Omega - The Geneva Watch Auction: EIGHT Geneva Saturday, November 10, 2018 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Omega
    Year: 1957
    Reference No: CK 2914-1
    Movement No: 15'373'167
    Model Name: Railmaster
    Material: Stainless Steel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 284, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Omega bracelet, max length 250mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Omega deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 38mm. Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by an original red Omega box and Omega Extract from the Archives confirming production of the watch in 1957 and its subsequent delivery to Australia.

  • Catalogue Essay

    At the time of its launch, the Railmaster was Omega’s most advanced antimagnetic wristwatch. Omega had made antimagnetic wristwatches in the past, with notable results as early as the 1920s, but the Railmaster and its calibre 30 SC-285 presented the first significant, and scalable improvement.

    Thanks to a newly developed case, featuring an inner soft iron cage, Omega's Railmaster could withstand magnetic fields up to 1000 gauss, and that meant the company could compete with the likes of Rolex, IWC and Patek Philippe for a slice of the scientific community, a growing market for watches.

    Acting like a Faraday case, the Railmaster’s two-part case construction proved to be a very adequate solution, and the caliber 284 with small seconds placed at 6 o’clock performed very well in magnetic fields. The Railmaster was very much a modern solution to modern problems. In the 1950s, more homes were being equipped with electrical outlets generating important electromagnetic fields.

    The Railmaster’s design with its "Explorer"-style dial makes it a very appealing vintage wristwatch. Proof of the Omega’s global reach, the present piece, made during the first year of the Railmaster’s production, was delivered to Australia in 1957.

    The present watch is a very charismatic and rare piece of Omega’s history. In fact, it’s hard to think of a better looking time only watch, and this one happens to be one of the more technically interesting pieces.

  • Artist Biography

    Omega

    Swiss • 1848

    Omega's rich history begins with its founder, Louis Brandt, who established the firm in 1848 in La Chaux de Fonds. In 1903, the company changed its name to Omega, becoming the only watch brand in history to have been named after one its own movements. A full-fledged manufacturer of highly accurate, affordable and reliable watches, its sterling reputation enabled them to be chosen as the first watch company to time the Olympic Games beginning in 1932. Its continued focus on precision and reliability ultimately led their Speedmaster chronograph wristwatch to be chosen by NASA in 1965 — the first watch worn on the moon.

    Key models sought-after by collectors include their first, oversized water-resistant chronograph — the reference 2077, early Speedmaster models such as the CK 2915 and 2998, military-issued versions of the Seamaster and oversized chronometer models such as those fitted with their prestigious caliber 30T2Rg.

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112

Ref. CK 2914-1
An extremely rare and very attractive stainless steel wristwatch with black dial and Broad Arrow hands

1957
38mm. Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF30,000 - 50,000 
€26,400-44,000
$30,700-51,200

Sold for CHF47,500

Contact Specialist
Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Sale
+41 22 317 81 89
aghotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: EIGHT

Geneva Auction 10-11 November 2018