Review Of The Omega 1957 Trilogy Limited Edition: An Iconic Watch Family Returns

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The 1957 Trilogy is a limited edition re-release of three watches that became archetypal models in Omega’s current brand aesthetic.

1. Speedmaster (racing, aka “moonwatch“)
2. Seamaster  (diving)
3. Railmaster (anti-magnetic)

The Speedmaster and the Seamaster 300 remain the company’s two most famous watch lines.

Therefore, for the 60th anniversary of these classics, Omega released the 1957 Trilogy in 2017.

The Railmaster was also quite popular after its initial release. Although Omega discontinued the line for decades, a new Railmaster collection is available, starting with this 1957 Trilogy model.

Omega 1957 Trilogy Series Overview And Common Features

In the 1950s, because Omega saw demand for certain specialized watches, they set to work on these three.

Left to right: Railmaster 1957, Speedmaster 1957, Seamaster 300 1957.

All began as variants of the Seamaster series, in order to meet the needs of certain professions.

These are the first Speedmaster, the Railmaster, and the Seamaster 300, with slight design updates but their classic elements intact.

The three 60th anniversary watches saw a limited edition release of 3,557 pieces each. The Trilogy Set Limited Edition 557 accounted for 557 of each watch, with “557” intended to evoke the year 1957.

The 1957 Trilogy Box Set. Image: Omega

The Limited Edition 557 was a set that included not only all three watches but also strap kit. The kit included both leather and NATO fabric straps and a tool for swapping them out.

The watches themselves sit inside a corduroy fabric-lined display box with the Omega logo and the words “OMEGA High Precision.”

In addition, everything fits inside a handsome box-joined wooden case. A brushed metal plaque on the box’s front displays the words “Trilogy 60th Anniversary” above set’s edition number out of 557.

Case Exterior Elements

All three watches boast the distinctive broad arrow hour hands they made famous.

The Seamaster 300 and Speedmaster have cases 39mm in diameter, and the Railmaster’s is 38mm.

They also sport “tropical” style dials, using a black coating that eventually fades in sunlight to a sublime brownish tone – aka “faux patina”.

Although regarded as a defect at the time, watches with faded tropical dials are now cherished by collectors.

Luminous hands and markers of the Trilogy use non-radioactive SuperLumiNova pigment, rather than the 1957 originals’ radium paint.

Movement And Interior Features

Each watch’s movement uses the modern Omega signature co-axial escapement technology, invented by English watchmaker George Daniels.

Compared to the more common lever escapement, a co-axial escapement has far less friction in its movement, offering increased longevity.

Both the Seamaster 300 and Railmaster in this set come with high-resistance magnetic protection.

Speedmaster 1957

Indeed, the Speedmaster 1957 showcases the particular elements that set the very first Speedmaster apart from contemporaneous chronographs.

For example, the tachymeter is on the bezel, and the chronograph seconds hand is set level with the bezel.

Also, the Speedmaster 1957 crystal is acrylic, true to the orginal, instead of the sapphire used on the other two.

This is similar to the Speedmasters used on the first moon landing, for which NASA specified acrylic crystals.

This is because Hesalite acrylic tends to crack but not chip or shatter, making it preferable for space travel.

Subdials at three and six o’clock display both a 30 minute recorder and 12 hour recorder, respectively. Finally, at nine o’clock is a 60-second totalizer subdial.

Seamaster 300 1957

The first Seamaster 300 was a very popular model, and since then, successive Seamaster 300 watches have enjoyed similar acclaim.

This watch represents great improvements in diving watch technology, without the greater bulk of those intended for deeper dives.

The Seamaster 300 1957 sports an authentic “Dot Over 90” bidirectional dive bezel with countdown indication.

Like many other dive watches, this watch also has a screw-down crown. In the early days of underwater timekeeping, these improved water resistance; however, with modern case construction, that effect is now less negligible.

Instead, the main advantage of the screw-down crown here is protection from accidental pulling and twisting.

This Seamaster rerelease also has the same magnetic shielding as the Railmaster 1957.

Railmaster 1957

The Railmaster was a Speedmaster variant with the purpose of providing accurate timekeeping near strong magnetic fields.

As the name implies, the Railmaster was at first intended for railroad employees.

The original model’s shielding protected from magnetic fields up to 1,000 gauss, enough for strong iron magnets and weak electromagnets.

In contrast, the Railmaster 1957 rerelease is accurate in fields up to 15,000 gauss, or 1.5 tesla.

Therefore, it’s handy for researchers and electrical workers, since many laboratory spectrometers and electrical transformers fall in this range.

The Railmaster, unlike the other two, has a fixed bezel, hence its slightly smaller case diameter of 38mm.

Concluding Thoughts

Overall, this set is a stunning homage to watch lines from a defining year in Omega history.

These watches retain the robust flair of their predecessors from 1957, but with impressive technological advancements.

Certainly, all three are able and ready to see through another 60 years of service for the lucky 557 people who managed to purchase this trilogy set.

We hope you enjoyed this brief overview of the Omega 1957 Trilogy Limited Edition set. To read more about watches, check out the following links:

• Omega Main Page with history & current collections
• Find more of our Omega Watch Reviews here
• See all watch brands covered by Bespoke Unit
• Read our detailed watch reviews
• Finally, visit the Bespoke Unit Watch Homepage