Originally released in 1957 as part of Omega’s “Professional Line” trilogy, the Railmaster joined the Seamaster and Speedmaster as the brand’s offerings to professionals in railway, automotive racing, and ocean diving, respectively. Where it lacked in naming convention creativity, the original Railmaster excelled in innovation, with anit-magnetic properties that were, at the time, jaw-droppingly effective, protecting the watch from magnetic fields of up to 1,000 gauss, where other pieces tended to cap out at 60 gauss. It’s no surprise, then, that the Professional Line trio has remained among Omega’s most popular and iconic models, and 2025 sees the launch of two new stainless steel Railmaster models.
Both new Railmasters measure in at 38mm in diameter and wear all-new gradient dials. The first variant bears no text details save for the Omega logo below the 12 numeral and the Railmaster name in script above the 6, with a gray dial that fades into a black gradient. The second option shakes it up with a beige-into-black dial that squishes the Omega logo and Railmaster logo together under the 12, and places a small seconds subdial above the 6. Both models feature Super-Luminova on the numerals, indexes, and hands, and come on a leather strap—black for the gray-to-black model and Novonappa brown for the beige-to-black version—or a stainless steel bracelet.
Inside, Omega’ Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8806 movement proves that it’s leaps and bounds ahead of the original Railmaster by withstanding magnetism up to 15,000 gauss. The beige-to-black model additionally bears the Small Seconds 8804 complication, adding a touch of finesse to an already robust mechanical system. The Railmaster carries certification by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), living up to its legacy as a Professional Line O.G.
In terms of aesthetics, fans of the Railmaster look will be pleased here, and Omega hasn’t reinvented the formula so much as they have lovingly applied two new coats of paint to it. I’ve never personally been a fan of gradients, but gray and beige are neutral-enough colors on their own that they make for inoffensive base hues, and ease the eye into the center of the dial, where the lovely dauphine-style hands—with a sharp arrow at the end of the minute hand to remind you of the importance of timeliness on the railway—take center stage. It’s a subtle, practical design that does the Railmaster’s historic use case justice. I do prefer the gray-to-black model for the breathing room that the lack of the small seconds subdial gives the face, though, even as the beige makes for a more lively color. The balance of the Omega and Railmaster text at 12 and 6 gives the Railmaster a more refined look that lends it a pleasingly symmetrical silhouette.
Omega knows how to please fans and appease professionals, and these two new Railmasters will surely get the job done on both ends for the brand. Pricing for the new Railmasters starts at $5,400. Omega
