Omega's New Watch Launch Is the Sexiest Speedmaster Ever
Omega’s newest Speedmaster is a striking blend of vintage Speedy proportions, tool watch ruggedness, and pilot watch visuals. Earlier this year, Omega released a similar watch called the Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified, but it was only available for pilots. This one is available to the public, but you still get the designation “Flight Qualified” printed on the dial, like the pilot-only version.
Omega’s Pilot watch history began with Royal Air Force pilots during WWII. When the Speedmaster was introduced in 1957, it caught on with U.S. Air Force pilots and later NASA astronauts. When Omega introduced the Flightmaster in 1969, it introduced the bright twin subdials that inspired those on this watch. So, what you get here is a marriage of the two historic references: the proportions and tachymeter bezel of a Speedmaster 57, and the eye-catching dial visuals of the Flightmaster—combined in a superior modern package.
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The first thing you notice about this watch are the colorful twin subdials with beveled edges. The subdial (aka register) at 3 o’clock measures 12 hours with a bright orange hand, while the two-tone blue and black subdial at 9 o’clock measures running seconds with a yellow hand and is designed to look like a “burn rate” cockpit indicator. The tip of the seconds hand for the chronograph is a tiny airplane in bright orange. The index minute and hour hands are lumed in green, and the lumed hour markers have bright orange dots on their outer edges.
These color pops all look incredible against the grain finish black dial, where a date aperture sits stealthily at 6 o’clock. Surrounding this artful dial is an aluminum bezel with a tachymeter, where “Tachymétre” in different color font at the top right adds just that little bit of design accent to let you know the details were sweated over.
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The width is just under 41mm, so it’s close in size to the 1957 original. The flat link stainless steel bracelet is comfortable and svelte, and the steel of the case and the bracelet is brushed, which gives it a tool watch feel that pairs well with the dial. There’s an easy adjustment clasp on the bracelet so you can add or subtract tiny increments of wrist size as the weather changes. It also comes with a grey premium nylon NATO strap so you can swap back and forth. It does not have an exhibition caseback, instead opting for solid stainless more in line with a tool watch that also keeps the watch water resistant to 100 meters, or 330 feet.
It is now available via Omega and Omega boutiques for $9,500.