PATINA 5

The OMEGA Flightmaster was first released in 1969 and it revolutionized the concept of the pilot’s watch. Based off the same reliable movement as the Speedmaster chronograph, the Flightmaster built on this strong foundation by adding ingenious features to aid legibility and user friendliness. An independently adjustable hand for a second time zone in blue was added, as well as a 24 hour hand with day/night indicator instead of the running seconds. An inner rotating bezel was also incorporated into the case which could assist with multiple timing functions and calculations. Each operation is controlled by a colour coded system, the orange and yellow pushers control the orange or yellow chronograph hands (either could be fitted) the blue crown adjusts the blue second time zone hand, and the black crown adjusts the inner rotating bezel. The case was also highly unusual in design, made to resemble the intake of a jet engine. This watch is from the second generation which did away with the 24 hour indicator in lieu of a running seconds hand.

The Patina:

The bright orange hands of this remain a vivid contrast to the patina on the dial. The brown discolouration is caused by the effects of UV on the dial, however it appears to have only affected the subdials. This is likely due to there being a layer of paint over the main part of the dial. Flightmasters are often found with this tropical patina on the dials as the pilots flying over the clouds would have exposed them to higher than average UV radiation and the painted portions offering a layer of protection.