Why Jonathan Bailey’s Omega in ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ Is a Perfect Match

If you’re amongst the millions of people worldwide who helped Jurassic World: Rebirth rake in a cool $322 million over its opening weekend, you may have noticed a relic from the past on the screen, something that hadn’t been seen in the world of men for quite some time but made a big impression when it was first came into this world. You also might have seen some dinosaurs. There were a few—at least three. Maybe four. But if you’re a certain kind of freak (like me, I’m the freak), amidst the majesty of dinosaurs walking the earth and Jonathan Bailey’s slutty little glasses, you may also have noticed some pretty serious heat strapped to his wrist. His character, Dr. Henry Loomis, spends the movie rocking an Omega that’s a match made in dinosaur heaven.

Way back in 1957, Omega released its iconic Seamaster and Speedmaster models. Admittedly, an early version of the Seamaster had existed for nearly a decade, but it didn’t receive its Seamaster 300 branding until ‘57. In any case, that’s the sort of one-two punch that only comes along for a watchmaker once in a lifetime. With the perfect dive watch and the perfect chronograph hitting wrists worldwide, Omega could easily have called it a day. But they didn’t stop there–in fact, those watches were part of what is now known as the Holy Trinity or Trilogy among the brand’s enthusiasts. And the holiness wasn’t complete without the Railmaster.

Courtesy of Omega

Courtesy of Omega

The Railmaster didn’t quite take off the way the Seamaster and Speedy did and Omega’s cycled in and out of production over the years. Thankfully, the brand put out a beautiful re-release earlier this year. The new watch comes just in time for Jonathan Bailey and Jurassic World. The Railmaster was designed for use by engineers, scientists, and (you guessed it) railway operators. So it’s only fitting that Bailey’s character, Dr. Loomis, a man of science, would wear a watch tailor-made for him.

So what made the Railmaster a fit for engineers and scientists? Featuring a sturdy steel construction, it resembled the Rolex Milgauss in function with its ability to withstand upwards of 1,000 gauss (that’s the unit of measurement for the strength of a magnetic field). Gauss resistance proved key for doctors and engineers, folks who worked in close proximity to magnetic devices and electrical fields and needed a timepiece resistant to their influence. TBD on its ability to block out hungry dinosaurs.

That new Railmaster, coming in a perfect 38-mm stainless steel case, was produced in honor of the watch’s 60th anniversary. The new model also happens to be the one Loomis wears in Rebirth. His Railmaster sports a black dial, a traditional Co-Axial Master Chronometer automatic movement, and is worn on a brown leather strap. It’s an appropriate pick for the character, a scientist through and through. It’s precise and well-calibrated enough to assist in his research but sturdy enough to hold up while he’s being, you know, chased by dinosaurs through the jungle. Bailey’s affair with the Railmaster didn’t stop when director Gareth Edwards yelled, “Cut!” either. He’s rocked two other iterations on the Rebirth red carpet circuit, one with a grey dial and another with beige.

The Seamaster and the Speedmaster tend to get most of the shine, but Omega didn’t become one of the great makers of tool watches on the merit of two alone. The Railmaster is a key piece of the brand’s history and deserves its moment in the sun–like, say, being worn by a bona fide movie star in one of the year’s biggest blockbusters.