For all the wrong reasons, the luxury fake Omega Railmaster is a forgotten triplet of the Speedmaster and Seamaster 300 – all released by Omega in its ambitious and iconic 1957 collection. This is a watch that I have been enamored with since checking out Talking Watches with Eric Ku all the way back in 2014. As Ku describes there, “this is Swiss replica Omega‘s interpretation of a Milgauss slash Explorer … Omega being a very important watch brand, this is one of their important, iconic sport slash tool models.” I could not agree slash concur more. By the way, this example of the top fake Omega reference 2914-1 is better than the one shown off by Ku in TW.
Many publications and collectors get the Railmaster all wrong by representing the watch as an alternative to cheap fake Rolex’s Explorer ref. 1016. This is a very surface-level comparison. Correctly referenced in the Talking Watches quote by Ku, the Railmaster sits somewhere between the Explorer and the Milgauss if you have to put it in context of the Crown. The 38mm diameter case of the high quality fake Omega UK is extremely stout and frankly modern on the wrist, there is a certain heft to the Railmaster that both of those vintage Rolex models just don’t have. 2914 perfect replica Omega Railmasters, let alone 1957 ref. 2914-1s, come up for sale at a much lower frequency than early 1016 Explorers so collectors aren’t faced with the direct choice between the two very often. That choice is offered right now in the Shop.
Back to the article topic – re-editions. In 2017, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the “Trilogy,” AAA replica OMEGA created very, very faithful re-editions of the Speedmaster, Seamaster 300, and Railmaster of 1957. If OMEGA looked to one specific 1:1 fake Omega Railmaster example to create their 2017 LE, it may have been the one we have here. The lume tone is uncanny – creamy in almost the exact same manner – the only difference being this patina is earned over seven decades rather than mixed in OMEGA’s factory five years back.
Where “heritage” re-editions work for me is when the original is either lacking in wearability, think 1904 Cartier Santos Dumont, or financial availability-slash-rarity, think Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm. Neither is the case here. The Swiss made fake Omega Railmaster‘s stout feel makes it viable as an everyday watch in 2022 and the market price of an early example like this one is reasonable considering what one would have to shell out for a similar Explorer, Speedmaster, Submariner … I can go on.
Sure, the 2017 “Trilogy” Omega Railmaster replica for sale is, in a way, the exact same watch but it’s not. Since the same “Trilogy” re-edition, Speedmaster ref. 2915-1 prices have risen significantly with the market, showing an understanding that there is nothing quite like the original – even something created to be exactly like the original. No one can re-edition charm and authenticity.
