I desperately want the new Omega Speedmaster Pilot, even though it's not made for me

Let’s be clear: I’m not a pilot. The closest I’ve come to a cockpit is the window seat of a budget airline. But when Omega unveiled the Speedmaster Pilot yesterday, I felt a magnetic pull.

This new Speedmaster model is steeped in history and dripping with aeronautical cool. Excuse me while I book a session at my local flying school…

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The Speedmaster Pilot takes its DNA from the 1957 Speedmaster, the original “pilot’s choice” for U.S. Air Force aviators. This modern version, with its 40.85 mm stainless steel case and matte finish, is a love letter to mid-century aviation while remaining unapologetically modern.

The aluminium bezel retains the Speedmaster’s heritage “Dot Over Ninety” mark, a nod to its storied past, while the robust design promises durability.

What truly sets this watch apart is its cockpit-inspired dial. The matte-black surface pops with bold Super-LumiNova markers, ensuring perfect legibility in low-light conditions. Twin subdials – an opaline beauty at 3 o’clock that mimics a “burn rate” indicator and another at 9 o’clock, styled like a cockpit target – are functional art pieces. Their orange and yellow details evoke the controls of a vintage fighter jet, and even though I’ll never need to track a fuel burn mid-flight, I can’t help but imagine.

Powering this masterpiece is Omega’s Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 9900 with METAS certification, boasting resistance to magnetic fields and unparalleled accuracy.

For those lucky enough to strap it on, comfort is assured. The stainless steel bracelet includes Omega’s patented comfort release system, while an additional NATO strap, reinforced with KEVLAR threads, offers versatility for the Top Gun pilot in all of us.

The water resistance of 100 m (330 ft) might not be necessary for aviators, but it’s comforting for daydreamers prone to splashing in puddles.

This watch isn’t designed for work-from-home-bound enthusiasts like me, and it probably never will be. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting it – desperately. So, while I may never get behind the controls of a fighter jet, I’ll continue to dream of doing it with an Omega Speedmaster Pilot on my wrist.

The Omega Speedmaster Pilot is available now priced at $9500 / £8900 on Omega’s website.

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About

As Buying Guide Editor, Spencer is responsible for all e-commerce content on Stuff, overseeing buying guides as well as covering deals and new product launches. Spencer has been writing about consumer tech for over eight years. He has worked on some of the biggest publications in the UK, where he covered everything from the emergence of smartwatches to the arrival of self-driving cars. During this time, Spencer has become a seasoned traveller, racking up air miles while travelling around the world reviewing cars, attending product launches, and covering every trade show known to man, from Baselworld and Geneva Motor Show to CES and MWC. While tech remains one of his biggest passions, Spencer also enjoys getting hands-on with the latest luxury watches, trying out new grooming kit, and road-testing all kinds of vehicles, from electric scooters to supercars.