Russell Sheldrake
After teasing a model exclusive to US military pilots, Omega is now launching a public version of the Speedmaster Pilot.Filled with features pulled straight from a cockpit, this boutique exclusive is for those who love to fly.Running on the Calibre 9900, it features an independent hour hand to make adjusting time zones much quicker, and is priced at US$9,500.Earlier this year, Omega forums were aflutter with news of an exclusive Speedmaster “Flight Qualified” made for US military pilots. The watch had many special features and nods to the life of these airmen inside their cockpits, with specially designed sub-dials, high-contrast hand tips, and unit insignia engraved on the back. The only problem was, no one outside of trained US military pilots could get their hands on one. The closest most of us got was the enviable wrist shots from inside a fighter jet. But now, Omega seems to have answered our calls, and released a slightly modified version to the public, with the new Speedmaster Pilot. Now all we need is a fighter jet…So let’s get into the details of this straight away. The main point that many familiar with the Speedmaster will notice is the dual register layout, instead of the standard triple that we are used to on the Speedmaster Professional. At three, we have a combined 60-minute and 12-hour counter that has been designed to look like a burn rate indicator from a pilot’s cockpit with a flash of orange on the minute hand. The sub-dial at nine shows even more colour, with an artificial blue horizon acting as a backdrop to the bright yellow small seconds hand running across it.The aluminium bezel holds further treats for the vintage Speedmaster enthusiast, with the dot over 90 and diagonal at 70, both of which are classic design features that originate from the original 1957 model. Inside this bezel, we have a contrasting minute track in silver that follows the edge of the dial, and is punctuated by solid blocks of white Super-LumiNova, matching the hour and minute hands, which both have thick coatings of the fluorescent material. Both the hands and markers give off a strong green glow once it gets dark.Inside the watch is Omega’s trustworthy, METAS-certified, Co-Axial Calibre 9900. As you can see from the sub-dial arrangement, this movement mounts both the chronograph minutes and hours in one register, but its real party trick is its independently adjustable hour hand. This is a great feature for frequent travellers, and while the date doesn’t have a quick set function, it can be adjusted relatively quickly by moving the hour hand.The military insignia that we’ve seen adorn the exclusive Flight Qualified in its rare appearances out in the wild have been replaced in the Speedmaster Pilot by the brand’s hippocampus logo. Omega opted to keep the solid steel caseback instead of adding an exhibition caseback, which only adds to the tool watch feel of this model. The watch comes on a fully brushed, flat-link bracelet with Omega’s on-the-fly micro-adjustment system in the clasp. Alternatively, it also comes with a Kevlar-reinforced grey NATO strap with a steel buckle.Another fun touch: the chronograph seconds hand has been tipped in orange and given plane wings. With all of these colourful bits on the dial, it is easy to draw a comparison to 1969’s Flightmaster models. It’s clear that this is a watch dedicated to pilots, rather than the Professional and First Omega in Space which both lean heavily on Omega’s extra-terrestrial heritage (even if that’s also technically another form of aviation). The new Speedmaster Pilot sits comfortably at 30,000ft, and brings in just the right number of nods and references to the world of flying without appearing gimmicky.With this model following on from the incredibly popular and well-received FOIS and white lacquer Professional Speedmasters, it’s clear that Omega has had a clear tactic running through 2024 to concentrate on fan favourites in the Speedmaster line – or just fan favourites generally when we consider the No Time to Die vibes they have brought to the Seamaster family recently as well. This bodes well for what we will see moving into next year… But it begs the question: what vintage, fan-favourite could the brand dive into next?Omega Speedmaster Pilot pricing and availabilityThe Omega Speedmaster Pilot is a boutique exclusive and is available now. Price: US$9,500, A$15,725BrandOmegaModelSpeedmaster PilotReference332.10.41.51.01.002Case Dimensions40.85mm (D) x 14.7mm (T) x 49.6mm (LTL)Case MaterialStainless steelWater Resistance100 metresCrystal(s)Sapphire frontDialMatte blackBracelet and strapSteel flat-link bracelet, folding clasp with micro-adjustGrey Kevlar-reinforced NATO-styleMovementCalibre 9900, in-house, automatic, Co-Axial, METASPower Reserve60 hoursFunctionsHours, minutes, seconds, chronograph, dateAvailabilityNon-limited boutique exclusivePriceUS$9,500A$15,725
10.12.24