History of the Omega Flightmaster
Omega Flightmaster ref. 145.036 / Credit: Analog/Shift
Remember the Concorde? The supersonic plane that jetted passengers around the world at twice the speed of sound. Well, the Concorde had its first flight in 1969, coincidentally the same year the Omega Flightmaster was released. Is it really a coincidence though? After all, the Flightmaster was built specifically with pilots in mind.
The Omega Flightmaster was officially released in 1969, with the hopes of becoming the standard for pilots around the world. It was designed specifically with pilots in mind – with that thought extending even to the movement, the Caliber 910. The Caliber 910 was a heavily modified Omega Caliber 860, combining the functions of a GMT, an AM/PM indicator, and the regular chronograph functions; the first two explicitly thought of for pilots. The first Omega Flightmaster was the ref. 145.013. The second version of the Flightmaster, released in 1971, was the Caliber 911 (ref. 145.036 and 145.026), the Caliber 911 notably added a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock, replacing the AM/PM indicator as customers reportedly complained about not being able to tell if the watch was working upon first glance.
That same year, Omega also released a special solid 18k gold version of the Flightmaster, the ref. BA 345.0801. This model was produced in very low quantities but one was apparently made for King Hussein of Jordan.
Turning back to the Concorde though, it might now be a bit more obvious what the Flightmaster has to do with a supersonic plane. Apart from sharing a birth year, Omega was the unofficial supplier to the Concorde, whose crew members were known to have donned the Flightmaster.
Late 1950s Omega Flightmaster ‘FAP’ / Credit: Watch Books Only
However, one thing that is important to note - information from Watch Books Only’s Flightmaster Only - is that the first Flightmasters technically appeared in the late 1950s, with the name being registered in 1957, and were used by the Peruvian Air Force. These watches were essentially Railmasters that had been rebranded, but this does mean that the first Flightmaster was technically released about a decade earlier than originally believed. Although, the 1950s models look nothing like the 1969 Flightmasters, which are chronographs with much more ‘engaging’ dials. Fundamentally, they’re very different timepieces that share a name and a purpose.
What I love about the Flightmaster is that it is a reflection of two themes prevalent in 1960s watch trends: first, the fixation on sports/tool watches that emerged after the Second World War, and second, the will to go beyond utilitarian designs and make watches that were aesthetically pleasing while also pushing the limits of design styles. The 1960s were one of the most creative times for watch designs, in my opinion, and the Flightmaster reflects that.
By: Andres Ibarguen