While it only takes a single flick of the wrist to wind up an OW watch and animate it, it took more than 10 years to convince Albert Wajs to pass on his brand.....
Patience and perseverance are virtues shared and prized by Swiss watchmakers. Only a true passionate collector of the brand could muster enough of both to win the historical founder’s trust. Albert Wajs can rest assured that his brand will remain in good hands. While he values the tranquility of a watchmaker’s workshop, our collector has also a taste for the splendid roar of a V8 or a V12, and many beautiful engines joined this second collection. At a time when driving was synonymous with freedom, he toured his favourite pieces to horology and classic car events, a practice that he has been carrying on for the past 30 years.
Modern Classics
Last November, OW issued a limited-edition model. Assembled by hand, using authentic cases from the brand’s historical stock, these watches brought OW’s finest hours back to life. They were fitted with brand new ETA 2824, but in accordance with original OW designs. This release was a nod to the brand’s own history. In 1978, Albert Wajs bought Willy Breitling’s Navitimer components and machinery, to adapt them to his own assembly line, an early demonstration of upcycling.
The Pilot Watch Has Finally Taken Shape
After multiple blueprints, tests and prototypes. Its robust 39.56 mm stainless steel case is stamped, machined and satin brushed in the Swiss Jura by expert hands. Its screw-on crown and case-back guarantee water-resistance to 300M, and its sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel insert are scratchproof. It’s the OW case.
The design of the P-101 is functional and refined, military in essence, and a tribute to the thousands of soldiers and officers who chose an OW watch as a survival tool. Its style is deliberately classic in its balance of proportions, with its large lugs, oversized crown, Super-LumiNova® indexes and hands, and semi-domed Sapphire glass. It is equipped with a robust automatic ETA 2824-2 OW3, adjusted by us, and a 300M water resistant case. The P-101 S is assembled by hand in the Swiss Jura.
The bracelet of the OW P-101 S was inspired by those found on past Ollech & Wajs models of the 1960's. Its links are individually machined in a solid block of 316L stainless steel, before being carefully brushed, assembled and screwed by hand. This process prevents from the usual stretching common among pressed steel bracelets. It ensures both longevity to the bracelet and comfort to the wearer. The bracelet's double lock deployant clasp prevents any accidental opening.
OW P-101 S Beads of Rice bracelet- Image OW
In the spring of 2019, a new line co-designed by Philippe Guegan and assembled in the Swiss Jura has come to life. This atypical engineer, sculptor and watchmaker has an expertise that ranges from aeronautical engineering to the minute scale of model-making and mechanical watches. From the largest to the smallest, Guegan has assembled, designed and re-imagined a wide range of mechanical objects to improve their workings with the perfect amount of innovation.
The OW C-1000 dial and brushed hands - Image OW
Swiss Movements
Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs chose early on to use specially commissioned fine mechanical movements from ETA and Valjoux. This tradition lives on through our newly modified ETA 2824 movement. After an initial quality control to ensure its accuracy, it is meticulously taken apart and its main plate is engraved with the OW logo. But most of all, this allows the addition of a new and exclusive rotor, machined and decorated in the Swiss Jura. Each movement is then carefully adjusted to 3 or 5 positions, twice, to meet the standards of finest Swiss watchmaking.
OW C-1000
The OW C-1000 is the product of modern Swiss watchmaking. It is powered by the robust modified ETA 2824-2 OW5, which is equipped with an Ollech & Wajs Zurich 1956 engraved main plate and OW machined rotor. The movement is housed in a 39.56mm, 316L stainless-steel, and 1000m water resistant case, which is stamped, machined, and brushed in Jura, Switzerland. The OW C-1000 is also equipped with a reinforced back case, an extra strong domed sapphire crystal and a special triple gaskets screw down crown. The watch has a stainless-steel rotating bezel with a mineral insert to measure dive times, and Super-LumiNova® covered indexes and hands for extra readability when diving at great depths. The first 56 OW C-1000 will be numbered on the crown and delivered in the order of registrations to our waiting list.
REFERENCE: OW C-1000
YEAR: 2019
DIMENSIONS: 39.56 mm X 15.15 mm
CASE: Brushed 316L stainless steel, reinforced screwed back, special triple gasket screw-down crown, unidirectional 60 min rotating bezel. origin: stamped, machined, and brushed in Jura, Switzerland.
GLASS: Domed sapphire with anti-glare treatment
DIAL: Hands and indexes in Super-LumiNova®
WATER RESISTANCE: 1000m/ 100ATM
MOVEMENT: Automatic ETA 2824-2 OW5P, 25 Jewels. 28,800 bph, with a power reserve of +/- 38 h. Mainplate engraved Ollech & Wajs Zurich 1956, and OW machined rotor.
SWISSNESS: Over 90% of components of Swiss origin, assembled in Swiss Jura
PACKAGING: Leather origin Great Britain, Italian Kraft paper
WARRANTY: 3 years against any manufacturing defect
