Fingers up anybody who’s heard of Ollech & Wajs? Anybody? Does anybody even know the way it’s pronounced? “Olletch & Wadge”, “Olletch & Wagdes”, “Olleck & Weiss”? (It’s truly “Olleck & Vice”, as in Miami.)
The Zurich-based watch model has been in steady manufacturing for nearly 70 years however that it isn’t a family identify is hardly stunning. The phrases ‘Ollech & Wajs’ have by no means truly appeared on a single watch dial or case again.
From its inaugural vary in 1958 to its present assortment, Ollech & Wajs watches have solely ever been signed with a two letter monogram: ‘OW’, framed by a propellor motif. The phrases ‘Ollech & Wajs’ have from time to time been stamped into the motion, however hardly ever seen by anybody apart from a watchmaker.
But regardless of an indirect method to branding Ollech & Wajs has for a number of a long time had one thing of a cult-like following {of professional} and leisure divers, aviators, troopers and subsequently classic watch collectors and connoisseurs, David Beckham amongst them, in line with The Day by day Telegraph.
The OW Astrochron
The OW Astrochron S ‘triple-register’, compass bezel 500 m chronograph. £2,198 >
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- The OW Astrochron S screw-down crown and twin pushers with 4 gaskets
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- The OW Astrochron additionally comes on a home made Perlon ‘Regatta’ band, ideally suited for summer time recreation. £2,075 >
Because it was based in 1956, OW has persistently (if quietly) produced exceptionally sturdy and extremely water resistant instrument watches designed to be used on this planet’s most difficult environments.
Its present fashions are developed from strains that had been first launched within the Nineteen Sixties. The 1965 Navichron Ref. 2002 and 1967 Astrochron ref. 2003 had been amongst the primary chronographs waterproof sufficient for use for diving. In addition to scuba divers, with its split-second scales and timers, the Astrochron was additionally extremely regarded by and worn by NASA’s Apollo-era medical and rocket scientists.
The up to date variations proceed to set the usual for impermeability. Only a few chronographs are assured to 500 m (50ATM) a depth score exceeding that of most so-called ‘dive’ watches.
The OW Navichron
The OW Navichron on a home made Italian leather-based ‘Rally’ band, £1,812 >
The OW Navichron S on a 316L stainless-steel beads or rice bracelet. £1,935 >
The 1965 Mannequin 2002 Navichron Worldtime Chronograph
The 1967 Astrochron and 1965 Navichron worn by elite business divers and NASA’s Rocket Scientists.
The OW C-1000
OW C-1000 S. £1,491 >
As spectacular as 500 m water resistance is, it’s paddling within the shallows in comparison with what the OW C-1000 and OW Ocean Graph are able to.
Again in 1963, Ollech & Wajs launched the file obliterating ‘Precision Caribbean 1000’: the primary business dive watch to be licensed to 1000 m (100ATM), the equal of a wide ranging kilometre beneath the floor.
Not one of the massive manufacturers of the day had ventured wherever near that depth; certainly it’s past the depth that almost all fish can survive. The OW C-1000, which re-surfaced in 2019, pays tribute to this landmark piece of dive watch historical past.
The OW Ocean Graph
The OW Ocean Graph takes colors and design codes from the Nineteen Sixties unique, together with the decompression bezel in accordance with the US NAVY repetitive dive tables. £1,582 >
The comparatively vibrant OW Ocean Graph, like its late Nineteen Sixties forebear, is fitted with a decompression bezel, to time a protected assent to the floor after dives of 30m or beneath.
Attention-grabbing to notice the OW Ocean Graph, as with all of OW’s up to date fashions, is impressed by and derived from the unique fairly than a modern-day clone. OW’s method is to construct on and evolve its most profitable strains fairly than merely reissue precise copies.
The OW 8001
The brutalist 2023 OW 8001, OW’s first COSC licensed mannequin of the fashionable period. £1,635 >
Even OW’s newest launch, the 8001 – a extra brutalist model of the stylish 1973 built-in bracelet sports activities watch, although not technically a dive watch – is extra waterproof than any Swiss dive watch launched this 12 months.
It’s additionally OW’s first COSC-certified mannequin of the fashionable period.
The 1973 ref.8000 alongside the brand new OW 8001
Rock ‘n’ Roll and Lock ‘n’ Load
American GIs purchased OW watches at Base PX shops in Vietnam (Credit score: with form permission, AAFES.©) or direct from OW by way of mail order.
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- Bass guitar legend, Jack Bruce carrying his trusty OW Chronographe Suisse through the ‘Disraeli Gears’ recording classes at Atlantic Studios in New York, 1967
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- OW Chronographe Suisse
If something, the identify Ollech & Wajs is extra prone to resonate within the US than the UK, largely resulting from it successful the hearts and minds of Vietnam-era army personnel. Opposite to in style perception, only a few US troopers had been issued with watches and people had been very inclined to water ingress within the humidity of the jungle.
So between 1965 and the early 70s, 1000’s of younger GIs ordered Ollech & Wajs dive watches direct from Switzerland at discounted costs, usually arriving with a beneficiant reward of Swiss chocolate. Those self same fashions had been on the wrists of aquanauts, astronauts, Arctic explorers and even the odd rock ‘n’ roll legend. Bass participant Jack Bruce, for instance, was hardly ever photographed with out his trusty OW chronograph Suisse through the Cream years.
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Carrying an OW isn’t going to make you the man within the room with essentially the most well-known emblem on his watch, however you’ll virtually definitely have a couple of hundred meters water resistance on anybody. And therein lies the distinctive enchantment of this little recognized Swiss model.
(Nonetheless you like to say it).
Take a deep dive into the historical past of Ollech & Wajs right here >
