Despite being made for the world of racing, the Omega Speedmaster is perhaps most closely associated with its use during NASA voyages, especially on the Moon — in fact, its patrimony has earned it a position as one of the most iconic chronographs on the planet (and space). However, as long as the Speedy has been a fixture in the U.S. Space Program, it’s been a favorite among Air Force pilots just the same.
The Swiss watchmaker has just debuted a special iteration of the Speedmaster, tied to a 1969 variant called the Flightmaster. We present to you the Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified…
Some Backstory
Like a lot of military watches from a lot of brands, the ‘69 Flightmaster was made for those who were wearing it. Thus, it was marketed towards the Air Force exclusively. Well, this trend continues today but with the advent of social media, secrets have now graduated from myth to “teaser.”
We see this happen from time to time with celebrities wearing unreleased watches to public events. It’s a clever way to create buzz around an upcoming product while leveraging social media and word of mouth rather than paying for ads and sponsorships.
That’s sorta what happened a few months back when an unreleased Speedmaster with a unique look and the words “Flight Qualified” on the dial surfaced on the social media accounts of some U.S. military personnel. Well, that watch is now here as a production model that you can actually buy, even if you’re a regular Joe.
Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified Basics
Similar to the modern-day Speedmaster 57, the Pilot Flight Qualified is symmetrical like vintage Speedmasters and features a 40.85mm case size, 49.6mm lug-to-lug, and 14.6mm thickness. On top of the fully-brushed stainless steel case is a new matte black aluminum bezel insert with orange accents, and featuring the usual tachymeter scale with a slight changeup. If you look closely, you’ll notice the dot over 90 and dot diagonal to 70 like the pre-1970 models of the Speedy as well. Powering the watch is the in-house Master Chronometer Caliber 9900 Co-Axial automatic movement.
Dialing It In
Unlike the NASA-ready Speedmaster Moonwatch, this chronograph has a bicompax configuration rather than the three totalizers you might be used to. But what gives this watch a decidedly funky charm are the color choices. On top of a matte black dial, you have a 9 o’clock subdial split with light blue on top, black on the bottom, and a yellow hand and accents. Its crosshair design is an obvious nod to the Flightmaster.
Opposite of this at the 3 o’clock position is a subdial that tracks both hours and minutes. While it’s mostly the same color black as the base dial, the graduations here are intended to look like the fuel gauge in an aircraft cockpit. If that’s not enough, the central seconds hand has a red tip that looks like a literal airplane. Lastly, the watch is adorned with a three-link steel bracelet and comes with a secondary gray NATO strap reinforced with Kevlar.
Spec Sheet
Case Size: 40.85mm
Case Thickness: 14.6mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Water Resistance: 100m
Movement: In-house Caliber 9900 automatic Co-Axial
Band: Stainless steel bracelet and gray NATO strap
Limited Edition?: No
Pricing & Availability
Surprisingly not limited in edition size, the Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified will have a price tag of $9,500 when it lands in the coming weeks. Head over to Omega’s website to learn more.
Recap
Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified
Omega’s Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified is inspired by its 1969 Speedmaster Flightmaster variant. This was originally a military-exclusive teased months ago but is now part of the permanent collection.
