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Digmac
·I got in my first Omega watch this past week, the blue dial Railmaster. Certainly, it's one of the more divisive models in the current Omega lineup, but personally, I love it. When I first saw the Railmaster with the blue dial, it drew me in a little more than the black and silver offerings. I think the choice to go with white Super LumiNova was the way to go. The "vintage" lume color suits the 1957 trilogy more in my opinion, but I admit it adds a little extra contrast on the neutral colored dials. Sadly I wasn't able to see and try on the piece in person before purchasing one. None of the Omega ADs within a 6+ hour one way driving distance actively stock the watch, so it would have to be ordered directly through Omega, with an unknown wait time, then I could come in whenever it arrived. I decided going used was the better bet, and I was able to find one for the price I wanted to pay, complete with boxes and papers. Not being able to see it firsthand, I wasn't 100% sure that I would be smitten with it, but getting it in and spending some time with it, my doubts are gone.
The dial is something that needs to be seen in person, under different lighting conditions. I think it's a unique, eye catching dial that can appear almost black, then have shades of dark blue, stone blue, and sky blue in different lighting. It really comes alive and shines. In my opinion, it slightly offsets the fact that it's printed, without applied indices. Having a brown second hand and brown "Railmaster" text on the dial provides some subtle color contrast. In terms of the case and bracelet finishing, I love the contrasting brushed surfaces that the Railmaster offers. You won't have to worry about fingerprints all over polished surfaces, and some of the hairline scratches/normal wear which pick up easily, especially on polished bracelet center links (looking at you AT). Brushing the watch in different directions and with different grains really gives the finishing some depth that I appreciate. Some might prefer a display caseback on this model, the solid caseback is extremely well done, proudly displaying the classic Omega Hippocampus which fits the overall aesthetic of the Railmaster in my opinion. A couple things I'm not a fan of is the bracelet clasp and adjustment. With no adjustment outside of links, and the fiddly dual clasp system, I find the bracelet to be a bit lacking compared to some other competitors, even at cheaper price points (I personally prefer the setup my Tudor has, as an example).
Movement wise, not much needs to be said. The COSC and METAS certified co-axial caliber 8806 is excellent, accurate, and very capable. Being able to own a caliber with a piece of George Daniels creativity at an attainable price point is something I give Omega a lot of credit for. Very easily, the co-axial escapement could have been limited to the handful of pieces that Daniels himself produced, putting it out of reach for a lot of people. With Omega taking it on and implementing it in a wide variety of their movements, it gives them some extra horological provenance in my opinion.
Anyways, these are my thoughts on the blue dialed Railmaster. Thanks for reading. 😀
The dial is something that needs to be seen in person, under different lighting conditions. I think it's a unique, eye catching dial that can appear almost black, then have shades of dark blue, stone blue, and sky blue in different lighting. It really comes alive and shines. In my opinion, it slightly offsets the fact that it's printed, without applied indices. Having a brown second hand and brown "Railmaster" text on the dial provides some subtle color contrast. In terms of the case and bracelet finishing, I love the contrasting brushed surfaces that the Railmaster offers. You won't have to worry about fingerprints all over polished surfaces, and some of the hairline scratches/normal wear which pick up easily, especially on polished bracelet center links (looking at you AT). Brushing the watch in different directions and with different grains really gives the finishing some depth that I appreciate. Some might prefer a display caseback on this model, the solid caseback is extremely well done, proudly displaying the classic Omega Hippocampus which fits the overall aesthetic of the Railmaster in my opinion. A couple things I'm not a fan of is the bracelet clasp and adjustment. With no adjustment outside of links, and the fiddly dual clasp system, I find the bracelet to be a bit lacking compared to some other competitors, even at cheaper price points (I personally prefer the setup my Tudor has, as an example).
Movement wise, not much needs to be said. The COSC and METAS certified co-axial caliber 8806 is excellent, accurate, and very capable. Being able to own a caliber with a piece of George Daniels creativity at an attainable price point is something I give Omega a lot of credit for. Very easily, the co-axial escapement could have been limited to the handful of pieces that Daniels himself produced, putting it out of reach for a lot of people. With Omega taking it on and implementing it in a wide variety of their movements, it gives them some extra horological provenance in my opinion.
Anyways, these are my thoughts on the blue dialed Railmaster. Thanks for reading. 😀
