Omega Railmaster 57 Trilogy vs Black Bay 36mm vs Vintage Rolex DateJust

Reno7 · Oct 3, 2020

Hey guys,

As an owner of the Omega Speedster Professional I wanted to get some insight from you when it comes to the purchase of an every day watch.

Not going to be diving in it, but mostly looking to spend a big amount of time with the watch.

Something that will keep me engaged with the watch for every day use in the office, on a bike or at the walk with my son.

So the contenders are Omega Railmaster 57 Trilogy, love the dial, Black Bay 36mm black dial, vintage Rolex DateJust silver or gray dial and maybe a Black Bay 58 black dial.

Do any of you have some experience with any of the above mentioned watches? What would be your choice in the order 1-4?

Please provide some valuable information.

My wrist size is 6.7 inch, and yeah, my Speedy feels too big for an every day piece.

Thank you in advance everyone.

stevec14 · Oct 3, 2020

Well, I’ve owned 3 of those.

my order:
Deadheat - datejust & BB58
Railmaster
BB36

my reasoning. The datejust is just classic and you have a small Ish wrist. I think it would be a terrific sidekick to the speedy. I own both BB58’s (I prefer the blue). You just can’t really go wrong with one of these. Vintage look with modern movement. Loads of bang for buck.

The railmaster is nice, but the bracelet is not great and comparatively it’s quite expensive next to the other 2. It also wears long lug to lug. The straight lugs take up a lot of real estate on the wrist.

lastly - the BB36. Its a great watch by all accounts - and the one I have never owned. That said, I wouldn’t buy one over any of the other three - just my view.

If you held a gun to my head, I might just sway to the BB58 given it’s new and under a 5 yr warranty.

Nla91 · Oct 3, 2020

I prefer modern watches for daily use. It's just easier and there's nothing to worry about.
I would pick the BB58 or Railmaster for daily use. I love the vintage datejust as well, and I have one in my collection, but I prefer a more sporty watch for daily wear. It basically all comes down to your taste. What what do you like the most and can see yourself wear everyday?

Reno7 · Oct 3, 2020

stevec14
Well, I’ve owned 3 of those.

my order:
Deadheat - datejust & BB58
Railmaster
BB36

my reasoning. The datejust is just classic and you have a small Ish wrist. I think it would be a terrific sidekick to the speedy. I own both BB58’s (I prefer the blue). You just can’t really go wrong with one of these. Vintage look with modern movement. Loads of bang for buck.

The railmaster is nice, but the bracelet is not great and comparatively it’s quite expensive next to the other 2. It also wears long lug to lug. The straight lugs take up a lot of real estate on the wrist.

lastly - the BB36. Its a great watch by all accounts - and the one I have never owned. That said, I wouldn’t buy one over any of the other three - just my view.

If you held a gun to my head, I might just sway to the BB58 given it’s new and under a 5 yr warranty.

Wow... Thanks for the valuable info. Love the DateJust vintage, such a classy watch, and timeless. Also, the Railmaster is giving me sleepless nights. Just can't forget about it? How does the BB58 wear? Lug2lug is 57mm I think. Really hard decision. Why does Omega have to make its watches difficult to wear these days? I understand the Speedy, different times back then.

Reno7 · Oct 3, 2020

Nla91
I prefer modern watches for daily use. It's just easier and there's nothing to worry about.
I would pick the BB58 or Railmaster for daily use. I love the vintage datejust as well, and I have one in my collection, but I prefer a more sporty watch for daily wear. It basically all comes down to your taste. What what do you like the most and can see yourself wear everyday?

Thank you for reply. I'm more of a sporty watch guy, I think. As of right now I own a Hamilton Intramatic 38mm with a gold case and a silver dial, a Speedy and a CWC Chrono with a Tritium dial, that has this vintage charm. Does a BB58 really feel like a vintage piece, in a way? A DateJust would be a niece addition, but that Railmaster 57 gives me sleepless nights really. Does it wear that big?

stevec14 · Oct 3, 2020

Reno7
Wow... Thanks for the valuable info. Love the DateJust vintage, such a classy watch, and timeless. Also, the Railmaster is giving me sleepless nights. Just can't forget about it? How does the BB58 wear? Lug2lug is 57mm I think. Really hard decision. Why does Omega have to make its watches difficult to wear these days? I understand the Speedy, different times back then.

I assume that’s a typo - l2l is 47mm for the BB58. Wears lovely. A perfect size for me.

Foo2rama · Oct 3, 2020

Vintage DJ

kaapstadflaneur · Oct 4, 2020

I, too, have a 6.75" wrist, though I find the Speedy Pro to be just about perfect in terms of size. I either own (vintage DJ and BB58) or have tried on (BB36 and Railmaster 57) each of your options. Here's how I'd rank them:

1. BB58 black dial (this is my everyday watch -- just about perfect all-around in every way)
2. Vintage Datejust (I prefer the 1603 with the machined steel bezel -- it's less blingy than the 1601)
3. Railmaster 57 Trilogy (great watch, but pricey)
4. BB36 (nice enough and solid value but above options are better)

Good luck with your choice!

Reno7 · Oct 4, 2020

stevec14
I assume that’s a typo - l2l is 47mm for the BB58. Wears lovely. A perfect size for me.

Yes it was a typo, 47mm that's what I meant. What size is your wrist?

Reno7 · Oct 4, 2020

kaapstadflaneur
I, too, have a 6.75" wrist, though I find the Speedy Pro to be just about perfect in terms of size. I either own (vintage DJ and BB58) or have tried on (BB36 and Railmaster 57) each of your options. Here's how I'd rank them:

1. BB58 black dial (this is my everyday watch -- just about perfect all-around in every way)
2. Vintage Datejust (I prefer the 1603 with the machined steel bezel -- it's less blingy than the 1601)
3. Railmaster 57 Trilogy (great watch, but pricey)
4. BB36 (nice enough and solid value but above options are better)

Good luck with your choice!

You said that Railmaster 57 is pricey, but the vintage DateJust in a really good shape, (not a Fraken) with original dial and hands, and evan unpolished if lucky would also cost about 4.000 EUR or well above $4.000. That Railmaster now you can get for about the same price on Chrono24. The BB58 fits you really well. Thank you for the comment I needed that.

stevec14 · Oct 4, 2020

Reno7
Yes it was a typo, 47mm that's what I meant. What size is your wrist?

7 and a little bit but round and not flat. The 58 fits perfect

kaapstadflaneur · Oct 4, 2020

Reno7
You said that Railmaster 57 is pricey, but the vintage DateJust in a really good shape, (not a Fraken) with original dial and hands, and evan unpolished if lucky would also cost about 4.000 EUR or well above $4.000. That Railmaster now you can get for about the same price on Chrono24. The BB58 fits you really well. Thank you for the comment I needed that.

@Reno7 -- If you can find a lightly used Railmaster Trilogy for 4000 euro, I think you'd be doing very well. Agree that a nice, unpolished DJ might push into that territory, especially with a dark grey dial as those tend to go for substantially more than silver-dial or two-tone DJs. But even taking those factors into account, my ranking remains the same with the BB58 on top. A Speedy Pro and a BB58 is a killer combination. Cheers.

pw92676 · Oct 4, 2020

I’d also go vintage DJ. Or maybe consider a new OP36 in silver?

Reno7 · Oct 4, 2020

pw92676
I’d also go vintage DJ. Or maybe consider a new OP36 in silver?

I have seen the new OP silver and green dial just a few days ago in Berlin, the new release, and let me tell you, that watch fits like a well tailored made suit.

Reno7 · Oct 4, 2020

stevec14
7 and a little bit but round and not flat. The 58 fits perfect

Perfect fit...

pw92676 · Oct 4, 2020

Reno7
I have seen the new OP silver and green dial just a few days ago in Berlin, the new release, and let me tell you, that watch fits like a well tailored made suit.

Boom!
I would call it a wrap. Wear it and enjoy, then pass it along to your son if he has any interest when the time comes.
Then start thinking about watch #3 😀

Nla91 · Oct 5, 2020

Reno7
Thank you for reply. I'm more of a sporty watch guy, I think. As of right now I own a Hamilton Intramatic 38mm with a gold case and a silver dial, a Speedy and a CWC Chrono with a Tritium dial, that has this vintage charm. Does a BB58 really feel like a vintage piece, in a way? A DateJust would be a niece addition, but that Railmaster 57 gives me sleepless nights really. Does it wear that big?

If the Railmaster gives you sleepless nights - I think you found your answer. I wear a Speedmaster trilogy, which is almost the same size. It wears smaller than a Speedmaster professional.

Reno7 · Oct 9, 2020

Nla91
If the Railmaster gives you sleepless nights - I think you found your answer. I wear a Speedmaster trilogy, which is almost the same size. It wears smaller than a Speedmaster professional.

Smaller? I think the L2L is the same as the Speedie Pro. The case size is 38.6, that's probably what makes it wear smaller.

kanye_mouse · Oct 9, 2020

I've also owned 3 of the 4, so my $.02:

-Vintage DJ: Can't go wrong. Be warned that this might be your first vintage Rolex, but it certainly won't be your last. There are a ton of great dial options too if you look around -- poke around the internet and you'll find something that speaks to you. If you're vintage curious at all, this is the place to start.
-BB58: Perhaps the best ~$4k watch around. I don't wear it everyday because it's just a tinge big for my tastes and small wrists (but my wrists are 6.25, so it'd be perfect for you). Only positive things to say here. Your Speedy Pro with a BB58 is a killer two watch collection and that's all you'd ever need. If you want another modern watch that you can just wear and not worry about at all, this is it.
-BB36 is a great watch and pretty much an everyday wearer for me. That said, it's about half the price of some of the others here, so it's really not in the same league. If you're used to a Speedy, it might be small for your tastes.
-Railmaster: This is the one I haven't owned, but I like the whole Trilogy series (esp. the Speedy). It's a good looking watch, respectable, but I can't comment on how it wears.

Tl;dr: Vintage DJ if you're vintage curious at all, BB58 if you just want a great watch.

Reno7 · Nov 2, 2020

So Have already purchased a watch. Got myself an vintage DJ with a slate gray dial. I'm in love. Thank you everyone for your comments and help.

Omega Railmaster 57 Trilogy vs Black Bay 36mm vs Vintage Rolex DateJust

Reno7

stevec14

Nla91

Reno7

Reno7

stevec14

Foo2rama

kaapstadflaneur

Reno7

Reno7

stevec14

kaapstadflaneur

pw92676

Reno7

Reno7

pw92676

Nla91

Reno7

kanye_mouse

Reno7

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