While we love to think dive watches and complicated chronographs are being used as their functions were intended, the truth is those on the frontlines are largely sporting reliable and nearly indestructible G-Shocks. An exception to this rule, however, is airmen: Flyboys, with all their advanced training and multi-million dollar equipment, do sometimes get to rock some pretty cool wristwear. Now, thanks to the new CA perfect replica Omega Speedmaster Pilot, you can wear a piece up to their technical and aesthetic standards.
The latest Speedmaster was teased earlier this year in a wristshot showing a pilot in a U-2 spy plane – the stealthy, matte-black beast that can casually reach altitudes of nearly 70,000 feet. The image sent high quality fake Omega fans into a tailspin as they tried desperately to suss out the watch’s origins and specs. It seemed that this dual-register, straight-lugged version of the Speedy was only available to US military personnel – which, though it lent the watch an air of mil-spec legitimacy, was a distinct letdown for civilians who wanted to cop its colourful looks for themselves. The Omega Speedmaster watches are a version for civilians complete with a matching steel bracelet.
The new Speedy brings both military provenance and a sprinkling of a vintage piece beloved among cheap super clone Omega collectors. Diehard Omega nuts will be reminded of the old Flightmaster watches from the 1970s. The new Speedmaster Pilot is not an exact match for the manually-wound Flightmaster with its profusion of crowns, pushers, hands, and wild colours, but some of those hues are indeed present in this latest release. Atop a brushed 40.85mm stainless steel case with straight lugs – like those found on the original 1957 Speedmaster – is a matte aluminum bezel with a tachymeter scale in white and orange and a classic “Dot Over Ninety” indication.
The dial on the best replica watches are a true showstopper. It’s comprised of a grained, matte-black texture that’s interrupted only by two chronograph subdials. A combination 60-minute and 12-hour totaliser at 3 o’clock features orange and grey hands and a cockpit-inspired “burn-rate” indicator while a running-seconds indicator at 9 o’clock features an artificial horizon background in light blue and black with a bright yellow hand.
The pops of colour don’t end there, however: The central chronograph seconds hand has a Flightmaster-esque, plane-shaped orange tip, while the chunky blocks of Super-LumiNova likewise have orange tips. Another eye-pleasing feature is that the indices as well as the watch’s thick sword hands glow green in low light, lighting up the watch dial like a dashboard instrument. A date indicator with a black background and white typography is present at 6 o’clock, and the whole shebang is powered by the automatic CA luxury copy Omega Calibre 9900 movement with 60 hours of power reserve. The presence of an automatic movement makes for a case thickness of 14.54 mm, so don’t expect the Speedmaster Pilot to slip sveltely under a cuff, not a problem if you’re wearing it over a flight suit as intended.
Unlike the versions of the watch being offered to US military pilots and other personnel, the civilian version has a matching multi-link bracelet (instead of a NATO strap – though civilians can buy a strapped version if they wish), a blue and black running seconds counter (instead of a grey and black version), and a caseback inscribed with the top fake Omega hippocampus logo (instead of its wearer’s name, rank, and squadron logo). But case thickness aside, there’s little to complain about either version. With its striking, colourful looks; 100m of water resistance; excellent automatic movement; and incredible dial, the Speedmaster Pilot is a hugely welcome addition to Omega’s tool watch catalog. Not quite a Flightmaster and not quite a Moonwatch, it’s nevertheless an exciting example of rare, modern military engineering for £8,900.
The new Speedmaster Pilot caps off what’s been a sensational year for Omega’s flagship model. 2024 started with the long-awaited white-dial Speedy, October brought a release inspired by the first version of the watch to go to space, and this new piece might be the best version yet. While the watch is best known for its classic Moonwatch configuration, Swiss replica Omega continue to remind collectors of the Speedy’s nearly peerless variety.