Manufacturer: Omega Year: Circa 1996 Case No: 10/22 Model Name: X-33 Flightmaster Prototype Material: Titanium Calibre: Quartz, cal. E20.301 Bracelet/Strap: Shark Clasp/Buckle: Omega stainless steel deployant clasp Dimensions: 41mm diameter Signed: Case, dial and clasp signed
Catalogue Essay
Omega is no stranger to producing watches for space exploration, having designed the first timepiece to accompany Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon in the 1960s. On the advice of Mr. James Ragan, an analog time display was added to the design specification of the upcoming model to ensure that a display of time would remain functional and visible at all times, even when – during exposure to extreme temperatures during an EVA (Ectra Vehicular Activity) – the digital portion of the display on the LCD screen would render itself unreadable.
Initially prototyped and tested under the name Flightmaster, reminiscent of the famous pilot’s chronograph Omega introduced in 1969, the first incarnations of this amazing chronograph passed unscathed all tests in the hands and on the wrists of pilots and astronauts alike. Destined to become a classic within the Speedmaster’s legendary family, this project was to be the birth of what became the Speedmaster X-33. With its titanium case and multi-function movement, it showcases many of the ideas proposed by Omega with the Alaska I, Alaska IV and Condor projects and prototypes.
The X-33 Flightmaster prototype is identified by the larger red minute hand. Titanium was chosen as the ideal case material due to the fact that it is hypo-allergenic, non-ferrous, non-magnetic, light, and extremely robust. The watch also has analogue as well as digital display with many higher functions such as the display of military time, Universal Time (GMT) and mission elapse time (MET) with an alarm function for each. Two versions of the prototype were made. The first, produced in 100 examples, featured a single caseback, giving a low-decibel alarm. The present example is part of the second version prototype with a double caseback that amplified the alarm to 80 decibels. Only 22 examples of this version were produced, making this present timepiece an exceptionally rare development prototype for the multipurpose chronograph that was to become the Speedmaster X-33.
Omega's rich history begins with its founder, Louis Brandt, who established the firm in 1848 in La Chaux de Fonds. In 1903, the company changed its name to Omega, becoming the only watch brand in history to have been named after one its own movements. A full-fledged manufacturer of highly accurate, affordable and reliable watches, its sterling reputation enabled them to be chosen as the first watch company to time the Olympic Games beginning in 1932. Its continued focus on precision and reliability ultimately led their Speedmaster chronograph wristwatch to be chosen by NASA in 1965 — the first watch worn on the moon.
Key models sought-after by collectors include their first, oversized water-resistant chronograph — the reference 2077, early Speedmaster models such as the CK 2915 and 2998, military-issued versions of the Seamaster and oversized chronometer models such as those fitted with their prestigious caliber 30T2Rg.