By G. Rossier.
The history of the Peruvian Air Force (Fuerza Aérea del Perú, abbreviated “FAP”) began in 1919 with the creation of the first Military Aviation Service of the Peruvian Army. In 1929, the aviation branches of the Army and Navy were merged into the independent Cuerpo de Aviación del Perú (CAP), which soon saw combat during the Colombia–Peru War of 1932–1933. The CAP gained further prominence in 1941 during the conflict with Ecuador, carrying out Latin America’s first airborne assault operation with the seizure of Puerto Bolívar.
On 18 July 1950, the force was officially renamed Fuerza Aérea del Perú (FAP). Over the following decades, the FAP modernized rapidly, entering the jet age with aircraft such as the Hawker Hunter, F-86 Sabre and Canberra bombers, and later expanding its fleet to include helicopters, transport aircraft, attack jets and modern Soviet/Russian fighters like the MiG-29. The FAP played a significant operational role again in 1995 during the Cenepa War with Ecuador, supporting troops in difficult jungle terrain. Throughout its history, the FAP has remained central to Peru’s defense, combining military operations with humanitarian missions across the country’s challenging geography – from the Andes to the Amazon.
Since the First World War, armed forces have sought tools that could assist them in carrying out their missions, and they naturally turned their attention to watches. It was during this period, in fact, that the wristwatch became widely popular. The Peruvian Air Force (FAP) was no exception, acquiring watches from several different manufacturers since the 1950s.
During the 1950s, new features were incorporated into watches tailored to satisfy the emerging new breed of customers and their needs: chronographs with tachymeters for professional racing drivers, slide rules, dual-time indications and 24-hour displays for pilots and international travelers, pulsometer scales for doctors, water-resistant crowns and cases with rotating bezels for divers, increased magnetic resistance for scientists, hacking seconds, tritium and fixed lugs for the military, etc…
It was during these highly active times that OMEGA, responding to the radical transformation of everyday life, introduced its legendary trilogy of professional models – the Seamaster 300, Speedmaster, and Railmaster.
OMEGA advertisement for the professional trilogy, which was introduced in 1957.
In 1958, OMEGA became the official supplier to the Fuerza Aérea del Perú. This partnership was communicated internally through the release of a commercial brochure featuring four OMEGA models: Seamaster 300, Speedmaster, Flightmaster, and Seamaster.
Cover page of an OMEGA brochure for the FAP, stating in Spanish that the watches presented on the following pages are exclusively reserved for FAP personnel. It also notes that OMEGA has been the official supplier to the FAP since 1958.
This page highlights the long-standing and solid relationship between OMEGA and the world of aviation.
Sales were handled by the Peruvian OMEGA importer, Reiser & Curioni SA, which supplied the watches through the FAP stores, known as the “Bazar de Aeronáutica”. These purchases also benefited from preferentials prices and an extended warranty – two years instead of the standard one.
Letter from the Peruvian OMEGA importer, Reiser & Curioni, to a FAP colonel concerning the order of 380 OMEGA watches in August 1961. Each warranty card is stamped with a two-year warranty expiration date.
Source: Loupe This.
Although these watches were not always issued in the strict military sense, the partnership granted them official status, and led to certain customizations, such as the caseback engraving with the initials FAP (as explained in the image below), or a request for name change on the dial of some models.
A paragraph in the brochure states that all OMEGA watches ordered through the official FAP stores are delivered with a distinctive “FAP” marking on the caseback. In addition, each watch comes with its OMEGA international warranty certificate as well as its factory presentation box.
As such, the FAP was most likely the first military organization to make the trilogy models available to its personnel and it did so, shortly after their release. Indeed, the first orders were for Seamaster 300s and Speedmasters, placed in January and February 1959 respectively, followed in November 1959 by the first batch of Flightmasters.
Description of the Seamaster 300 ref. CK 2913, showing the preferential FAP price of US $ 58,90. Note that the public price is indicated in local currency (sol de oro) and corresponded to US $ 237.
The Seamaster 300s show no major factory modifications; however, interestingly, the Lollipop seconds hand (named after the circular lume plot at the tip) made its debut on the very first reference 2913s manufactured for the FAP, quite possibly as a special request.
As mentioned in the brochure above, the outer casebacks were engraved with the acronym “FAP”, which was likely added locally after the watches left the OMEGA factory. The size, style and placement of this engraving vary from one version to another:
| M.A2. FAP – WATERPROOF below | M.A3. FAP – SEAMASTER below | M.B1. FAP – Pre-Mapics | |
| FAP size | Small | Large | Small or large |
| FAP location | On the bevel | On the bevel | On the flat part |
| Reference | 2913-3 | 2913-7, 2913-8 | 14755-61, 14755 |
| Serial range | 16.334.xxx & 16.338.xxx | 16.684.xxx | 18.564.xxx |
| Production date | January & February 1959 | April & May 1961 | March 1962 |
Table showing the different types of casebacks for the Seamaster 300 FAP. The names in the first row correspond to the nomenclature used in the book Seamaster Only.
M.A2
M.A3
M.B1
Three types of casebacks for the Seamaster 300, with different FAP engravings.
We estimate that approximately 300 Seamaster 300s were ordered by the FAP.
An early Seamaster 300, reference 2913-3, supplied to the FAP and notable for its lollipop seconds hand, a feature seldom found on non-FAP examples.
Presentation of the chronograph Speedmaster ref. CK 2915 (the model pictured is a 2915-3), showing the preferential FAP price of US $ 67,90. Note that the public price is indicated in local currency (sol de oro) and corresponded to US $ 289. The lower part of the page shows a drawing explaining the construction of the case and glass for the Seamaster 300 and Speedmaster, using o-rings to ensure waterproofness.
The earliest Speedmaster orders date from February 1959 and consisted of a batch of CK 2915-2 models that differ from the standard version by their FAP-engraved casebacks. Notably, this is the first caseback design to feature the Seahorse and the OMEGA logo at the center while still retaining the word SPEEDMASTER on the bevel. The FAP engraving is positioned higher than on later variants, where the marking appears closer to the beveled edge. We estimate production at roughly thirty pieces.
Two subsequent orders involved Speedmaster CK 2998 models. Watches from the first order were produced in July 1961 and bear case references 2998-3 or 2998-4. For the second order, the case references range from 2998-4 to 2998-6, with a production date in June 1962. Both series feature a large-format FAP engraving.
A final group is distinguished by a smaller FAP engraving, found on 2998-61, 2998-62, and 105.002-62 models produced in July 1963.
| A2. Speedmaster on Bevel – Seahorse | A3. Speedmaster in Center – Double Bevel | A3. Speedmaster in Center – Double Bevel | A3. Speedmaster in Center – Double Bevel | |
| FAP size | Small | Large | Large | Small |
| FAP location | High on the flat part | Low on the flat part | Low on the flat part | Low on the flat part |
| Reference | 2915-2 | 2998-3, 2998-4 | 2998-4 to -6 | 2998-61, 2998-62, 105.002-62 |
| Serial range | 16.648.xxx | 17.762.xxx | 18.419.xxx, 18.645.xxx | 19.584.xxx |
| Production date | February 1959 | July 1961 | June 1962 | July 1963 |
Table showing the different types of casebacks for the Speedmaster FAP. The names in the first row correspond to the nomenclature used in the book Moonwatch Only.
A2
A3
A3
Three types of casebacks for the Speedmaster, with different FAP engravings.
We estimate that about 150-200 Speedmasters were manufactured by OMEGA for FAP.
A beautiful Speedmaster 2998-6 ordered by the FAP in 1962.
Description of the Flightmaster model, ref. CK 2914, highlighting its antimagnetic properties using a double protection. The inner case was made of a special alloy (Numetal) forming an impenetrable shield against the strongest magnetic fields to which a person may be exposed, with a resistance up to 900 Gauss. The preferential FAP price was US $ 45,00, making it the cheapest of the trilogy. The lower part of the page shows a drawing explaining the construction of the case and glass for the Flightmaster.
The Flightmaster is, in fact, a Railmaster (reference CK 2914) fitted with a dial renamed “Flightmaster”. This third model supplied to the FAP is particularly noteworthy, as the name “Flightmaster” does not belong to the original 1957 professional trilogy.
The earliest trace of the name dates back to 1957, when OMEGA registered it with the Swiss Agency for Intellectual Property (BIRPI) under number 201929 (see below). This indicates that OMEGA envisioned a project extending beyond the trilogy and was already considering the creation of a fourth “Master” watch – one intended specifically for pilots. That concept would not fully materialize until 1969.
Publication of OMEGA’s trademark protection for the name “Flightmaster,” on 19 July 1957.
However, a few very early CK 2914s (with movements in the 15-million range) have been documented with dials inscribed “Flightmaster”, paired with casebacks bearing the Seahorse and OMEGA logo but lacking any RAILMASTER or FLIGHTMASTER text. These extremely rare examples possibly correspond to early tests and that have not been kept for production. The Flightmaster dials resurfaced in November 1959 on pieces destined for the Peruvian Air Force. It is likely its officials were not convinced by the name “Railmaster”, prompting OMEGA to propose the already-produced Flightmaster dials, a name far more fitting for an air force. The customization was completed with FAP-engraved casebacks.
Two types of casebacks are documented for the Flightmaster. They differ noticeably in the size of the FAP engraving and in the FLIGHTMASTER inscription, which is larger and rendered in bold on the earlier examples.
| Type 1. Large FAP | Type 1. Large FAP | Type 2. Small FAP | |
| FAP size | Large | Large | Small or large |
| Caliber | 284 | 285 | 286 |
| Reference | 2914-3, 2914-4 | 2914-6 | 2914 SC |
| Serial range | 16.94x.xxx | 18.40x.xxx | 19.79x.xxx |
| Production date | November 1959 to 1960 | 1962 | 1963 |
Table showing the different types of casebacks for the FAP Flightmaster. Research about this model is still ongoing.
Type 1
Type 2
Two types of casebacks are known, distinguished by variations in the positioning and size of their engravings (left, source: Phillips).
We cannot provide an estimate of the number of these Flightmaster-dial CK 2914s delivered to the FAP, though it was likely smaller than for the other two models.
A beautiful Speedmaster 2914 SC ordered by the FAP in June 1963.
Presentation of two OMEGA Seamaster models, references. CK 2990 and CK 2996, both measuring 36 mm in diameter and available with either a black or a silver-white dial. Like the other models, the prices were discounted for FAP personnel, at 27 and 28.65 USD respectively.
A fourth model was also offered for sale in the FAP stores: the Ranchero, available in two references, CK 2990 and CK 2996, both renamed simply “Seamaster” for the occasion, “Ranchero” sounding not positively in Spanish.
One is equipped with a small seconds register, while the other features a central seconds hand. As indicated in the brochure, these 36-mm models could be ordered with either a black or a silver-white dial.
It should be noted that other brands also supplied watches to the FAP, but they are not detailed in this article.
One Response
hello: very comprehensive article. Do you know when LOLLIPOP seconds hand was employed by Omega (say 1959?) for it’s early Railmaster model ? thanks