OMEGA’s tribute to denim
The updated collection of the original OMEGA Railmaster of 1957 pays tribute to the industrial past of the collection with a new denim-inspired model
Although they are now a fashion item, denim jeans were once manufactured purely for the benefit of hard-working labourers in the American West. For a long time, the robust cloth was the choice of miners, factory workers, farmers, and of course, those on the railroads. And their sturdy trousers or overalls would have gone hand-in-hand with the watch on their wrist – the OMEGA Railmaster. Thanks to its reliable design and superb anti-magnetic properties, the 1957 Railmaster was perfectly suited to a role in working-class life.
To link the iconic denim material with this new Railmaster, OMEGA has created a vertically brushed “blue jeans” dial that features indexes and hands with light-grey Super-LumiNova. There is also a beige lollipop central seconds hand and transferred Railmaster indication that are both reminiscent of the coloured stitching found in denim jeans.
Most unusually, the model is beautifully presented on a genuine blue denim NATO strap with brown leather used on the underside and for the keepers. The same model is alternatively available on a stainless steel bracelet.
Following the design of the Railmaster’s modern facelift, the 40 mm brushed symmetrical case is made from stainless steel and features a conical crown and a wave-edged caseback with a NAIAD LOCK system to keep the wording in perfect position.
More than 60 years on, OMEGA is still one of the industry’s leading names in anti-magnetic innovation and inside this new watch the brand has included a Master Chronometer Calibre 8806 that is 15 times more resistant than the original Railmaster models. Certified at the industry’s highest standard by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), all Master Chronometer models are able to withstand magnetism of 15,000 gauss.
