OMEGA Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition

Those of you that are passionate about flying and the latest developments in aviation are probably familiar with the Solar Impulse project, whose mission is to circumnavigate the globe in an airplane powered only by energy from the sun.

In 2006, the Solar Impulse team welcomed Omega as an official partner. Since then Omega has contributed a number of important technological innovations to help them achieve its goals. The mission is on track for this spring and to mark this occasion, Omega has announced the latest addition to its legendary Speedmaster family: the Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition.

Crafted from lightweight grade 2 titanium, the 45 mm brushed case features a blue ceramic bezel coated with white Super-LumiNova. The blue and green dial, with its white transferred indexes and Super-LumiNova-coated hour markers, has a central opening allowing the wearer to read the liquid crystal display digital elements (grey on a black background) such as the hour, minute and seconds of up to three different time zones, three alarms, chronograph and countdown functions, and a perpetual calendar with day, date, month, year and week number indications.

A night view of the Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse

Skeletonised black and white hour and minute hands are coated with Super-LumiNova which emits a green light. The black and green central seconds hand is clearly visible. The hands can be disengaged to allow clear reading of the digital display.

The OMEGA Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition is powered by the multi-functional quartz chronograph movement, OMEGA calibre 5619, with a thermo-compensated integrated circuit. In addition to its analogue and digital displays, this timepiece has two functions that will prove useful for the pilots: mission elapsed time (MET) and phase elapsed time (PET).

The grade 2 titanium outer caseback 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).

Affirming its reliability, precision and ability to withstand challenging environments, this new X-33 model has been tested and qualified by the ESA and was developed under an ESA patent license based on an invention by ESA astronaut Jean-François Clervoy.

Presented on a blue and green-bordered polyamide “NATO” strap, this timepiece will be produced in an edition limited to 1,924 pieces. The number honours the year that the first round-the-world flight took place; members of the United States Army Air Service flew around the world from 4 April to 28 September 1924.

This watch will be available at the Vancouver OMEGA Boutique in late Spring.

For more info and the timeline of the Solar Impulse mission, go to www.omegawatches.com/si.