Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition Watch Replica Watches Young Professional

Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition Watch Watch Releases


Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition Watch Watch Releases

It was at BaselWorld 2014 that Omega debuted the new X-33, which we referred to as “the real heir to the cult favorite Omega X-33 aviation/aerospace watch of the 1990s.” Now, as a new-for-2015 version we have the Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition, which adds what first appears to be a stunning color combination that links this space-age watch to an interesting project called Solar Impulse.

Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition Watch Watch Releases

We were excited to go hands-on with the new X-33 in 2014, a version with a case and bracelet in grade 2 titanium and a color scheme that overall appeared to be mono-chromatic – save for a splash of red on the seconds hand. With the Solar Impulse limited edition the X-33 receives a much more colorful outfit and one that, with its deep blues and vibrant greens, is admittedly more linked to planet Earth than the cold nothingness of outer space.

Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition Watch Watch Releases

While the 45 millimeter wide case is still crafted from grade 2 titanium, new is the beautiful blue of the ceramic bezel, the green and blue rings on the periphery of the dial, as well as the green seconds hand. The reason for this Earth-themed color selection is that with this limited edition, Omega Speedmaster Brown Strap Replica connects the X-33 with the Solar Impulse project, which they have been a part of since its earliest phases back in 2006.

Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition Watch Watch Releases

The Solar Impulse 2 airplane is as wide as a Boeing 747 but, even with its 12,000 solar panels onboard, weighs in at a featherweight 1.7 tons as opposed to over 550 tons of the Jumbo.

The aim of this project is to create an airplane that is powered only by solar energy and is capable of flying around the globe, as Omega puts it: “making a bold statement about viable alternatives to non-renewable energy.” In March 2015, the around-the-world Solar Impulse flight will take off from Abu Dhabi and over five months the pilots will stop in Asia, North America and Southern Europe, flying day and night, to complete the first solar-powered circumnavigation of the world. In fact, this 2015 X-33 is not the only watch Omega has created with ties to this project: in 2009 they presented the Omega Speedmaster HB-SIA limited edition watch with a more unusual carbon fiber dial (article here).

Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition Watch Watch Releases

The Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition features the Omega calibre 5619 multi-functional quartz chronograph movement, with a thermo-compensated integrated circuit, with analog hands and a grey-on-black liquid crystal display that can indicate the hour, minute and seconds of up to three different time zones. It has three alarms, chronograph and countdown functions, and a perpetual calendar with day, date, month, year and week number indications, as well as mission timers such as mission elapsed time (MET) and phase elapsed time (PET), and of course a backlight.

The Speedmaster bracelet of last year’s X-33 has been replaced by a green-blue Nato strap, the texture of which reminds us of the one we saw on the Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th anniversary piece (hands-on here), although this time around with Omega branded metal hardware replacing the fabric loops of the strap – certainly a welcome choice.

Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition Watch Watch Releases

I will share a dark secret of mine, that is both irrational and arbitrary, but has coloured lots of my own watchmaking decisions. Ready?When I first started getting into watches, I believed Omega had been Seiko. I will let this sink in for a second. The fact is, for some odd reason, in my head I always assumed that Omega, which I knew next to nothing about, was a Japanese manufacturer known for relatively inexpensive watches. Up until now, I had been unable to shake that bias off.When you have a preconceived notion of a brand, particularly in regards to products that have a great deal of prestige tied up into their title worth, it’s hard to escape from it. So today I did something which will hopefully help me recover. I bought a classic Omega Speedmaster Professional. And so far, I absolutely love it.My travel to adding a Speedmaster to my collection started a few months ago, once I went to see the NASA Heavy Rocket IV shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral. While walking around one of the NASA museums, I started to soak in a number of the Omega history together with the space program, and even stumbled across a 5 ft tall functioning Speedmaster in one of the halls (see below).Having been transferred by the majesty of a rocket launching while I awakened by a swamp in a convertible Mustang, I knew I had a place within my entire life for the prestigious Speedmaster Pro.Since I’m not as fanatical over the facts as I might be about a vintage Rolex, and because far less money was on the line, I discovered a wonderful example offered by popular seller LunarOyster. Since I love the creamy look of tritium patina, I was looking for an 861 quality piece, and ended up with a very minty, 1997 version, the last year of this tritium dialup, with fine fitting palms and dial plots.

The case-back, although for the most part covered by the NATO strap, is secured with eight screws and is stamped with the Solar Impulse “Around the World” patch and engraved with the name of the timepiece as well as the words “TESTED AND QUALIFIED BY ESA” (the European Space Agency). Being a limited edition of just 1,924 pieces – a number picked to commemorate the year that the first round-the-world flight took place as members of the United States Army Air Service flew around the world from 4 April to 28 September 1924 – it is here where we’ll likely find the individual number of the piece as well.

Price for the Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition is 4,900 Swiss francs, which presently accounts for around $5,200, which actually is $700 less than the version on the titanium bracelet we saw last year. omegawatches.com