is numbered 8/2008. These are also being released at Minus 88 Days (12 May 2008). 4. Three Constellation Double Eagle Chronograph Gents’ 41 mm watches (one each in 18 Ct yellow, white, and red gold) and three Constellation Double Eagle Ladies’ 35 mm watches (one each in 18 Ct yellow, white, and red gold). The precious metals subtly reflect the gold, silver, and bronze medals on the winners’ podiums at the Olympic Games. The watches have been produced in limited editions of 288 pieces; each watch has the limited edition number 8/288. These are being released at Minus 88 Days (12 May 2008). 5. Two Aqua Terra Chronograph 42.20 mm watches (one in 18 Ct red gold and steel; the other in steel). Each is numbered 8/2008. These were released at Minus 188 Days (2 February 2008). 6. Three De Ville Ladies’ chronograph watches (one each in 18 Ct yellow, white, and red gold, representing the Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals respectively). These three elegant timepieces carry the limited edition number of 8/288. These were released at Minus 288 Days (25 October 2007). 7. Eight Constellation ‘95 Ladies’ (22.5 mm) watches each of which represents a different, distinctive combination of metals and jewels. These watches have been produced in four limited editions of 888 and four limited editions of 2008, again depending on the metal and jewel configuration. The Constellations have the limited edition number of 8 (8/888 or 8/2008). These were also released at Minus One Year (8 August 2007). 8. Eight Constellation ’95 (35.5 mm) watches which, like the Constellation ‘95 Ladies’ (22.5 mm) watches, have different distinctive combination of fine metals and jewels. The Constellations have been produced in six limited editions of 888 and two limited editions of 2008, depending on the metal and jewel configuration. Each of the Constellations has the limited edition number of 8 (8/888 or 8/2008). These were released at Minus One Year (8 August 2007). A Long-Term Partnership OMEGA and the Olympic Games have been inextricably linked for the past 76 years, ever since the company was first called upon in 1932 to provide thirty pocket watch chronographs to official timekeepers for use at the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games. The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games is OMEGA’s 23rd as Official Timekeeper. The enduring partnership between the International Olympic Committee and OMEGA represents a unique tribute to the precision and long-term reliability of the company’s products. The Beijing 2008, Unique No. 8 Collection was conceived as the ultimate commemoration of the relationship between OMEGA and the Games: 35 distinctive timepieces representing 160 years of OMEGA watchmaking, 76 years of Olympic Timekeeping and 113 years of OMEGA in China.