Omega Railmaster Watches

Omega Railmaster Review

In 2017, the limited edition Trilogy of the Speedmaster, Seamaster, and Railmaster took the world by storm from Omega at Baselworld. But, while all of this happened, an exquisite timepiece was behind the scenes for the Bienne manufacture. This watch is the Omega Railmaster Collection.
It all started in 1957 when Omega debuted their Railmaster collection, and with this collection, Omega simply preserved a deep history of railroad instruments. The Omega Railmaster 1957 was the beginning of this classical watch that has still endured through time.

History of the Omega Railmaster Collection

The Omega Railmaster collection is known as one of the elegant and ageless Omega watches way back from the 1950s. The CK914 Railmaster, the CK915 Speedmaster, and the CK913 Seamaster were released in 1957 and they were a part of the recent collection of tool watches by Omega.

The two other watches were meant for race car drivers and deep-sea divers while the Railmaster was directed at scientists and engineers. This was not a fashionable job at the time, but with the unique anti-magnetic covering that the watch possessed, it was able to match the other watches when it came to technical prowess.

Because of the serious damage that magnetic fields can do to some parts of a watch, over the years, different watchmakers attempted to create a mechanism to shield watches from magnetic fields. Since 1952, Omega had prototypes of anti-magnetic watches. This was when the British Royal Air Force received an anti-magnetic watch created by Omega. The Omega Railmaster case at that time was 38mm, and it was made of staybrite, or what we now call stainless steel. It was also water-resistant. The design of the dial of the first Railmaster could be likened to the CK913 Seamaster 300.

Then, in the 1960s, Omega started to produce a version of the Railmaster for those working on the Canadian Pacific and North American railways. This version was similar to the original because they both had the anti-magnetic feature, but the design of the new version was changed. For example, the hour markers were bigger than before and the watch used black digits instead of the standard triangles. The dial was also white. Some versions of the Railmaster watch at that time features the hours for the twenty-four-hour time, next to the black digits and colored red.

After this, Omega had to stop the production of this version of the Railmaster. Production of the Railmaster, a powerful watch which was able to go against high levels of magnetism, stopped in 1963.
But, there were still two-time pieces that were also manufactured as part of Railmaster watches and were meant for the Peruvian Air Force and the Pakistani Air Force. For the Pakistani Air Force, their Railmaster watches were quite different because, on the dial, Seamaster was written there instead of Railmaster. This was because of the political situation in Pakistan at the time.
The Railmaster meant for the Peruvian Air Force was also different because instead of Railmaster, Flightmaster was written. It was clear that this was especially for the Peruvian force because Omega had not started the Flightmaster line at that time.

The Railmaster was not included in a lot of Omega line ups until 2003 when it returned. At this point, Railmaster started to reinvent their watches by producing more sizes that included the Co-Axial escapement which is a clock mechanism to control the motion on one side only.
The new Railmaster that they manufactured then came in three sizes. There was the Omega Railmaster 36mm size, the Omega Railmaster 39mm size, and the Omega Railmaster 4mm size.

Also, what made it different from the Railmaster 1957 was the fact that it included a new Omega Railmaster chronograph. Another difference was that it didn’t have any anti-magnetic features. The style case was adopted from the Omega Aqua-Terra Railmaster watches and it featured a crown that had been screwed down and an exhibition case back. After this, then came the very different Omega Railmaster XXL. The size of this watch was 50mm and it mixed designs from Railmaster watches to Aqua Terra watches. The Railmaster XXL was very large!

In 2017, Omega then revealed two Omega Railmaster 2017 watches at Baselworld. It was to mark the Omega Railmaster 60th anniversary which was a limited edition of an exquisite 3,557 watches. The anniversary celebrated the original Railmaster, Speedmaster, and the Seamaster.
The Omega Railmaster 60th anniversary collection was created to retain the same physical features as the original pieces and so it had the exact 38mm case, the same dial, and others. If you want to buy the Omega Railmaster 60th, it is available for a little over $6,000 on Exquisite Timepieces. But, for the entire Trilogy collection which is totally worth it, it is available for $20,000 and it is a limited edition of 557 watches made.

The new and most recent Railmaster watch is one that reflects the beauty of Omega in a modern way. When you look at the design, you will notice that Omega still appreciates the history of the Railmaster watch. It has the Arabic numbers 3, 6, 9, and 12, along with the same triangular luminous markers. The case of the watch is 12.65m, 40mm wide and it is also water-resistant to 150m.

What’s Special about the Omega Railmaster Watch Collection?

The main special feature about this Omega Railmaster is the fact that it is almost the same as the original Railmaster 1957 watch. A lot of watchmakers try to develop their watches over time, but the Railmaster gave us an original which goes a long way for all the watch lovers out there.
Firstly, similar to the initial Railmasters, the Omega Railmaster 2017 does not have a printed dial, a closed steel case back, and a screw-down crown. It also retained the initial numbering system of the Railmaster watches in 1957. It features its unique triangular markers which are also luminous and its Arabic numbering. It also has the crosshair and the baton hands which are connected to the steel dial. The Omega Railmaster is known to have such a simple design, and yet it is an impressive timepiece that appeals to watch lovers.
This recent Railmaster shouldn’t be confused with the limited edition Railmaster watch, as it is a new and small collection that is making waves in the world of watches.

The Particulars of the Omega Railmaster Collection

The aesthetics of the Omega Railmaster collection is simply impressive. The Omega Railmaster from Baselworld 2017 is clearly an embodiment of an eye-catching design. It has an attractive cross-hair design that is placed on vertically brushed steel along with slim instead of thick Arabic numerals.
The sword or dagger hour markers of the watch and its lollipop seconds hand remind us of the Omega Railmaster vintage feel that the watch gives to those who wear it. With this eye-catching design, it has become one of the tools that watch that everyone is looking out for.

When it comes to movement, the new edition Railmaster is like the original Railmaster in the sense that it is anti-magnetic. Usually, the Master Co-Axial caliber that drives the anti-magnetic feature and the chronometer specifications is METAS certified, but in the case of the new edition Railmaster, the caliber is an in-built Master Co-Axial chronometer movement.
For anyone who likes old and classic watches, the applied lume of the watch, printed dial, and even the closed case back will add a lot to the reasons why you should go for this watch.
Although this Omega Railmaster Collection isn’t part of the Trilogy limited edition of the Railmaster, Speedmaster, and the Seamaster; it is awesome and has become one of the most alluring watches to wear since 2017.

The Omega Railmaster Collection Price

Now that we have unveiled the beauty of the Omega Railmaster Collection, where can you get this watch, and for what price?
Well, Exquisite Timepieces has you covered with the where. Here, we have the Omega Railmaster collection for sale and many other elegant timepieces.

The Omega Railmaster price simply stands at $4,900 for the leather strap. For those who will like a steel bracelet strap instead, the price raises a bit to $5,100. The Omega Railmaster collection has been identified as the lowest priced Omega watch with a full Co-Axial Caliber. Priced $900 more than the Omega Seamaster Pro 300M which is a best seller.
When looking at the Omega Railmaster and Seamaster, the main difference between the recent version of the Railmaster and its sibling watch Seamaster Pro 300M is, while the latter uses the Caliber 2500, the former makes use of a full Axial Caliber. With the simple yet eye-catching design and the movement properties of the Omega Railmaster Collection, Omega has outdone itself again by making all the watch lovers an offer that they simply cannot refuse.