Sunday Morning Showdown: Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified Vs. Zenith Pilot Big Date Flyback

Welcome to our last Sunday Morning Showdown of the year. Next week, Jorg will share this year’s Sunday Morning Showdown highlights, so let’s go out with a bang. Today, we put the new Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified up against the Zenith Pilot Big Date Flyback. The leaks of the Speedmaster Pilot for US military aviators properly stirred up the rumor mill. Then, last week, the consumer version was received with a lot of excitement. Let’s see if the Zenith Pilot Big Date Flyback’s muscles are big enough to gather the majority of votes in this confrontation.

Of course, both these watches are automatic pilot’s chronographs. They’re very legible and have colorful accents on their dials. Other than that, though, there are still more than enough differences to fight over. Thomas and Daan will do their best to defend their contestants. But first, we’ll take a look at what happened last Sunday.

Last week, on Sunday Morning Showdown…

Jorg and Mike brought you a much-requested battle. The popular Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT took on the Rolex Explorer II ref. 226570. Jorg defended the Tudor Pelagos valiantly, but in the end, he was no match for the Rolex Explorer II. Although the Explorer II certainly isn’t The Crown’s most popular model, it still knows how to crush the competition with 66% of the votes. Let’s see if this week’s battle of pilot’s watches will be any closer.

Daan: Zenith Pilot Big Date Flyback

Zenith presented its updated Pilot collection at Watches and Wonders 2023. That was the first time I attended the biggest watch fair on the calendar. I’m not sure if those two things have anything to do with each other, but I’ve been a fan of Zenith’s new Pilots since day one. I like the collection’s muscular case design, the big numerals, and the horizontal relief of the dials. Honestly, the Big Date Flyback model we’re talking about today is a bit big for my 17cm wrist, but design-wise, it’s my favorite of the bunch, for sure.

At the time, the outgoing Zenith Pilots had a retro design inspired by the watch pilot Louis Blériot wore in 1909 as he flew across the English Channel. Almost the only detail remaining from those previous models is the “Pilot” text on the bottom of the dial. The rest of the Pilot was fully modernized with a more streamlined case, a bold dial with a Rimowa-like motif, and a very attractive big date at 6 o’clock. It’s also available in black ceramic, but I much prefer the steel model. That’s also because it comes with a colorful throwback to the Zenith Rainbow Flyback from 1997 and the fiery red chronograph hands.

I also find the big numerals at each hour incredibly attractive. But my hands-down-favorite feature is the big date at 6 o’clock. It is so prominent on the dial, and its numerals are almost as big as the hour markers. Everything, including the hands, looks a bit oversized. That might be exactly what I like so much about it.

A flyback El Primero caliber inside

Another great feature is the automatic flyback El Primero 3652 movement inside the Pilot Big Date. I’m not a pilot, but I can imagine that when flying an aircraft, you don’t want to complicate your things by stopping and then resetting your chronograph. The flyback function is a cool but handy feature, especially if you’re a pilot. The movement inside the Speedmaster Pilot certainly isn’t bad either, but it doesn’t offer the flyback function, and you can’t look at it through the all-steel case back. On the Zenith, you can at least see its inner workings through the case back’s sapphire window.

This brings me to the direct comparison with the new Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified. Admittedly, it’s cool to know that there are a few pilots out there with the Speedmaster Pilot on their wrists. I also think both the exclusive edition for pilots and the one for consumers are good-looking watches. However, I’m not a big fan of the smaller Speedmaster case without the guards for the crown and pushers.

Great looks but a not-so-great wearing experience

The Speedmaster Pilot reminds me of the First Omega in Space I used to own. That was a good-looking watch, but because of its smaller case and non-twisted lugs, it didn’t wear as nicely as the Speedmaster Professional does. The FOiS felt quite thick on the wrist and didn’t wrap itself around it like the Speedmaster Professional does. I kind of feel the same about the new Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified. It looks good, but it simply doesn’t feel right on my wrist.

I do like that the Speedmaster Pilot comes with a nice flat-link bracelet. The Zenith Pilot is only available with a sailcloth strap. That’s not my favorite kind of strap by a long shot, and I’d much prefer to have the option of adding a proprietary bracelet into the mix. Alas, sometimes you can’t have all your wishes granted, I guess. Even when considering that drawback, I’d still choose the Zenith Pilot Big Date Flyback over the Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified any day of the week. What about you, Thomas?

Thomas: Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified

Thank you, Daan! This is an interesting matchup, for sure. I imagine that if you were considering one of these, the other would “pop up on your radar…” My apologies; that was terrible. “These two watches are well matched” is what I am trying to say.

Before I point out the Omega Speedmaster Pilot’s strengths, let me briefly address your points, Daan. I am not sure I follow your train of thought regarding the flyback’s practical applications. Don’t get me wrong; I love a good flyback as much as the next person. However, I sincerely hope my next AMS–GVA flight is navigated via GPS rather than dead reckoning and a Zenith chronograph. In my eyes, the flyback is more of a horological flex than a practical tool.

The other point I wanted to counter is that of wearability. I agree that the Speedmaster Professional case is more ergonomic, even if it has a greater diameter. However, in today’s comparison, the Speedmaster Pilot comes out favorably nonetheless. I do like the Zenith Pilot, but its ergonomics are terrible. I don’t think any of its designers tried on a 3D-printed prototype during the design process. It simply does not conform to the wrist. You need a seriously large forearm to make it sit remotely well.

The Omega Speedmaster Pilot

Looking at these two contestants side by side, the first word that springs to mind is “focus.” The Speedmaster Pilot feels significantly more focused to me. I love that Omega practiced restraint beyond the colors. The colorful accents provide all the jazz this watch requires, so the rest should be restrained. How do you make the lead singer of the band stand out? By contrasting her red gown with the rest of the band dressed in stark black. The black is just as important as the red in this equation.

Omega understood this, and the Speedy Pilot shows it. The fully brushed case and bracelet, for instance, provide a Spartan, purposeful canvas for the colorful accents. The textured black dial does the same. Even the applied lumeblock markers fall into line with this philosophy. Why add a luxurious polished applied index if ultimate legibility is your goal?

The Zenith Pilot, on the other hand, lacks the same strong visual hierarchy. All the intricate details fight for the wearer’s attention. Even with the colored accents, I am not sure where I am supposed to look first. This is not so much of a problem on a luxury watch, but these two contenders pretend to be tools. It most certainly does matter for tool watches.

The Speedmaster Pilot is the better value prop

“Value” is not a word that is too high on most luxury brands’ priority lists. Still, Omega scores quite a lot better in this regard. Granted, the Speedy omits the flyback complication. However, in return, you get a more cohesive design, a fantastic bracelet with micro-adjustment, and an additional NATO-style strap, all while keeping €1,800 in your pocket.

The Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified costs €10,500, while the Zenith Pilot Big Date Flyback demands €12,300 of your hard-earned savings. Again, trying to justify a watch’s price through its specifications is often futile, but I don’t see where the difference goes here. If the prices were the other way around, I would believe it as well.

Predicting the future

Admittedly, I cannot see into the future. I do not know if either of these two watches will become an era-defining classic. However, there are clues to go by. Allow me to unleash my inner Nostradamus to predict the future of these two colorful pilot’s chronographs.

Let me start with the Zenith. For starters, the Zenith Pilot breaks with traditions within its heritage. It looks nothing like its predecessors. It does not build on a design language or lineage in any obvious way. There are certainly elements in the Zenith that could become longstanding features. I like the interesting case shape and the retro fuselage-inspired dial stripes. If carefully managed, Zenith could turn those features into a signature aesthetic. However, one thing speaks against it: the design isn’t fully congruent. If you analyze it carefully, you will find elements from different eras that are not completely harmonized stylistically and proportionally.

The Speedmaster Pilot, on the other hand, builds on a long lineage of Speedmasters. By utilizing established shapes, proportions, and design vocabulary from the Speedmaster mixed with the colors from the old Flightmaster models, you get instant recognizability and a very clear identity. Sure, it may be more predictable and less original, but my prediction is that it will age more gracefully.

Cast your vote!

There you have it — two colorful pilot’s chronographs vying for your favor! Which should claim the crown? Cast your vote, and share your motivations in the comments section below!