Omega Railmaster 2914 : A Collector’s Guide
Initially starting in 1848, Omega has worked its way into becoming a worldwide brand. Being known as the brand that produced reliable and accurate watches, Omega has been very much...
Initially starting in 1848, Omega has worked its way into becoming a worldwide brand. Being known as the brand that produced reliable and accurate watches, Omega has been very much a part of world history. From being on the wrists of Presidents, a timepiece used in the Olympics, to being the first watch on the moon, Omega has indeed made its mark.
Magnetic fields are one of the major causes of inaccuracy in watches and these days they are everywhere. Due to the two delicate springs inside mechanical watches – one so thin it is actually called a ‘hairspring ‘- magnetism has been a significant problem throughout most of watchmaking history because it can cause havoc with the timing of a watch. Watches are particularly vulnerable when worn by people who do a lot of travelling or work in certain areas such as the medical or scientific professions for instance.
Drawing on the military experience, in 1957 Omega released their Railmaster watch which had specially constructed case, dial, movement and dust cover using materials to shield against magnetic activity. The movement was copper finished and protected by a special double case and iron dust cover making it Omega’s first 1000 gauss anti-magnetic watch.
THE DIAL
One of the key elements for any timepiece to be anti-magnetic is the dial. The Railmaster dials are thicker, than normal dials from the era. The dials also have luminescent markers for improved visibility.
There are different typ of dials for the 2914 that we will shown in this guide.
The MK1
The MK2 or Typ 2
The Seamaster P.A.F Dial
The Railroad Dial
The Peruvian Airforce Flightmaster FAP Dial
There are also the prototype versions of the dials for the Railmaster series. The first from about 1952 has a gladium hour hand, a baton minute hand, 5-minute markers in numerals on the chapter ring, and the inside back case is engraved 2777.
THE HANDS
There are also several variations for the hands that came with the series. The Railmaster series are known to have come with broad arrow hands, Dauphine hands, baton hands, and leaf hands. There does not seem to be any specific pattern or order to which hands came with which versions. It is observed, however, that the initial versions of the CK 2914 mostly came with the broad arrow hour hands. According to Marco Richon’s book “Omega – A Journey through Time”, there was also a version of the series that came with the broad arrow minute hand.
THE BRACELET
There are two types of bracelets that were originally used on the Railmaster series. The earlier versions of the series are usually found with the 7077 Omega bracelet with #6 endlinks. The Omega 7077 bracelet is unique as it has “double links” which can be seen when it is stretched.
The latter versions of the series usually come with the 7912 bracelet also with #6 endlinks. Unlike the 7077 bracelet, the 7912 has “7912” markings on the inside of the clasp. Both are flat link stretch bracelets and are hard to come by with the original end links.
The Case
The case for the Railmaster series is the key to its anti-magnetism. The timepiece has a double-constructed case. It has a Staybrite stainless steel outer case and a MuMetal inner plate creating a Faraday cage that protects the movement. The case measures 38mm with a screw-in case back. The piece also comes with an armoured hesalite crystal.
The case back for the latter versions of the series have a picture of a seahorse whilst the initial version does not. The anti-magnetic case for the Railmaster can withstand up to 1000 Gauss, as opposed to the usual 60, and is water resistant of up to 60 meters or 200 ft.
The Crown
The Railmaster uses a Naiad crown, which Omega also used on the Seamaster and Speedmaster. The crown further improves on the water resistance of the piece as the crown further seals as the pressure increases. A Naiad crown can be easily identified by the symbol inside the Omega logo that looks like a “Y”.
The reference/model number for the Railmasters is not readily visible upon looking at the piece. It is marked inside the case back of the series. The different reference numbers for the series range from 2914-1 to 2914-6.
The Railmaster prototype uses a different case back reference number, which is the 2777.
The Movement
There are several movements released for the Railmaster series. For the versions that were included in the serial production, the movements used were Cal. 284, Cal. 285, and Cal. 286, depending on the year of release. The Cal. 284 movement was used in models that were released in 1957 until 1958. The Cal. 285 was used from 1958 until 1961. After this time, the Cal. 286 was used on the Railmasters until 1963. All of the movements make use of 17 jewels, measure 30mm in diameter, and are manual winding.
The serial number for the piece can also be found on the movement and helps give an indication of when the piece was made.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
There is a broad range of versions for the Omega Railmaster that a collector may choose to purchase. You may choose to go for the pieces that were included in its serial production, which are relatively easy to acquire. You can also go for the versions with a limited production but bear in mind that these are seldom found and would have a heftier price tag. Here are some recommendations to help you get started with your search.
A PLACE TO START
A good version to start with would be the early models produced for the series. Tell-tale signs of an early version are those with the reference number 2914-1 with broad arrow hands and Cal. 284 movement.
Online auctions are a good place to start when looking for these pieces. There are also some pieces that are sometimes sold on Ebay, but ensure to be careful about authenticity and scrutinize the pictures posted. Prices for these versions of the series would usually be around 8,000 -10,000 Euros.
THE HIGH END
The more elusive pieces are the military versions of the series. There are two military versions produced for the series. The first one is a cross between the Railmaster and Seamaster. It was produced for the Pakistani Air Force (PAF). The PAF did not seem to take a liking towards the Railmaster dials and requested for Seamaster dials and case backs to be put on the timepieces instead. These pieces, however, still have the case and movement of a Railmaster. The case back would feature the markings “P.A.F.” and were delivered to the Pakistani Air Force in the early 1960s.
There are two variants for the PAF version of the series. The first had the Seamaster markings on the case back, the Seahorse, the PAF signature, and the serial number for the piece. This variant would have the 135.004 model number (e.g. 135.004-63). Another variant would only have the initials “P.A.F” on the case back and PAF engravings on the movement. This variant would have the 2914 model number (e.g. CK2914-5). These pieces are seldom found for sale as there were only around 200 made. It usually costs around $15,000 and can be found for sale on online auctions and trading corners of watch forums.
THE GRAIL
A rarer military version of the Railmaster is the one produced for the Fuerza Aerea Peruana (FAP) or the Peruvian Air Force. The piece also makes use of the Railmaster case and movement, but the dial and case back features markings for the Flightmaster, which was not yet released during the time the pieces were ordered in 1964.
There are only a few hundred pieces ever produced of this version of the series. The model number CK2914-4 is on the inside caseback. All hand variations were used: Broad arrow, Dauphine and baton. Pieces in good condition are extremely expensive and can be found on online auction sites.
A FAP catalogue for the model shows the original price $45.00
