The Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified made an under-the-radar debut as a pilot-only U.S. military watch earlier this year (confirmed a few months ago by Fratello) and not unsurprisingly, Omega now has a different version available for civilians which joins their general collections.

The ‘civilian’ Speedmaster Pilot comes in a brushed stainless steel case with straight lugs (a vintage nod) measuring 40.85mm with a thickness of 14.7mm and water resistance of 100m.

If we put aside the Speedmaster aspect, parts of the aesthetics of this new model may in some respects also hint at the classic manually-wound Flightmaster, which was not averse to colour on sub dials, although the case is the most obvious difference. You can read about its history from the great Chuck Maddox at this link.

If we look from the outside in, the new Speedmaster Pilot has a bezel with a matte aluminum ring, a tachymetre scale in white and orange, and ‘Dot Over Ninety’ (DON) and ‘Diagonal to Seventy’ as a nod to vintage Speedmasters. The minute track is rhodium-plated with a brushed finish.

There is a matte black dial with grained finishing, with the hour and minute hands and hour markers filled with white Super-LumiNova. The matte black central chronograph hand has a varnished orange aeroplane tip. “Flight Qualified” is in yellow, a colour which also appears in the running seconds hand and a circle on the 9 o’clock sub dial.

This is a bicompax dial, with both sub dials featuring bevelling at their outer part. At 3 o’clock is a combination 60-minute and 12-hour totaliser that features an orange hand for the minute counter, a grey hour hand, and a cockpit-inspired ‘burn-rate’ indicator.

At 9 o’clock is a small running seconds, with a blue horizon background in blue and black that is inspired by military aircraft cockpit ‘target’ displays. The Speedmaster Pilot for the US military aviators had a grey horizon. At 6 o’clock is a date window with a dial colour-matched background and printed white numerals.

Flipping over, the US military pilot version had their squadron patch as a medallion on there, but this Speedmaster Pilot has the standard Speedmaster medallion and the water resistance engraved.

Behind it is Omega’s automatic METAS-certified Master Chronometer 9900 Co-Axial automatic column wheel chronograph movement. Beating at 28,800 VPH, it has a power reserve of 60 hours.

The new Speedmaster Pilot chronograph comes on a stainless steel bracelet with the brand’s patented comfort release adjustment system. You also get a grey NATO strap with KEVLAR® threads and a brushed stainless steel buckle. A travel pouch is also included.

The price for the Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified ref. 332.10.41.51.01.002 is AU$15,725/ €10,500 (including taxes) / CHF 8,300 (excluding taxes).

[Photo credit: Omega]

Categories: chronograph, Military watches, Omega, Watch Profile, watches, Women's watches