The Most Hated Omega Seamaster
Omega Ranchero ref. 2990-1, circa 1958
We’ve recently mentioned a couple watches that were originally released as entry-level timepieces by their respective brands, like the Breitling Sprint or the Omega Seamaster 120. The Omega Ranchero is no different and was priced under the regular Seamaster when it was released in the late 1950s, but remains far more obscure.
What stands out initially about the Ranchero are the broad arrow hands, also present on the 1957 trilogy watches like the Seamaster. The Omega Ranchero was first released in 1958, the year after the infamous trio, and was part of the Seamaster family, meaning it was water resistant. Although, unlike its counterparts, the Ranchero is not remembered in top 10 lists of the best vintage dive watches. It does, however, share several design traits with the other members of the 1957 trilogy. The Ranchero also shares similarities with early Rolex Explorer models; with Arabic numerals at 12, 3, and 9 and a marker at 6 o’clock, in contrast to the Rolex’s 12 o’clock marker and 6 o’clock in Arabic numerals. Despite its design and connections to other watches, the Ranchero is famous for its unpopularity. It was a flop. Its short production span being the main reason it flies under the radar today.
The Omega Ranchero ref. CK 2990 circa 1959 / Credit: Phillips
Why was it so unpopular? The word ‘ranchero’ means ranch hand in Spanish and it is believed that the naming is what led to such an underwhelming reception when the watch was released, with the strongest resistance coming from the Spanish-speaking market. After a couple years of weak sales, Omega discontinued the line before reaching its third year of production. It was revived for a bit in the 1970s but not much came of it.
Today, the Omega Seamaster Ranchero is no longer priced at the ‘entry-level’, as its short production span has made them harder to track down. For this reason, it can be considered the rarest among vintage Omega ‘broad arrow’ watches, like the 1957 Omega tool watch trilogy. This connection, and its notorious flop upon release, make it pretty interesting from a historical perspective and highly desirable for collectors.
By: Eric Mulder