Great to see OW mentioned in the hallowed pages of British GQ - The C-1000 Anniversary, our ‘All Units’ military utility watch and our special edition French Airforce piece all featuring in consecutive issues online and in print.
The OW C-1000 'FAGN'
Most Ollech & Wajs watches, to a lesser or greater extent, are inspired by our military heritage and informed by the research and development carried out by our special projects division - Dept.000. However, every now and again a watch created specifically for military use crosses over into our general collection. The new C-1000 FAGN is one such watch. Originally developed by OW as the official unit watch of the National Gendarmerie Air Force, in 2024 a special civilian version was made available to the public. Read the full media release here
A LESSON IN UNBRANDING
The famous OW propeller monogram was first introduced almost 70 years ago. It might surprise you to learn that despite its many iterations, the Ollech & Wajs Watch Co never signed a single watch dial with the words 'Ollech & Wajs'. All conventional marketing wisdom would suggest that a brand using an equivocal two letter acronym over its actual name, should be destined to fail. Yet Ollech & Wajs, and it's enigmatic brandmark, have endured and become shorthand for quality and durability the world over. But why did Joseph and Albert choose not to put their full names on their watches? How did the OW logo succeed despite ignoring the most basic principles of branding? Does it really contain a hidden cipher of an owl? All these questions and more are answered in the first ever history of the OW logo
BATTLE-SCARRED BUT NOT DEFEATED
It is always an honour to have what we call an ‘Original’ back in for a service. By that we mean an OW that has seen action in Vietnam and continues to serve its original owner. Every scrape and scar on these watches serve as a reminder of all it has experienced, seen, and survived. We enjoyed giving Capt. Rhea Rippey’s chronograph a full overall and recounting the remarkable history of his beloved watch. Read it here
BREAKING RECORDS
We ended the year with an unseasonal dip in the Mediterranean alongside OW Elite Professional freediver, Siri Østvold. Siri set a new national record at the Freediving World Championships in Kalamata, Greece, (her 15th to date) - the last competitive dive of the season. ORACLE TIME captured her thoughts on the Ollech & Wajs Ocean Graph she wore on the dive in this article.
COSC ANYONE?
In 2024 we introduced an disruptive new sales model offering COSC as an optional add on across the collection. An innovative solution catering to customers wishing to own a chronometer without pushing prices beyond the reach of those who are more than content with the already outstanding OW Soprod Newton Precision movement. A custom engraved crown and numbered mainplate denotes COSC certified watches. Full Media release here
A STRAP INSPIRED BY FREEDIVING
This year, 5 years after it was introduced to the Ollech & Wajs collection, the C-1000 underwent an update: a new movement and a reconfigured dial. To mark the introduction of the C-1000 MkII, we created a monochromatic 'Freediver' RAF style nylon band. The thin white line woven through the strap symbolises the static line used by free-divers to guide their decent and accent to and from the darkness. Full release here.
Supported with DPS print advertising
A media partnership with London’s prestigious Square Mile magazine
THE LEGEND RESURFACES
To mark 60 years since the Caribbean 1000 entered dive watch folklore with the record- shattering depth rating of 1,000m, OW created a special C-1000 Anniversary Edition that reinterprets several design features of the iconic inaugural reference. The single biggest leap forward in the evolution of the dive watch was thanks partly to the revolutionary 702 mono-block case with its distinctive pointed lugs. These vestiges, affectionately referred to as ‘Vampire fangs’ by collectors, are evoked on this 2024 commemorative watch. The familiar tapered hours and minutes hands and the signature 12-hour bi- directional bezel, with 20 minute diver’s scale, are also inspired by the original. All 56 Numbered-Edition versions of the C-1000A were reserved within 24 hours of launch, making it the fastest selling non-limited production Ollech & Wajs watch of the modern era. Full release here
The C-1000 A is presented on a distinctive cadmium yellow nylon RAF style band, in reference to the yellow trim wetsuits worn by intrepid scuba divers in the 60s, including Ollech & Wajs’ test divers Alberto Novelli and Cesare Olgjai.
A LOVE LETTER TO THE GOLDEN AGE OF MOTOR RACING
Our second watch launch of the year and the third chronograph in the Ollech & Wajs modern collection. The bezel of the new Rallychron features hypothetical historic ‘perfect lap’ times for 11 of the world’s most iconic race tracks. Developed in collaboration with rally driver and historical rally promoter and author Hervé Charbonneaux and full of Easter eggs that motor sports enthusiast will love. Its greyscale colour scheme is a nod to the monochromatic news photography that captured the trackside action in the 60s and continues to inspire generations of racing fans. The distinctive black-and-white chequered baton hands – a reference to the universally recognised racing flag. Following a 48 hour social media teaser campaign, the first 56 numbered editions were all reserved with 4 days of launch, more than a dozen before the watch was even revealed!
Worn & Wound announce the OW Rallychron
ANOTHER LAUNCH MISSION
The M-52B AF was launched over Christmas of 2023 to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the 1954 maiden flight of the first B-52 production model. It also salutes the exceptionally rare Ollech & Wajs B-905 ‘US Airforce’ – a watch that was custom made more than half a century ago for airmen serving in Vietnam.
The dial of the new M-52B AF bears the unmistakable silhouette of the most iconic combat aircraft of all time, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, the longest-serving combat aircraft in history. After a sucessfull pre-launch teaser campaign, all 56 numbered Editions were reserved within a week and there is now a world-wide waitlist.
OUR FIRST DIGITAL WATCHES IN 68 YEARS
As a Swiss watch brand with a global customer base, but only a handful of retail partners, our challenge is how to let people fully appreciate the fine craftsmanship of our mechanical watches, when they can’t see them IRL. So we set out to create a best in class online demo tool. Using the very latest interactive digital technology we have created 18 fully interactive 360° avatars, one representing each watch and strap variation in the Ollech & Wajs collection. Accurately rendered in infinitesimal detail, bezels that rotate, removable case backs that expose gravity responsive movements, they even display the correct time and date. The new platform allows people to discover subtle design details under extreme magnification and experience our watches like never before. Click on the 360 thumbnails on each product page on the OW website, have a play and let me know what you think...
ORANGE. THE OFFICIAL COLOUR OF ADVENTURE
This fall we boldly introduced the Frogman Expedition watch band. Inspired by the intrepid Frogmen of the 1960s and their striking orange wetsuits. Immortalised in comic books and on movie posters, Frogman orange is the original color of underwater adventure. It is also associated with danger, and the more perilous the mission, the more orange the wetsuit. In fact, orange wetsuits seemed to attract trouble - its wearer invariably ended up being attacked by giant sea creatures or enemy Frogman. Subdued by decades of exposure to sunlight and saline, once vivid scuba gear takes on a vintage coral hue. This distinctive colour now features on OW's boldest rubber dive strap.
DEPT.000 - A SPECIAL PROJECTS DIVISION OF OLLECH & WAJS
Department Triple Zero began as an administrative designation to handle the burgeoning demand for Ollech & Wajs military watches in the mid 60s. It went on to develop several watches specifically to meet the needs of the US military. Today it handles all development of specialist and custom watches, for military and non-military-organisations. I have been given a mandate to explore how Dept.000 can not just co-exist alongside OW’s consumer business but can compliment and influence it. Marketing Dept.000 presents a challenge as much of the work it undertakes is of a confidential or proprietary nature. Not withstanding, this year we acknowledged its existence, for the first time, within a consumer context and began sharing some of its recent projects (and historic ones) with our consumer audience. An exciting new chapter for Ollech & Wajs, with potential to reinforce its credentials as a watch brand for elite professionals.
Read more about Dept. 000 here
Recent undertakings include a regimental watch for a US Marine Corps assault support helicopter squadron, call sign ‘Ugly Angels’.
A prototype case back for the bespoke OW 350CI created for the Ugly Angels, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 362 in 2023
Dept.000 began developing watches specifically to meet the needs of the US military, the best known of these models is the eponymously named ‘Early Bird’. Coined after the world’s first geosynchronous communications satellite, the model was designed specifically for pilots and radio operators, for whom a 24-hour ‘military time’ dial and dual-time zone bezel were invaluable.
Dept.000 created special regimental editions bearing various Air Force, Navy and Army insignia throughout the Vietnam conflict.
UPCYCLING, COURTESY OF THE SWISS ARMY
Ollech & Wajs have been upcycling again. This 60 year old, military grade hemp twill was originally intended for its rucksacks and truck skins and comes from the surplus stock of the Swiss Army. We’ve given it a second life as the handcrafted ‘Armée suisse’ strap, available exclusively on the M-110 AS. Not as simple as as you’d expect, but worth all the hard work when it generates media commentary like this! Full PR release here
Time + Tide on the new M-110 Armée suisse reclaimed hemp twill strap. Full article
THE NOT SO NEW 56 M
In a world obsessed with new, it’s nice to see the media enthusing about something old. A production journey that started decades ago concludes with the new – well, newish – Ollech & Wajs Limited Edition 56 M. Not just inspired by history, but a piece of history itself. A watch that combines vintage new old stock parts with contemporary parts. All 56 pieces reserved on day of release and a waitlist that had to be capped 24 hours later. PR release here
BENEATH THE SURFACE
Norwegian Freediver Siri Osvoldt dives deeper on a single breath than most scuba divers dare venture with a full cylinder of air. We are delighted to welcome Siri to the OW Elite Professional Community and honoured that she’ll be wearing an OW C-1000 on her ocean descents.
The OW C-1000 in its natural habitat
IN THE PRESS
My remit at Ollech & Wajs extends to media relations. Blogs and magazines are powerful platforms in the watch industry and working with editors and journalists (all of whom are invariably fanatical watch lovers) to tell the the Ollech & Wajs story, is never an onerous task. Being described as “The most important watch brand you don’t know about” by style blog Ape to Gentleman is my favourite piece this year. An Oracle Time ‘Editor’s Pick’ for the OW 8001 in a ‘Best Sports Watch’ article ahead of and the mighty Patek Philippe Nautilus (a £56K watch), is our best accolade yet.
Full Ape To Gentleman article here
‘EDITOR’S PICK’ for the OW 8001 ahead of the Patek Philippe Nautilus, ORACLE TIME July/August 2023
Part 7 of OW IMMORTALISED: THE SELECTRON COMPUTER CHRONOGRAPH
The ‘Selectron Computer’ slide rule chronograph, one of Ollech & Wajs best known, most recognised and most enduring product lines, is the latest OW classic to be immortalised by graphic artist and typography expert - Bjoern Altmann. The collaboration is enabling us to see OW’s historic references in their prototypical state for the first time since production ceased over 50 years ago. The multipotentialite Ref. 003 was something straight out of the space age in 1969 - Advertising slogans like “The watch with the mechanical brain”and ‘Own today the watches of tomorrow’ were perhaps prophetic given the ubiquity of today's so-called smart watches. The ‘Selectron Computer Chronograph’ was aimed primarily aviators. Pilots from the Red Arrows and the RAF Phantom squadron are known to have used the watch in the early 1970s.
The OW Immortalised Project is serialised on Instagram
SWITZERLAND'S FIRST MAIL-ORDER WATCH COMPANY
It’s easier to think outside the box when you’ve never been inside the box. Startup mentality isn’t a 21st century phenomenon. Disruptive thinking in 1956 helped the founders of Ollech & Wajs build a world famous brand in less than a decade. I’ve been diving deep into the company archives, to better understand the DNA of OW the brand and share its historic significance. Read the story here
A pre-digital ‘spreadsheet’. Ollech & Wajs kept track of every ad it placed on giant wall charts.
BORN 1973. REBORN 2023
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Ref.8000, OW’s first integrated bracelet sports watch, May saw the introduction of the chronologically named OW 8001. OW’s first COSC-certified model of the modern era reprises the ‘Havana brown fumé’ dial of its predecessor and is a 300 m water resistant, making it versatile enough to wear with a wetsuit or a linen suit. The OW 8001 was awarded ‘Editor’s Pick’ by Oracle Time magazine, over the mighty Patek Philippe Nautilus! PR release here
Ollech & Wajs and the new 8001 on Worn & Wound
Full page ad in the ‘Bonus Edition’ of London’t prestige lifestyle title, Square Mile