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One for the Omega enthusiasts – this Railmaster is something to behold. One of the earliest Railmasters ever to be produced, the insignia on the case back is the original, plain edition, which was later replaced by Omega’s seahorse engraving (a feature which attests to the watch’s age and originality). 

The 38mm case is in excellent condition, demonstrating a weightier construction than is expected of most 1950s watches. The curved lugs are in lovely condition, easing into a pristinely smooth fixed bezel- all entirely original (though potentially polished historically). The production run of these particular Railmasters was from 1957-1963, after which points Speedmasters and Seamasters continued, making the Railmaster particularly collectable.  

The dial is also entirely original, sporting the radium inserts seen in the earlier Railmasters, causing a gradual colouration and tropical patina across the dial and hands. My watchmaker has applied a matte lacquer to the underside of the hands to stabilise this decay and prevent any further burn and/or decolouration, though I hope you’ll agree that the existing tone is an aesthetically pleasing one- the fat arrow hour-hand demonstrates this caramel tone particularly well. 

When initially procured, this watch was fitted with an incorrect crystal, however I wasn’t content at that. The crystal here is a period-correct Hesalite crystal which I've had replaced by my watchmaker. N.b. the current crystal is not original to the watch; hence it doesn’t bear the Omega etching.  

The crown is completely original to the watch, attested to by the tiny ‘Y’ etching within the Omega Ohm symbol.  

This watch underwent an Omega Archives extraction in August 2017- revealing its production date of October 7^th 1957, and also its purchase place- Aden. Aden is a coastal city in Yemen, which sits near the Southern mouth to the Suez Canal, making it a place of strategic importance. For this reason, it was a colony of the British Empire between 1937 and 1967, and a base for military operations. It is more than likely that this watch was purchased by an engineer or other military personnel during their posting at British Forces Arabian Peninsular (based in Aden).  

For more on the history of Aden, including the British military base, see here:

http://adencollege.info/html/body_aden_history.html

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/why-did-british-troops-leave-aden

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Forces_Aden

• Model ref: 2914-1
• Year: 1957
• Warranty length: 12 months
• Box and papers: No, but includes Omega Archive Extract
• Movement type, calibre and jewels: Hand-wound .284 – 17 Jewels
• Case: Stainless steel, Naiad crown
• Dial: Black, Railmaster signed
• Crystal: Hesalite
• Bracelet: Brown leather band
• Width (w/o crown): 38mm
• Height, lug to lug: 48mm
• Lug width: 18mm
• Wrist size: Adjustable