First released in 1957, Omega’s original Railmaster became popular because of the ease with which the timepiece fit the daily watch-wearer’s lifestyle and habits of working class folk.

Now, the Swiss luxury watchmaker’s 2018 version of the Railmaster pays tribute to the industrial past of the hard-grafter’s timepiece.

Though they are today a part of the fabric of the fashionable zeitgeist, denim jeans were originally manufactured by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss in the late 1800s as attire for labourers in the American West during the Gold Rush.

For a long time, the robust cloth was the choice of miners, factory workers, farmers, and of course, those on the railroads. And their sturdy trousers or overalls would have gone hand-in-hand with the watch on their wrist.

To highlight the inextricable link between the traditional denim material and the new Railmaster, Omega has created a vertically-brushed “blue jeans” dial that features indexes and hands with light-grey Super-LumiNova. The optional denim strap that the watch comes with can then be use as an extension and immersion into the denim aesthetic.

There is also a beige lollipop central seconds hand and transferred Railmaster indication that are both reminiscent of the coloured stitching found in denim jeans. 

The model is presented on a genuine blue denim Nato strap with brown leather on the underside and for the keepers. The same model is alternatively available on a stainless steel bracelet.

Following the design of the Railmaster’s modern makeover, the 40mm brushed symmetrical case is made from stainless steel and features a conical crown and a wave-edged caseback with a Naiad Lock system to keep the wording in perfect position.

Inside the new Railmaster, Omega has included a master chronometer calibre 8806 — 15 times more resistant than the original Railmaster models.

Certified at the industry’s highest standard by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), all Master Chronometer models are able to withstand magnetism of 15,000 gauss.