2005/06 Omega Railmaster Co-Axial 39mm 2503.52.00
Ref: 2503.52.00
Specification
Lugs : 20mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold as "Watch Only “ and, therefore, comes without its original Omega box or paperwork. It comes paired with its original 20mm brushed Omega stainless steel bracelet, a push-button butterfly clasp with a large Omega motif and fine brushing. The watch is from Circa. 2005/06 and is sold in worn, but fair condition for its age, as you can see from the photographs. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1W5oisaU5rPSdeaOdXOexqZVrNokKkp7s?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 8:30 - https://youtu.be/KSgHdvbpIi4
The Watch
Here we have a 2005/06 Omega Railmaster Co-Axial 39mm 2503.52.00, introduced at BaselWorld in 2003, a modern interpretation of the 1957 Omega Railmaster reference CK2914; the purpose of the Railmaster was to achieve accurate timekeeping while working near strong magnetic fields. The 1957 original had shielding that protected the movement up to 1000 gauss; this modern interpretation shields the movement up to 15,000 gausses; researchers and electrical workers working with laboratory spectrometers and electrical transformers have been working closely with Omega to produce these timepieces. The symmetrical 39mm polished and brushed stainless steel case curves with characteristic twisted lugs over your wrist, a lug-to-lug length of 46.5mm, and a case thickness of 11mm give the watch an impressive wrist presence. A signed screw-down crown with deep knurling on the right side for extra grip. The smooth polished stepped bezel holds a domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal above a striking matte black dial. An outer minute track is precisely executed with the hour markers made up of dagger indexes filled with SuperLumiNova and the 12, 3, 6 and 9 Arabic numerals, perfectly balancing this vintage-inspired dial. Slender arrow steel hands are infilled with the same SuperLumiNova and complemented by a sweeping counterweighted second-hand. At 12 o’clock, we have the Omega motif and “Railmaster” printed underneath. At 6 o’clock, we have the “Co-Axial Chronometer”. On the reverse, a screw-down exhibition case back with the details engraved around its edge. Inside an automatic Omega Co-Axial Cal. 2403, 27 jewels, 25,200 beats per hour, COSC certification. The watch comes fitted on its Omega 20mm brushed stainless steel bracelet; all links are provided, and a push-button butterfly clasp has a large Omega motif with fine brushing.
Personal Note
This Omega Railmaster Co-Axial, reference 2503.52, in 39mm rarely hits the market and when they do they often sell quickly. We can all see why, this reference ticks so many boxes for collectors, powered by the Co-Axial calibre 2403, built like a tank, beautiful matte black dial and great proportions, all from a brand and model with impressive history and heritage. We are seeing a serious resurgence in models from the early/mid-2000s as a lot of collectors see this as the final years before watches started getting bigger, bulkier and 'modern'. This is one to add to the collection when the opportunity arises!
The Brand
Formerly known as the La Generale Watch Co. in 1848, it was founded by Louis Brandt in La Chaux-de-Fonds. When he died in 1879, his sons carried on his dream. In 1880, they moved to 96 Rue Jakob-Stampfli, where they remain today. The brothers produced their first mass-produced calibre, the Labrador In 1885. Just a few years later, in 1892, they produced the first minute-repeater. In 1903, they renamed the company Omega until 1982, when they officially changed their name to Omega SA. During WW1, Omega watches were used as official timekeepers for the Royal Flying Corps and the US Army. In 1930, Omega and Tissot merged together to form Société Suisse pour l'Industrie Horlogère (SSIH) In 1931, another group was formed - Allgemeine Schweizerische Uhrenindustrie AG (ASUAG). Where SSIH was primarily French-speaking, ASUAG was founded by the more German-speaking members of the Swiss watch industry. In 1948, they introduced the first edition of one of its most symbolic watches: the Seamaster. Omega first introduced the Constellation in 1952. At the time, it was Omega's flagship timepiece. The first models had a Cal. 354 bumper movement in them. Later, in 1955, Omega introduced the Automatic Cal. 50x, followed in 1959 by the Cal.55x (no date) and 56x (date) versions. Many of the Constellations came with pie-pan dials, diamond indexes, and fancy lug configurations. All the gold Constellations of that time have the Observatory of Geneva's hand engraved on the back. The stainless steel and stainless steel/gold versions had a gold medallion on the back with the Observatory of Geneva. The eight stars above the Observatory stand for the many exploits of Omega in the world Chronometer competition. It was celebrating the fact that all Constellations are Chronometer Certified. In 1962, astronaut Wally Schirra wore a Speedmaster on his Mercury Sigma 7 Mission, making it the first Omega watch to enter space. After rigorous tests, NASA used Omega for all their Apollo missions, including the 1969 Moon landing of Apollo 11. Today, Omega is still the first choice of astronauts. In 1969, President Nixon famously said it was “too valuable” and turned down the first-ever all-gold Speedmaster Professional Deluxe. As a response to the ever-growing threat of electronic watches to the manufacturers of mechanical watches, Omega and many Swiss brands such as Rolex and Patek Philippe formed Centre Electronique Horologer (CEH). Prototypes began to appear in 1967, and their production started in 1968. Then, In 1972, Omega introduced the reference 198.030, which included the Omega calibre 1250, a ‘tuning-fork electronic movement which was made under licence from Bulova. Later we saw a merger of SSIH and ASUAG into SMH, or Société de Microélectronique et d’Horlogerie. This merger took place in 1983. In 1992, the company acquired Blancpain, and in 1998, it officially rebranded itself from SMH to the Swatch Group. Then, in 1999, they purchased and integrated Breguet into the Swatch Group.