Omega
flightMaster vintage - GMT First Edition

Vintage Omega Flightmaster pilot chronograph from 1969, first version, featuring a bi-colored 24-hour flight hour counter (green and black), integrated rotating bezel beneath the crystal, and equipped with a rare and exclusive hand-wound Caliber 910 — a mechanical movement produced for only two years before being replaced, for cost-efficiency reasons, by Caliber 911, itself based on the Speedmaster's Caliber 861.

This Omega Caliber 910 mechanical movement features 17 jewels and beats at a rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour. When fully wound (about 20 turns of the crown), it offers a power reserve of 44 hours. Functions include hours, minutes, an independently adjustable GMT hour hand, and 24-hour, 12-hour, and 30-minute chronograph totalizers. The screw-down caseback is engraved with the silhouette of a commercial airliner.

A watch designed for aviation professionals, the Flightmaster has been worn by military personnel, astronauts, and cosmonauts of various nationalities. Originally intended as Omega’s response to the Rolex GMT Master and the Breitling Navitimer, it is the result of Omega’s research to assist pilots, astronauts, and travelers in keeping track of multiple time zones with ease.

Widely adopted by pilots, its internal rotating bezel — set beneath the crystal — allows for navigational calculations without exposing uniforms to the abrasive contact of a knurled bezel, unlike its competitors. This design helped secure its place aboard numerous space missions and commercial airline cockpits.

From a collector’s perspective, this watch belongs to the earliest editions of a model that has become highly sought-after. The rising popularity of the Speedmaster over recent years is expected to drive even greater appreciation in Flightmaster prices in the near future. Given its low production numbers and unique design, this version is poised to become one of the most iconic aviation watches of the late 20th century.

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