Omega - The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XVIII Hong Kong Friday, May 24, 2024 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: Omega
    Year: Circa 1970
    Reference No: 145.013, repeated inside caseback
    Movement No: 31’630’423
    Model Name: Flightmaster
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 910, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Omega bracelet, endlinks stamped “172”, max length 190mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Omega deployant clasp, stamped “1162”
    Dimensions: 42.5mm diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by Omega travel pouch.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Very rarely seen on the market, the Flightmaster was the last collection in which Omega developed a mechanical movement specifically tailored for pilots. The dial of the Flightmaster may appear busy with seven hands, but Omega employed clever color manipulation to ensure optimal legibility for pilots in the flight cabin. Different colors were used to distinguish the various functions: orange for the chronograph, white for timekeeping, blue for the second time zone, and black for the inner rotating bezel. To enhance user-friendliness, similarly colored circular markings are found at the tips of the pushers as well.

    Earlier versions of the Flightmaster utilized a Lemania-based calibre 911 movement, which was similar to the 1968 Speedmaster calibre 861 manual-wound chronograph but with the addition of a 12-hour GMT hand complication. The present lot, reference 145.013, represents a lesser-known variation with the calibre 910. The key difference is that the small seconds sub-dial has been replaced with a 24-hour AM/PM indication.

    The particular example is very attractive and exceptionally well-preserved. The dial has acquired a desirable "tropical" patina, aging to a rich milk chocolate color at the registers. It is rare to find such a well-preserved model on the market, making it an opportunity not to be missed for collectors who seek to acquire this short-lived reference from Omega.

  • Artist Biography

    Omega

    Swiss • 1848

    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.

    View More Works

915

Lot offered with No Reserve

Ref. 145.013, repeated inside caseback
A very rare and well-preserved oversized stainless steel tonneau-shaped pilot’s dual-time chronograph wristwatch with “tropical” dial, rotating inner bezel, 24 hours indication and bracelet

Circa 1970
42.5mm diameter
Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed

Estimate
HK$24,000 - 40,000 
€2,900-4,800
$3,100-5,100

Sold for HK$35,560

Contact Specialist

Thomas Perazzi
Deputy Chairman, Watches, Head of Watches, Asia
+852 2318 2031
WatchesHK@phillips.com
 

Gertrude Wong
Head of Sale, Hong Kong
+ 852 2318 2045
gertrudewong@phillips.com
 

The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XVIII

Hong Kong Auction 24 - 25 May 2024