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40mm case/46.8mm L2L/12mm height/20mm lugs
May 27, 2020
Watch On
In 1957 Omega laid the foundation for the company's modern future releasing a trilogy of "masters" - the Speedmaster, the Seamaster and the Railmaster. The latter was the watch for doctors, engineers, the railways and other places with a lot of magnetism. Since the watch has lived a life in the shadows of it's two big brothers. In 2017 Omega revived the model which I in depth review in this video.
THE ENGINE ROOM
The Railmaster is powered by the anti-magnetic Master Chronometer Calibre 8806, which is locked into place behind a wave-edged caseback that features an embossed Seahorse medallion. The NAIAD LOCK also keeps the wording on the caseback pleasingly in position.
THE DESIGN
With a 40 mm brushed stainless steel case and conical crown, the Railmaster includes a vertically-brushed grey or black dial, recessed hour-markers filled with "vintage" Super-LumiNova, a railway minute track, OMEGA’s "crosshair" symbol of precision, and a "lollipop" central seconds reminiscent of the railways.
In 1957, Omega released the very first Railmaster, the reference CK2914. We all think of dive watches and hearty chronographs as tool watches, but the Railmaster was a tool watch of a different sort: It was a watch for scientists that could stand up to the magnetic fields encountered in the laboratory. As you likely know, magnetism can wreak havoc on a mechanical watch, distorting the balance spring and impacting its ability to maintain a stable frequency, and thus keep accurate time. The CK2914 used a soft iron inner case as a Faraday Cage and a thicker dial to shield the movement from outside magnetic fields of strengths up to 1,000 Gauss.
Omega wasn't the only watch manufacturer creating this kind of watch. Rolex famously has the Milgauss, which takes its name directly from the 1,000-Gauss resistance (mille being French for 1,000) and was developed in partnership with the Swiss laboratory CERN. The watch was produced from 1956 until 1988 (with there being two major generations in that time frame, the 6543/6541 and the 1019), before it was again revived in 2007. Likewise, IWC has the Ingenieur, which actually came before either the Milgauss or the Railmaster, debuting in 1954. By that time, IWC already had a history of producing anti-magnetic watches for pilots, so the Ingenieur seemed a logical next step. Two decades later, it would get an overhaul by Gerald Genta in the form of the Ingenieur SL and today the brand has kept the line alive as a collection of racing-inspired watches, though that's a story for another time.
Watch brand's are great at finding anniversaries to celebrate and historic models that need re-inventing, but Omega kind of hit the jackpot last year with the concurrent 60th anniversaries of the Speedmaster, Seamaster 300, and Railmaster. Totally separate from the watch collection being reviewed here, Omega also released a limited edition recreation of the original 1957 Railmaster too, faithful down to nearly every detail.
While technologically advanced and practical for a very specific type of wearer, the Railmaster was not a top seller for Omega and the model was retired in 1963, just six years after its launch. You have to remember, this was the age of typewriters, rotary telephones, and manual transmissions – watch wearers weren't contending with a world filled with electronics, all of which generate some level of magnetism that a mechanical watch must deal with in one way or another.
Over this short period of time, however, a number of variations of the Railmaster CK2914 were produced. Most had black dials, though there were some variations with white dials, including a few with railroad-style numerals and markers. The hands varied a great deal as well, with the most recognizable black dial, with its triangle-shaped luminous markers, being paired with broad arrow, dauphine, and baton-shaped hands in different configurations. While the different varieties make vintage Railmasters particularly interesting, it also makes knowing if a given example is good or bad a challenge. This is one of those watches where you really want to consult an expert before jumping.
MOVEMENT CALIBRE OMEGA8806
Self-winding movement with a Co-Axial escapement. Certified Master Chronometer, approved by METAS, resistant to magnetic fields reaching 15,000 gauss. Free sprung-balance with silicon balance spring, automatic winding in both directions. Special luxury finish with rhodium-plated rotor and bridges with Geneva waves in arabesque.
DESCRIPTION
The original OMEGA Railmaster of 1957 was a practical yet elegant anti-magnetic watch designed for railway staff or anyone who worked close to electrical fields. Today, that industrial spirit and innovation has been updated for a modern collection.
In this denim-inspired model, the 40 mm symmetrical case is made from stainless steel with a wave-edged design featured on the back. The vertically brushed “blue jeans” dial includes brushed stainless steel hands and recessed hour-markers which are all filled with light grey Super-LumiNova. There is also a beige central seconds hand and transferred “Railmaster” indication which delivers a classic touch.
The watch has a stainless steel bracelet as well as an oriented caseback featuring a NAIAD LOCK design to keep the wording in position. The watch is driven by the OMEGA Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8806, making it resistant to magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss.
PRODUCT SHEET (OPENS PDF-DOCUMENT)FEATURES
TECHNICAL DATA
- Between lugs: 20 mm
- Bracelet: steel
- Case: Steel
- Case diameter: 40 mm
- Dial color: Blue
- Crystal: Domed scratch‑resistant sapphire crystal with anti‑reflective treatment on both sides
- Water resistance: 15 bar (150 metres / 500 feet)
While you can't see the movement through the steel caseback, this watch is packing serious heat under the hood. Powering the Railmaster is the Omega Caliber 8806, a time-only movement that carries the best of what Omega has to offer today. First off, it both has the co-axial escapement utilizing a free-spring balance wheel and a silicon balance spring and is certified as a Master Chronometer by the Omega-founded Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS). This means is can handle up to 15,000 Gauss of magnetism and is regulated to +4 seconds per day (there is no minus tolerance – the watch is essentially +2/-2 for a rate that is two seconds fast).
The 8806 is an automatic movement and it carries a power reserve of 55 hours. The winding mechanism works in both directions and the entire movement runs in 35 jewels. Furthermore, despite being hidden, the movement carries all the usual finishes. This means the deep stripes radiating from the movement's center point as well as a a rhodium-plated finish and red-filled lettering.
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/om...lmaster-review
I really like the Railmaster. I'll own this one and the Rolex Milgauss before my time is up.