Omega X33 – A true Pilots watch

An excellent reference for the Omega X33 Speedmaster. Found on the TimeZone forum and written by “Migdriver”. The “other” Pilot/Aviation watch company referred to is Breitling. I am one of the pilots Omega consulted with as the X-33 went through multiple prototypes over the past few years prior to its consumer release. I am both a watch enthusiast and a pilot ( to put this in perspective I have an “ATP” rating and fly go-fast military jets amongst other things) so I was particularily pleased when Omega supplied me with a second generation X-33 prototype several years ago and asked for input. I was not alone as several current NASA astronauts also were given prototypes and asked to fly them ( on the shuttle) and give comment. Omega primarily designed the watch for NASA as a necessary replacement for the venerable, but no longer adequate Speedmaster professional ( “moon watch”). The remarkable thing is Omega took all of our inputs ( digital display not large enough or with enough contrast, analogue hands cover digital display, hands not readily readable at night, pushers too difficult to work with gloves on etc. etc. ) and continually modified the watch to our specs…that is what real pilots and astronauts need. As the prototypes went through various mods, I was supplied with newer version for continued evaluation. The resulting consumer model ( which incidentally is identical to the watch supplied to NASA )incorporates all our suggestions and test results and represents an engineering synthesis of our comments with one notable exception…the bezel. We all felt strongly that the bezel if present had to be rotatable and easy to read( the origional prototypes had fixed bezels). Alas, the marketing guys insisted on making the bezel high polish and therefore unreadable under many conditions. However, Omega is in the process now of revising the bezel because of complaints from their “beta” pilots/astronauts about its current design. Bottom line…Omega listens…this is the only watch I am aware of that is no kidding purpose built for real pilots and as such performs in a way no other watch comes close to. There are no unreadable subdials, undecipherable slide rules or other gingerbread, impressive looking but useless functions like those found on other aviation watches. And by the way, if you question the durability of this “instrument”, I can vouch for it’s strength. While wearing a prototype I crash tested it. Returning from a post mx functional check flight, the jet I was driving crashed on approuch ( I was out of the ejection seat envelope and had no choice but to go for the ride of my life ). The A/C was destroyed, I broke my back and had other assorted injuries, but when a nurse brought my watch to me after my first few days in hospital, that damned X-33 still worked. It was scratched and dinged but, every single function was still working normally. That watch now resides in Omega’s museum in Bienne, a testament to the sturdy, remarkable product Omega is making. And incidentally, despite the claims of another “pilot/aviation watch” company, this IS the watch the Blue Angels, some of the Thunderbirds and many other USAF and Navy tactical ( read:fighter) pilots wear. It is the watch which several Navy and USAF squadrons have purchased for all their members to wear. It is also the watch NASA now issues to Shuttle astronauts for use on their missions. It is the real thing.see more replica rolex orologi and U Boat orologi