Omega Made a Secret Speedmaster for US Military Pilots. You Can Finally Buy One

The new Speedmaster Pilot also recalls some fan-favorite vintage Omegas.

Published December 10, 2024

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Omega has had a big year, with buzzed-about watches like the white Speedmaster, new FOIS and black lacquer-dial Aqua Terra. But the brand has really popped off over the past few weeks, launching a barrage of exciting new releases to close out 2024.

These new releases have mostly been of the Seamaster Diver variety, but today, Omega is showing the Speedy some love with a brand-new model that simultaneously recalls several pilot’s watches from the brand’s past while also bringing a secret military-only watch to civilians for the first time.

The Omega Speedmaster Pilot is officially here, and it’s looking like Omega may have saved its best release of the year for last.

omega speedmaster watch — You no longer need to be a military pilot to get your hands on the “Flight Qualified” Speedy.

No Military ID Required

Earlier this year, word got out on watch forums that Omega had a secret Speedmaster model available only to US Military pilots. This Speedmaster “Flight Qualified” looked unlike any other Speedy currently made by the brand, which caused some questions about the validity of the leaked images until Fratello covered the mysterious watch in a story back in September.

As it turns out, the military-only Speedy was very much real, and now, Omega has produced a version that can be purchased by anyone — no pilot’s license or military enlistment required.

The new Speedmaster Pilot looks identical to the military-only version, with the only differences being the color scheme — this one is much more colorful — and the caseback. The civilian version has a standard Speedy caseback featuring an engraved hippocampus, while the pilot’s-only watch has a caseback that can be engraved with custom military insignia.

the caseback of an omega speedmaster watch — Replacing the military version’s custom caseback engravings is the classic Omega hippocampus logo.

A Reborn Flightmaster?

Aesthetically, the new Speedmaster looks less like any modern Omega watch and more like some of the brand’s chronographs from the past.

The most obvious comparison is to the Omega Flightmaster, a long-extinct quirky pilot’s chronograph the brand produced in the 1970s that’s become a favorite among collectors — there’s even a book about it. Like some Flightmaster references, the Speedmaster Pilot features a contrasting minute track, a bi-color subdial and the use of several bright colors on the dial; particularly burnt orange.

a book cover showing an omega flightmaster watch — The bizarre Flightmaster is one of Omega’s most beloved defunct watches.

Another likely inspiration behind the new watch is the Speedmaster Mk40 “Ben Clymer” — a 1990s model nicknamed for the Hodinkee founder who helped popularize it as a neo-vintage pickup. It had an orange airplane-tipped center-mounted hand, a dual-function subdial and, again, a bi-color subdial.

A Seriously Desirable Speedmaster

The Speedy Pilot ticks a lot of boxes for anyone looking for an everyday Speedmaster. It features a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, a smaller case size of 40.85mm, 100m of water resistance (the Moonwatch has half that) and it’s powered by an automatic rather than a manual-winding movement.

That movement is the Omega Cal. 9900, a co-axial Master Chronometer with a 60-hour power reserve. The dial features a date display at 6 o’clock and a two-register chronograph layout. The running seconds is found at the 9 o’clock subdial while the 3 o’clock register pulls double duty as both the 60-minute and 12-hour counter for the chronograph.

Both subdials take visual inspiration from airplane cockpits, with one featuring a target motif and an artificial horizon and the other mimicking a “burn rate” indicator with its bold orange hand.

The rest of the dial is optimized for high visibility in all conditions. The matte-black dial’s grainy texture combines with the AR-coated crystal to create a non-reflective display that’s readable in direct sunlight, while the indices and parts of the hands are made of solid blocks of Super-LumiNova for extra strong luminosity in the dark.

The exterior bezel features a black aluminum tachymeter with a mix of white and orange, and the stainless steel case features ’50s-inspired straight lugs and is fully brushed — another detail meant to minimize sunlight reflection. The flat-link steel bracelet is also fully brushed, and the watch includes an additional gray NATO strap made with Kevlar threads for one final military-inspired touch.

Pricing and Availability

Although you don’t have to be a military pilot to purchase the Speedmaster Pilot, saying anyone can buy one is a bit of a stretch, as you’re still going to have to have a pretty thick wallet.

The watch is priced at $9,500, which is a good deal more than you’ll pay for a standard Moonwatch but is perfectly in line with what the brand charges for existing two-counter Speedys like the Chronoscope and Speedmaster Racing.

Frankly, I think this is a very strong release from Omega. It recalls some beloved vintage models while still feeling thoroughly modern, its color scheme is fun and interesting, and its top-secret military backstory gives the watch the type of baked-in mythos that collectors find impossible to resist.

It’s been a big year for Omega, and it looks like the brand is capping it off in the best way possible. But then again, we still have three weeks left in 2024, so maybe Omega isn’t done wowing us quite yet.