Over the years, we’ ve seen a dizzying array of tool watches designed for specific uses.

Over the years, we’ve seen a dizzying array of tool watches designed for specific uses. Many we’ve featured on Hodinkee – pilots’ watches, dive watches, a soccer watch, even a computer nerd’s watch.

The 1950s and ‘60s found many of the big Swiss watch companies matching or one-upping each other with their tool watches. One genre that caught on, oddly enough, was the scientist’s watch, identified by added protection against magnetic fields.

In 1954, Rolex introduced its Milgauss model. In 1955, IWC countered with the Ingenieur. And in 1957, Omega joined the anti-magnetic party with the Railmaster which, with the Speedmaster and Seamaster, completed the holy trinity of Omega ‘masters (the Flightmaster came along later, and didn’t last all that long).

So what was the, ahem, attraction of these fiercly anti-magnetic watches? Was it inspired by the Cold War and Space Race, when science was pushing limits and making news? We don’t know for sure, but we love the watches.

Read more from the original source:
The Third "Master" In Omega’s Trilogy of Tool Watches: The Railmaster Explained