Ever since Omega somewhat belatedly patented
its ‘Ligne Pilote’ case design in November 2010, watch aficionados knew
something was up. Informed speculation leaned towards an upgraded X33 sitting
in a pilot line case.....and it was right.
Featuring a freshly minted calibre 5566
quartz movement, the Z-33 offers analogue time-telling adjustable at the crown
and a range of digital functions that will be very useful to pilots - even in
these days of iPads and digital paraphernalia that allow pilots to do
practically everything, except perhaps have sex with their chief stewardesses. Functions
include Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and two other time zones, also allowing
owners to cross the
international date line and accommodate forward and regressive date
changes. The chronograph function of the
movement can measure elapsed time from destination, and ten separate flights
can be logged and represented visually
With four pushers and a crown, the Spacemaster
Z-33 is a complicated piece of kit. If you have problems programming digital
recorders or setting up a new television set, this will really flummox you.
But, with a little practice and a certified membership from MENSA, you should
get the hang of it!
The design is pure brutalism with a
dark side that will appeal to anyone who nurtures and enjoys their Jungian
shadow. The classic titanium pilot line case, a derivative of the Flightmaster
cases of the late nineteen-sixties and early seventies, features a deep linear adoucissage finish that
radiates from the centre point of the watch and you can almost cut yourself, or
others, with the sharpness of the perimeter edges. The 19.3 mm case is much thicker than the
earlier Flightmaster cases and overall measurements are a whopping 43mm by
53mm.
The dial is simplicity itself. A deep
charcoal ground is highlighted with white superluminova indices with the outer
ring featuring the classic Flightmaster five-minute configuration. Two mirror
image digital displays with black backgrounds pulse out red characters. Dagger hands, also coated in superluminova are
skeletonised to allow better visibility of the digital displays.
A choice of rubber or leather straps is
offered, but the rubber strap with the red outlines, in my opinion, completes the
implicit ‘menace’ of the design story.
This is the ultimate electro-mechanical tool watch, and it may well
become a cult piece just as the Omega X-33 has.
Available only from Omega boutiques, the Z-33 will set you back around
USD 5900.00 and will be available from May, 2012.
Oh, and for those who may have described, or will
describe, this wonderful piece of ordinance as “fugly’, I simply ask, have you
looked at yourself in the mirror lately?
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