Railmaster for me.

 

Railmaster all the way!

 

Love the Railmaster Love! Granted this is an Omega Forum, and thus prone to bias

Cheers!

 

Doh ,
I had this great idea for an Explorer 1 vs Railmaster LE review and realised we already have one (sort of), so I think I shall just post some pretty pictures for comparison purposes and skip all the waffle....well perhaps a few words here and there .

I think these two are rather well matched at 39mm and 38mm respectively. Similar in many ways (polished plain bezels) but polar opposites concepts in others like the brushed lugs and polished flanks on the Explorer vs the polished lugs and brushed flanks on the Railmaster, not to mention the applied vs painted numerals etc . Had the Explorer used the GMT Master II's PCL bracelet that would also have been an exact opposite.

Both have chunky, perhaps even over-sized clasps.


Both have limited adjustment extension clasps (circa 4mm on the Railmaster, 5mm on the Explorer...I think). Double screwed links on the Railmaster single on the Explorer. My impression is that the Rolex approach is more refined.

Which is perhaps why I feel less afraid of attacking the Railmaster bracelet for length adjustment...

Those pins have to sit absolutely spot on in their holes by the way or things will not turn out well.


Here you get an impression of the domed Railmaster crystal vs the flat Explorer one. The Railmaster crystal is so tasty...it wins hands down here.

But as sharp as the flat Railmaster case flanks are I confess to liking the Explorer curved ones perhaps a little more.




Is there a clear winner? No. Both are really great watches. The Railmaster watch head is (in my opinion) simply flawless, nothing more needs to be added or taken away. The Explorer is, well a Rolex with all that comes with that label. The Explorer bracelet is more comfortable and simply better quality...the polished outer links on the Railmaster will certainly get the aged look quicker than on the Explorer.

If I had had both side by side I would probably have left the shop with neither on the grounds of being unable to choose between them. But I (luckily) only had to concentrate on the Railmaster, of which I am one very happy owner, scuffs and all.


Cheers folks!

Longbow.

Ooops, almost forgot; big thanks to Jackie T, for letting me "play" with his Explorer.

 

Nice comparison!

 

Great series. At first, I was leaning towards the Explorer. But side by side, I'd go Railmaster.

 

I went through a similar exercise recently. I was going to get an Explorer and sell my RM. I had a smoking deal on the Rolex because we were spending large dollars on jewelry that day. Last minute I put the Rolex down and decided to keep the RM, I shocked everyone at the store including my wife. No regrets at all.

 

Thanks Nick @Longbow for another great post and the comparison photos / details!

The Explorer and Railmaster are indeed both great watches and I would certainly have a hard time choosing between the two. My story is similar to yours, but inverted.

I had been looking for a Railmaster re-issue since 2014. Then Monochrome did the following mock-up pre-Basel 2015 and got everyone drooling on the OF...




Move forward to 2016 and Rolex released the new 214570 Explorer with lumed no. and correctly proportioned minute hand...well I fell in love immediately and purchased it as soon as it turned up at the local AD in Rio...had I known that Omega were going to reissue the Railmaster I might have been tempted to wait till 2017.


Using Nick's great side-by-side photo below:

I think the Explorer is more versatile / sporty than the Railmaster LE, also from a dial colour perspective easier to wear, and has more interesting lume. The Railmaster has a warmer look with the tropical dial and fauxpatina and a wonderful relaxed vintage vibe especially on a leather strap (still not 100% convinced on the rather too shiny bracelet combo with the polished lugs). I agree the domed crystal on the Railmaster looks gorgeous, but I might be more cautious about it getting damaged compared to the flatter Explorer crystal.

I might still seriously consider owning both in the future: I have a significant emotional attachment to railways and model railways and I love "exploring" interesting places around the world.

 

Fantastic Comparison! I cannot believe how much publicity the Railmaster line has received since the trilogy release...

Its been almost two months since this thread was started, unfortunately I am still no closer to making a final decision..keep my 2000s Railmaster, or spring for the 2016 Explorer. I think I am just stuck on the awesome legacy of the explorer.

My Railmaster is getting a bit of servicing done...as soon as it's back I am going to force a decision

Cheers,

G

 

Imho, nobody does metal bracelets like Rolex. But if you like leather straps I'd go Railmaster all the way.

 

I agree, Rolex is king in bracelets. So sleek and clean with those tapering 3 piece links. I've wanted an explorer for a while now, but second guessing now with other options in mind. I want something more versatile that can be just as good on a strap as it is on a bracelet.

 

Globemaster...

 

Im not a huge fan of fluted bezels, but the dial is definitely appealing.

 

Aqua Terra

 

Was there a clear reason why? Or just a gut instinct?

Cheers,

Gokul

 

I just can't resist throwing this out there...tin hat time

I have significant love for the Railmaster re-issue, but I also like the "ugly-duckling" Railmaster non-LE...I like the gorgeous texture, the chunky case, the 150m WP resistance, the cross dial which gives a certain scientific instrument / precision vibe, the lollipop seconds hand...the watch looks funky, cute and cool, oh and also the fact that several of the Mods on the OF apparently don't like it, well that just makes me like it even more...it is the underdog, the rebel alliance against the Empire/First Order

 

I can understand why a lot of people aren't feeling the love for it, but I'm not one of them. I think it's a bit different and pretty cool. Prefer the dark dial to the light one though.

 

I love the non-LE as well. Can’t wait for one to arrive at my local A/D so I can have a look at it in the metal.

Plus, as a 39MM Explorer owner, I think the non-LE is different enough in terms of form and aesthetic that one could reasobably have both in a collection, unlike the late-model RM, which others have pointed out becomes an either/or choice when compared to the Explorer.

 

Aqua Terras have also been on my radar. I'd have to go in and try a few watches on to see how they fit. I still haven't loved omega bracelets, I'd go leather all day.

 

It was a gut feeling. We were in the jewelry store a long time and initially I was very excited about the explorer. If we would of checked out right away I would probably own it. As our time there went on the initial feeling started to fade and I realized that the RM suited me better.