Fuerza Aérea del Perú (FAP) 2913-8 Omega Seamaster 300

FAP. Three little engraved letters with multitudes of meaning to just a few people. The best sort of watches, I’ve always said, are those that don’t shout for the attention they garner. But a Fuerza Aérea del Perú (Peruvian Air Force) Seamaster 300 takes that notion a bit further. You wouldn’t even know unless someone took it off their wrist, and even then you might miss it. Where military watches are concerned, some of the best issued pieces came out of South America.

I find it slightly laughable just how much style the Peruvian Air Force had in the ’60s. Where the UK military made due with a few Subs and the US was telling its crew to buy Tudors, Peru ordered Daytonas, GMT-Masters, Speedmasters, Railmasters, and this. I suspect there were one or two Colonels who knew exactly what they were doing and used national funds to look after their men rather generously. Sure, these were tools, no doubt. But also well above the minimum standard. And thank god for those in charge, because today these few watches which pop up in the secondary market every now and again have some of the most interesting histories of any. This watch might’ve seen time in the Falklands War, Paquisha War, or Cenepa War, Peru has been engaged in a few conflicts in the FAP’s time post ’60s.

Yet, one has to be careful, very careful, sourcing one, as really all that sorts this from a standard 2913 is a tiny engraving. Here, an extract from Omega becomes of more importance than usual. Omega will acknowledge those pieces which went to the FAP in extract. Or they might just say delivered to Peru, and both can be correct as well. There’s a lot of dark magic that can on with these, so I recommend a few sleepless nights on Omega Forums before you get really serious about FAP. If you do, well, these are some of the most interesting Omegas out there, and that’s saying a lot.

This example has that extract, and a lot more going to it. The engraving is correct and deep. But where many of these were worn to hell in training and conflict, this 2913 is in a really great state. The radium isn’t burned out, the lollipop seconds hand is even all present. Bakelite uncracked. And the case is worn for sure but not as rough as you’d expect. Its dial has warmed and greyed a bit, but that’s about all. It comes from two brothers in Geneva most known for stand-out Speedmasters, but clearly have an eye for any great Omega.