OMEGA shows support for Solar Impulse project with new Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition

OMEGA shows support for Solar Impulse project with new Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition

The ESA-qualified timepiece commemorates OMEGA’s pioneering spirit and its relationship with Solar Impulse.

Just in time for Solar Impulse’s long awaited round-the-world journey, OMEGA is proud to unveil the latest addition to its legendary Speedmaster family: the Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition.

More than a remarkable timepiece, the Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Limited Edition is a celebration of a project whose ambitious aim is to circle the globe in an airplane powered only by solar energy, making a bold statement about viable alternatives to non-renewable energy.

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.

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.