Does anyone have any thoughts or heard any plans/rumors if Omega will resurrect the discontinued Railmaster???
Especially since they brought back the Seamaster 300 master coaxial to go along with the FOIS Speedmaster - you would think the Railmaster needs to be there for the '57 group of three

 

I think a Railmaster would be a great addition to the lineup, and with a Master Coaxial movement, you would see a Railmaster in its purest original form - one that is not only resistant to magnetism, but essentially insensitive to it.

The FOIS is very nice and should have an enduring place in the Speedmaster lineup as the first Omega in space. I'd also like to see Omega bring out a true CK2915 reissue to compliment the Seamaster 300 - most importantly, with an acrylic crystal, stainless steel BASE 1000 dot over 90 (!!) bezel, and a calibre 321 movement.

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see a calibre 321 reissue in at least a 105.012 Professional reissue - if not also in a straight-lug CK2915 cousin to the Speedmaster 300 reissue - to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

And, when all the dust settles, i wouldn't be surprised to see the 321 movement carrying forward as the enduring movement in the Speedmaster Professional. Here's why: in a 2012 interview, President Urquhart indicated that Omega's future plans were to transition to an entirely automatic, coaxial, in-house movement, with one exception: retaining a manual movement in the classic Speedmaster Professional, due to its unique legacy.

Given that Omega plans on retaining one single manual movement, for one very specific reason. . .it would seem to make the most sense to retain THE actual movement used in the classic moonwatches, rather than a derivative two generations removed from it.

While this is hopeful thinking on my part, it doesn't seem like an illogical stretch either, and I hope it comes to pass!

 

My money is on next year.

John

 

I can see the reasoning here and kind of agree. A 'modern 321 Speedmaster' with essentially an AML service dial and a 321 movement would be great.

However, isn't the 321 / CH27 still essentially in production, licensed to Brequet or Patek? Even if that isn't an insurmountable problem, I'd assume the costs to switch back to 321 manufacture would be significant. This is at a time where Omega are shifting to all in house movements, so the investment would purely be for the benefit of the Speedmaster Pro, which is now one of their cheapest watches and is still a good seller.

I think it would be great, but from a business point of view, I can't see the investment making sense as it will really only please collectors. The man in the street is happy that the current Speedmaster Pro is the same incarnation of that which went to the moon. Furthermore, if they did this and made a song and dance about bringing the 'real' Moonwatch back. Think about the potential for unhappy customers from the last 45 years who thought they were buying a real moonwatch, given that's been the driver behind the Speedmaster Pro ad campaign all this time.

Purely my opinion but I can't see Omega going for it.

I'd be happy to be eating my words in a year or so though!

 

In response to OP, I'd love to see a faithful Railmaster reissue. The mock up on Monochrome or wherever it was, looked amazing.

Unfortunately, I can't see that happening either. Firstly, with all the 15,000 gauss watches coming out, is there now a need for a specific anti mag watch? I also get the impression that when they released the lyre lug Railmaster a few years ago, it didn't set the world alight. Finally, if it was on the radar, the logical time to release it would have been Basel 15 or 16.

Again, I hope I'm wrong as I'd prefer one over the new explorer, but I feel it's unlikely.

 

Some good discussion of the railmaster here

https://omegaforums.net/threads/the-new-omega-railmaster.29771/

 

Yeah. .. railroads are not really hot now (or have been in the past 50 years) ...

right now they are milking the whole late 60ies astronaut/moontravel angle (which is also a bit odd for a 2016 forward thinking high tech/mech company)

 

Having exhausted this discussion on multiple other threads, I will just this: FINGERS CROSSED FOR 2017!!!

 

They will retain the 1861/1863. I put the chances of them re-introducing the 321, which is a movement they never made to begin with and hasn't been made at all since 1960, at approximately the same as us landing on the Moon again in the next 10 years.

 

You should check again if you think this movement is no longer being made...agree it's not being called a 321 and it is being used in slightly different configurations (one including a tourbillon), but it is still being made and used in watches...

 

Sure, sorry - that's even mentioned above that it essentially is used in some Breguet, Patek, and VC watches. I guess I meant that Omega themselves never produced the movement, and it hadn't been produced for them as the 321 since 1960. I just don't see the ROI for them to switch from the 1861. Although I suppose it could be possible if they decided to produce a VERY expensive limited edition that they might commission some "321" to be made. I was too emphatic in my original post.

 

Following all the mergers and acquisitions over the years, the historic and current production of the calibre 321 movement (in its updated incarnations) is within the Swatch family of companies. Additionally, the 321 remains the base caliber for the present-day 1861/1863 movement!! While some critical parts have been superseded, many other parts used in the present-day 1861 are identical to those used in the calibre 321. (More properly, the 27 CHRO C12 is the true base caliber, with the 321 its descendant, and the 1861 a descendant two generations further down, with the most substantial evolution of course happening in 1969 with the introduction of the calibre 861 movement.)

Your points are very valid for most every traditional business and production test case though. But the circumstances here are quite unique, including the fact that the current 1861 caliber is related and shares common parts with its historically significant predecessor; the predecessor itself (essentially) is still in current production, albeit in a different (but related) corporate brand, and ALL these movements fall under the same big corporate umbrella. When you consider the substantial historic significance, and couple it with the thought of, "if Omega plans on producing only one, final, handwound movement, for only one purpose", then I think you could at least make a hopefully optimistic case that there is rationale for seeing the 321 return.

Let's keep our fingers crossed!!

Or better yet, rather than hoping, please take a moment to drop Omega a quick line asking them to consider returning the 321 caliber to the Speedmaster!

 

That might be pushing the similarities a little too far to call the 320/321 the "base movement" for the 1861. A quick check of the Cal. 1861 shows the following parts are from the 320/321:

1 - yoke
2 - yoke spring
3 - ratchet wheel
4 - click
5 - click spring
6 - third wheel
7 - drive wheel for chronograph
8 - hour hammer
9 - hour counter runner
10 - friction spring for the driving pinion (on the barrel)

So not including all the screws, jewels, bushings, small posts and eccentrics mounted on plates, etc., there are about 80 parts or sub-assemblies listed for the 1861 movement, and only 10 of those are common to the 320/321. All the major parts like the main plate, bridges, balance, escape wheel, pallet fork, most train wheels, and most chronograph parts are all not related to the 320/321.

I personally would not call the 320/321 the base movement for the 861 or 1861.

Cheers, Al

 

I would love the <hopeful> Railmaster re-release to have a manual wind movement, like the original 2914 which would keep the case thickness to a minimum. Domed sapphire crystal, 39mm size (only) would be perfect, and the dial should be exactly like the current SMP 300MC with recessed pseudo-patina arrow plots and definitely broad arrow hour hand....no compromises!