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The must-have Macro Loupe for all watch lovers

The main attraction of this timepiece obviously lies in its original time display.
Indeed, while the watch is reminiscent of a wandering hour, it still stands out because there is an hour hand, even if it is divided into three branches and not discs. The hours are read in the arc located at the top of the dial under the bezel.
The minutes can be read through the bezel, and the seconds are marked by a more traditional sweep second hand.
I particularly like the balance wheel and the bridges that secure it, which is particularly remarkable for a watch that's water-resistant to 200 meters... and yes, it's a diver's watch... even if I doubt its readability underwater.
The case is made of matte steel and the crystal is sapphire.
Finally, the strap is made of rubber and is very comfortable. Some will miss the Miyota 8215 base, but it remains very reliable and offers exceptional value for money.

The big blue

Adding a chronograph to my collection was an obvious and important step in my watchmaking journey. However, I wanted a model from a brand that was certainly accessible, but also respected, which is the case with Hamilton.
Furthermore, I didn't want this complication to diminish the dressy character I often seek. So I found what I was looking for with this timepiece, which remains more elegant than sporty.
I particularly appreciate the quality of the finishes: whether it's the dial, the decoration of the oscillating weight, or the folding clasp.
I've always considered the Valjoux 7750 caliber to be a watchmaking essential, so I wanted a model equipped with one of its heirs, which is the case with this H21.
It's a shame that this watch is too thin, barely fitting under a shirt, but this is unfortunately the case with most less expensive automatic chronographs.

Top chrono !

I was particularly impressed by this watch's attractive orange sunray dial.
The poor-quality strap, as well as the Miyota 8215 movement, while reliable and robust but a little rustic, may put some people off, but honestly, is that really a problem for a timepiece in this price range?
The case back is screwed down, not clipped, which is particularly appreciated for a model that is clearly a tool watch.

A Clockwork Orange (automatic)

This watch is truly historic because it is the heir to a model that equipped British troops at the beginning of the 20th century, hence the name. I particularly appreciate the typography of the numbers, as well as the hands, slightly disproportionate to the relatively modest dial. Finally, the very thick glass in the shape of a beveled dome sublimates the tenderly old-fashioned character of the timepiece.

So wow!

This watch has a cushion-shaped mirror-polished steel case. Briston has the great merit of bringing cases of this shape up to date. I appreciate the refined character of the dial and its Bordeaux red color. The pointed hands are very well matched with the indexes. The crown, for its part, is stamped with the brand logo. The original NATO strap detracted from the dressy character of the model, which is why I replaced it with a more elegant leather one. Finally, the white background of the date is a real negative point.

She's in the red!

This watch has a polished steel case - mirror. The dial, a deep blue, offers applied indexes, no numbers, a day/night indicator, as well as a date which has the great merit of having a tone-on-tone background with the dial. The indexes, associated with the sharp hands, give a real impression of dynamism. The original strap, brown in color, gave the model an impersonal appearance. In addition, it attenuated the depth of the blue, which explains its replacement. Finally, it should be noted the overly common character of the case which diminishes the personality of the timepiece.

Ocean blue

The Orient brand was created in 1951 by Shogoro Yoshida in Japan. It all began in 1901 when the founder opened a watch boutique in the Ueno commercial district of Tokyo. For 50 years, it was able to take advantage of an expanding market and expand to the point of offering its own models. It was only in 1950 that he founded the &ldquo;Tama Keiki Co&rdquo; factory in the town of Hino. The original name of the company was quickly changed to accompany the release of their first model, the Orient Star, in 1951.
The name of the brand comes from the Latin Oriri which means to be born, to rise, to rise. Orient offers high quality, precise watches with unbeatable value for money. It is also known as one of the world's main manufacturers of mechanical watches in volumes.
The range includes models like the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/orient/mako_iii_kamasu"> Orient Mako III Kamasu</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/orient/bambino_1"> Orient Bambino 1</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/orient/mako"> Orient Mako</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/orient/flight"> Orient Flight</a> and the Orient King Star.
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does an Orient watch cost?</h2>
The prices of Orient watches sold on the brand's website are changing between &euro;179 and &euro;1,350 depending on the models and finishes. Count &euro;245 for an Orient Bambino 2 and &euro;449 for an Orient Mechanical Sports.
Orient is owned by Seiko Epson Corporation and produces approximately 2 million watches per year, all models combined. To choose an Orient that best suits you, Dialicious owners' reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating each of the different models through real owner experience.
Check out the <a href="https://preprod.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_japanese_watch_brands">Ranking of the best japanese watch brands</a>, including Orient.
(Updated December 2023)
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This watch is truly an icon of watchmaking, its quality/price ratio is incredible: a manufacture movement, sapphire crystal and water resistance to two hundred meters. For less than two hundred and fifty euros, who can do better? The case is made of steel (mirror polished), as is the bezel (120 clicks). The baton indexes offer real readability. The date, meanwhile, is displayed in two languages: English or Spanish. Of course I would have preferred a date in French and the original steel bracelet is really not great, which explains the tropical bracelet, but that does not detract from the quality of the watch.

Mako III Kamasu 

I present to you my Orient Kamasu which is a Japanese automatic diving watch, I chose at the time this pretty watch for the very special color of its dial a pretty mix of green and black and for its original bezel which is green from 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock and the rest is in black, Orient is an exclusive subsidiary of the Seiko manufacturer and as I have a huge weakness for Japanese watches I had to have this watch which came out after the mako 2 and I do not regret my purchase. Its diameter is 41.5mm its dial width is 13mm and it indicates 20 atm

Even Orient Kamasu 

It is indeed very generous this little unpretentious tool watch, because it gives a lot of pleasure to its owner at a very reasonable price (for a new automatic diver, that is): screwed crown, water-resistant to 200 m, sapphire crystal, stop-seconds, quick-set of date and day, in-house movement, pretty finishes, superb dial with reflections, ... I paid € 180 for it new (delivery included) from an Italian professional about 20 months ago. I wanted a watch that I am not afraid of damaging and that is shock-resistant when I tinker or garden. So of course, it has 2 known defects: a bracelet that is not as qualitative as the watch, and a crown that is quite small and difficult to screw and unscrew. For the bracelet, a Strapcode jubilee specially designed for it or a Nato and the problem is solved. For the crown, you just have to wear the watch as often as possible, and the use of the crown becomes anecdotal (once a month for the date). You see, there is no problem, there are only solutions! Otherwise, the movement is quite precise, at least on mine: I noticed a drift of maximum 10 s/day depending on the positions. Conclusion: the ORIENT Kamasu Mako III is a watch that brings me pleasure when I wear it, and that I find it hard to take off because it is so simple and easy to live with.

A generous watch

This little Japanese diver had been catching my eye for a long time. This limited edition version with a sunray blue and smoked dial and gold touches finally convinced me in the summer of 2022. Small? Not so much because it is almost 42mm in diameter but on the wrist it sits perfectly and seems much smaller. Very controlled thickness thanks to a flat sapphire crystal and a manufacture movement, water-resistant to 200m, it is its sporty and elegant ambivalence, especially in this limited blue/gold version that makes it so cute and endearing. Its weak point remaining its original bracelet (for this price range, we will easily forgive it), I pushed the vice to equip it with a very pretty jubilee bracelet from Strapcode to match the steel/gold style. The icing on the cake, the caliber adjustment shows a daily drift of -2/+2s/day for a watch bought for around €300. Crazy!

A diver with the look of a luxury watch

My summer watch, which I use for vacations, crafts, the pool, the beach... The one I don't spare!
My second automatic watch, I still love it just as much and wear it just as much ☺️
I appreciate its black-green smoked dial that tends towards turquoise in full sunlight. The day and date windows break the symmetry but are essential for me to keep track of time after several days of vacation!
Robust case that withstands shocks, as does its very reliable and precise automatic movement.
The 41.8mm diameter is very comfortable on any wrist thanks to its lug-to-lug width of just 46.8mm. The case thickness is 12.8mm, with a flat sapphire crystal.
The grip of the crown, however, leaves something to be desired. The original metal bracelet is not very comfortable, of average quality, and a little wide at 22mm from end to end; I quickly replaced it with a rubber strap that suits me better.

My summer watch

A small original diver, which, if it is inspired by its illustrious ancestors, has found its own identity. 
The little extra on the graduated bezel: a chevron that marks the graduation every 10 minutes (we could have called it "Stargate")
I also like its smoked dial, sunrayed in its lightest part which brings depth.
We will also appreciate the applied circled indexes which give relief to the whole. To top it all off, they are generously garnished with a cream Luminova with the most beautiful vintage effect.

A solid sapphire crystal completes the whole.
The case, the screwed crown, give a nice impression of robustness with its polished/brushed finish.
We could have wished for sharper edges, but that's asking a lot.
We may regret that the polished aluminum bezel insert is the point that risks getting damaged first.

An Orient house movement brings it to life, with a very satisfactory precision, which gives a beautiful coherence to the whole.

In conclusion, Orient does not make fun of us with this Kamasu, which gives a lot for its price.
A nice piece for those who would like to push the entry door into the watchmaking passion.

Travel to the Orient (and we’ll come back!)

Ollech &amp; Wajs est une maison horlog&egrave;re suisse fond&eacute;e en 1956 &agrave; Zurich par Joseph Ollech et Albert Wajs ; d&rsquo;abord d&eacute;taillant puis acteur de la vente par correspondance, le duo a b&acirc;ti sa r&eacute;putation sur des montres &laquo; tool &raquo; robustes &mdash; plongeuses, militaires, d&rsquo;aviation &mdash; vendues aux particuliers comme aux forces arm&eacute;es, avant d&rsquo;orchestrer un retour au premier plan au cours des ann&eacute;es 2010 avec une gamme contemporaine qui r&eacute;active les signatures historiques.
<h3>Zurich, Stockerstrasse et la vente par correspondance&thinsp;: les d&eacute;buts d&rsquo;un label outil</h3>
D&egrave;s l&rsquo;ouverture de leur petite boutique zurichoise, les fondateurs s&rsquo;attachent &agrave; proposer des montres fiables &agrave; prix tenu, puis &eacute;tendent rapidement l&rsquo;activit&eacute; vers le courrier et les annonces sp&eacute;cialis&eacute;es, et cette distribution directe fa&ccedil;on &laquo; mail-order &raquo; deviendra l&rsquo;un des marqueurs durables de la marque.&nbsp;Le basculement d&rsquo;un r&ocirc;le de d&eacute;taillant vers la cr&eacute;ation de montres sous leur propre nom s&rsquo;op&egrave;re en quelques ann&eacute;es, avec des lignes d&eacute;di&eacute;es aux usages concrets (terrain, mer, cockpit) et une construction volontairement simple et r&eacute;parable, et l&rsquo;obsession est moins la &laquo; complication &raquo; que l&rsquo;endurance et la lisibilit&eacute;.
Dans les ann&eacute;es 1960, la diffusion s&rsquo;&eacute;tend aux bases am&eacute;ricaines et aux PX, o&ugrave; des montres militaires et de plong&eacute;e sign&eacute;es O&amp;W trouvent un public pr&ecirc;t &agrave; les &eacute;prouver en conditions r&eacute;elles, et cette validation par l&rsquo;usage contribue &agrave; installer l&rsquo;image d&rsquo;un outil professionnel abordable.
<h3>Caribbean 1000 et Ocean Graph&thinsp;: la profondeur, la d&eacute;compression et l&rsquo;imaginaire des grandes eaux</h3>
Au milieu des sixties, la maison se distingue par des plongeuses d&rsquo;avant-garde dont la Ollech &amp; Wajs Caribbean 1000, pi&egrave;ce record annonc&eacute;e pour 1000 m qui cristallise l&rsquo;ambition technique de l&rsquo;&eacute;poque et installe le nom O&amp;W dans le paysage de la plong&eacute;e sportive comme professionnelle, et l&rsquo;association avec des partenaires sp&eacute;cialis&eacute;s nourrit une esth&eacute;tique rationnelle et sans fioritures.
Dans la m&ecirc;me veine, l&rsquo;Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph introduit une lunette et une logique de lecture con&ccedil;ues pour accompagner la mont&eacute;e du plongeur et les paliers de d&eacute;compression, ancrant la montre dans un usage pr&eacute;cis plut&ocirc;t que dans l&rsquo;&eacute;vocation d&eacute;corative de la mer, et le cadran reste clair pour pr&eacute;server l&rsquo;instantan&eacute;it&eacute; de la lecture sous l&rsquo;eau.
Ces r&eacute;f&eacute;rences historiques, souvent cit&eacute;es et collectionn&eacute;es aujourd&rsquo;hui, ont fa&ccedil;onn&eacute; un langage fait de bo&icirc;tiers costauds, d&rsquo;&eacute;tanch&eacute;it&eacute;s s&eacute;rieuses, de bracelets adapt&eacute;s et de typographies contrast&eacute;es qui affleurent encore dans les mod&egrave;les actuels, et c&rsquo;est cette continuit&eacute; de &laquo; montre-outil &raquo; qui permet de relier le pass&eacute; et le pr&eacute;sent.
<h3>Relance contemporaine, ancrage helv&eacute;tique et cha&icirc;ne courte&thinsp;: le retour d&rsquo;O&amp;W</h3>
Apr&egrave;s avoir travers&eacute; la p&eacute;riode quartz et ralenti la cadence, la marque est reprise par Charles Le Menestrel et relanc&eacute;e &agrave; la fin des ann&eacute;es 2010 avec la volont&eacute; explicite de prolonger l&rsquo;esprit des origines plut&ocirc;t que de s&rsquo;&eacute;parpiller en s&eacute;ries cosm&eacute;tiques, et&nbsp;le bureau de cr&eacute;ation reste &agrave; Zurich tandis que l&rsquo;assemblage et les r&eacute;glages s&rsquo;effectuent dans le Jura suisse.
La d&eacute;marche privil&eacute;gie des mouvements automatiques suisses &eacute;prouv&eacute;s, une architecture de bo&icirc;te simple &agrave; entretenir, des &eacute;tanch&eacute;it&eacute;s cr&eacute;dibles et des bracelets &agrave; la fois robustes et faciles &agrave; vivre au quotidien, et le cahier des charges reprend la triade historique : fiabilit&eacute;, lisibilit&eacute;, r&eacute;parabilit&eacute;.
La relance ne se contente pas de &laquo; r&eacute;&eacute;ditions &raquo; au millim&egrave;tre : elle propose des montres nouvelles inspir&eacute;es des usages historiques, rehausse le soin apport&eacute; aux finitions et met en avant un contr&ocirc;le qualit&eacute; par &eacute;tapes, et le r&eacute;sultat vise une modernit&eacute; pragmatique qui &eacute;vite le pastiche.
<h3>P-101, P-104, Navichron, C-1000 et Ocean Graph&thinsp;: familles actuelles et usages concrets</h3>
Les premi&egrave;res r&eacute;f&eacute;rences de l&rsquo;&egrave;re r&eacute;cente prennent la forme de montres d&rsquo;aviation &agrave; taille contenue, Ollech &amp; Wajs P-101 et Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104, qui relecturent les codes cockpit dans une bo&icirc;te polyvalente autour de 39&ndash;40 mm avec saphir et couronne viss&eacute;e, et elles ciblent une lecture instrumentale et une r&eacute;sistance suffisante pour le quotidien.
C&ocirc;t&eacute; plong&eacute;e, la maison propose aujourd&rsquo;hui la Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000 (ainsi que des &eacute;ditions anniversaires) comme incarnation contemporaine de l&rsquo;esprit Caribbean : valves, joints, fonds viss&eacute;s et traitements soign&eacute;s s&rsquo;additionnent pour offrir un instrument de mer moderne, et le cadran conserve l&rsquo;intelligibilit&eacute; qui a fait la r&eacute;putation de la lign&eacute;e.
En parall&egrave;le, l&rsquo;Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph revient sous une forme actualis&eacute;e, avec sa logique de lecture li&eacute;e &agrave; la d&eacute;compression qui en fait une plongeuse de caract&egrave;re imm&eacute;diatement reconnaissable au poignet, et cette signature d&rsquo;usage distingue le mod&egrave;le dans un segment satur&eacute;.
La famille Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron s&rsquo;adresse &agrave; celles et ceux qui veulent un chronographe &laquo; outil &raquo; lisible, fid&egrave;le &agrave; l&rsquo;esprit O&amp;W sans exc&egrave;s de complexit&eacute;, avec une ergonomie de poussoirs travaill&eacute;e et une &eacute;chelle claire pour structurer le temps court, et le dessin reste volontairement pratique plut&ocirc;t que d&eacute;monstratif.
<ul>
<li>Ollech &amp; Wajs P-101 &mdash; pilote contemporain, diam&egrave;tre contenu, saphir, r&eacute;sistance &agrave; l&rsquo;eau &eacute;lev&eacute;e, cadran tr&egrave;s lisible, usage &laquo; bureau-terrain &raquo;.</li>
<li>Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104 &mdash; variante d&rsquo;aviation avec autre signature de lunette et de marquages, m&ecirc;me esprit robuste.</li>
<li>Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000 &mdash; plongeuse moderne inspir&eacute;e de la Caribbean, &eacute;tanch&eacute;it&eacute; pouss&eacute;e et lecture directe.</li>
<li>Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph &mdash; plongeuse instrumentale &agrave; logique de d&eacute;compression, identit&eacute; forte au poignet.</li>
<li>Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron &mdash; chronographe &laquo; tool &raquo;, cadran a&eacute;r&eacute; et poussoirs francs, lisibilit&eacute; du temps court.</li>
</ul>
Au-del&agrave; des noms, l&rsquo;important est l&rsquo;usage : pilote pour la lisibilit&eacute; &agrave; plat et la r&eacute;sistance aux chocs de la vie active, plongeuse pour l&rsquo;eau et la robustesse, chronographe pour rythmer les t&acirc;ches et les entra&icirc;nements, et ce d&eacute;coupage aide &agrave; choisir une O&amp;W en fonction d&rsquo;un sc&eacute;nario r&eacute;el plut&ocirc;t que d&rsquo;un simple style.
<h3>Signature &laquo; tool watch &raquo;&thinsp;: mat&eacute;riaux, mouvements, dimensions et bracelets</h3>
Les bo&icirc;tiers actuels privil&eacute;gient l&rsquo;acier, des traitements de surface sobres, des lunettes fonctionnelles et des glaces saphir, avec des diam&egrave;tres g&eacute;n&eacute;ralement compris entre 39 et 42 mm pour pr&eacute;server la polyvalence au quotidien, et le port&eacute; se veut stable gr&acirc;ce &agrave; des cornes ma&icirc;tris&eacute;es et des bracelets ajust&eacute;s.
C&ocirc;t&eacute; motorisation, la marque recourt &agrave; des automatiques suisses contemporains adapt&eacute;s &agrave; l&rsquo;usage intensif, certains r&eacute;gl&eacute;s ou certifi&eacute;s selon versions, et l&rsquo;accent est mis sur la facilit&eacute; d&rsquo;entretien par un horloger comp&eacute;tent partout dans le monde, et cette pragmatique m&eacute;canique refl&egrave;te la vocation utilitaire des montres.
Les bracelets &mdash; acier, textile de type RAF/NATO ou caoutchouc &mdash; sont choisis pour leur s&eacute;curit&eacute;, leur r&eacute;sistance &agrave; l&rsquo;eau et leur confort, tandis que les boucles et end-links sont travaill&eacute;s pour limiter les points durs, et la modularit&eacute; permet d&rsquo;adapter la m&ecirc;me montre &agrave; des contextes tr&egrave;s diff&eacute;rents.
<h3>Positionnement, prix, distribution et profils d&rsquo;acheteurs</h3>
O&amp;W occupe aujourd&rsquo;hui un segment &laquo; outil de qualit&eacute; &raquo; : finitions soign&eacute;es mais sans ostentation, fiches techniques coh&eacute;rentes, contr&ocirc;le qualit&eacute; serr&eacute; et communication ax&eacute;e sur l&rsquo;usage plut&ocirc;t que sur le prestige, et le rapport contenu/prix vise la cr&eacute;dibilit&eacute; d&rsquo;un instrument plut&ocirc;t que la posture luxueuse.&nbsp;La distribution m&ecirc;le vente directe en ligne et r&eacute;seau restreint de partenaires, comme <a href="https://bit.ly/4igLuis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Horel</a> &agrave; Bordeaux (France) ou <a href="https://bit.ly/4p27od0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">La Vitrine Horlog&egrave;re</a> en Belgique, avec un discours p&eacute;dagogique sur l&rsquo;h&eacute;ritage et les usages, et&nbsp;ce canal court facilite la coh&eacute;rence tarifaire et la relation avec l&rsquo;atelier.
Le public typique r&eacute;unit des amateurs de montres &laquo; &agrave; faire &raquo; plut&ocirc;t qu&rsquo;&laquo; &agrave; montrer &raquo;, des plongeurs loisirs, des voyageurs qui appr&eacute;cient la solidit&eacute; et des utilisateurs professionnels qui veulent un objet fiable et r&eacute;parable, et la marque parle &agrave; celles et ceux qui pr&eacute;f&egrave;rent la preuve par le port&eacute;.
<h3>Guide de choix&thinsp;: sc&eacute;nario d&rsquo;usage, lisibilit&eacute; et ergonomie</h3>
Commencez par d&eacute;finir l&rsquo;environnement principal : eau, cockpit, bureau-terrain ou sport chronom&eacute;tr&eacute; ; si l&rsquo;eau domine, une Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000 ou une Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph seront naturelles, tandis que P-101/P-104 conviendront aux lectures rapides et aux cadrans &eacute;pur&eacute;s, et le chronographe Navichron servira aux temps courts et aux routines fractionn&eacute;es.
Validez ensuite la lisibilit&eacute; : contraste aiguilles/fond, taille des index, absence de surcharge, visibilit&eacute; de la minuterie et coh&eacute;rence de la lunette avec l&rsquo;usage r&eacute;el, et faites le test &laquo; un m&egrave;tre/un coup d&rsquo;&oelig;il &raquo; en lumi&egrave;re naturelle avant d&rsquo;arr&ecirc;ter votre choix.
Enfin, essayez la montre pour jauger l&rsquo;assise (corne-&agrave;-corne), la couronne dans la paume, la souplesse du bracelet et le tomb&eacute; g&eacute;n&eacute;ral avec vos manches et vos activit&eacute;s, et gardez la version que vous oubliez le plus vite une fois port&eacute;e.
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
Ollech &amp; Wajs demeure identifiable par sa vocation d&rsquo;outil : des montres pens&eacute;es pour l&rsquo;usage, lisibles, robustes et suivies par une cha&icirc;ne suisse claire. Entre plongeuses h&eacute;riti&egrave;res de la Caribbean, pilotes modernes et chronographes de travail, la gamme s&rsquo;articule simplement autour de sc&eacute;narios r&eacute;els. Pour d&eacute;cider, partez de votre terrain d&rsquo;emploi, testez lisibilit&eacute; et confort, puis ajustez mati&egrave;re et bracelet ; vous obtiendrez un instrument pertinent qui vieillit bien. Pour croiser ces rep&egrave;res avec des retours d&rsquo;exp&eacute;rience, appuyez-vous sur les avis clients Dialicious.
Consultez le <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/top/les_meilleures_marques_de_montres_suisses">Classement des meilleures marques de montres suisses</a> dont Ollech &amp; Wajs fait partie.
(Mise &agrave; jour Ao&ucirc;t 2025)

Ollech &amp; Wajs is a Swiss watch company founded in 1956 in Zurich by Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs; initially a retailer and then a mail-order operator, the duo built a reputation on robust tool watches&mdash;divers, military pieces and pilot instruments&mdash;sold to civilians and service members alike, before orchestrating a modern comeback in the late 2010s with a contemporary range that revives the brand&rsquo;s historic signatures.
<h3>Zurich, Stockerstrasse and mail order: the beginnings of a tool-driven label</h3>
From their small Zurich storefront, the founders soon moved from selling other brands to shipping their own watches by post, and this direct &ldquo;mail-order&rdquo; route became a lasting hallmark of the company.&nbsp;The shift from retailing to making watches under their own name took only a few years, with dedicated lines for concrete use cases (field, sea, cockpit) and constructions that favoured simple, repairable mechanics, and the focus was less on &ldquo;complication&rdquo; than on endurance and clarity.
In the 1960s, distribution extended to US military PX stores, where O&amp;W military and dive watches were tried in real-world conditions by service members, and this usage-led validation helped cement the image of an affordable professional instrument.
<h3>Caribbean 1000 and Ocean Graph: depth, decompression and the great-waters playbook</h3>
By the mid-sixties the brand stood out with cutting-edge divers, notably the Ollech &amp; Wajs Caribbean 1000, a thousand-metre-rated watch that crystallised the era&rsquo;s technical ambition and lodged the O&amp;W name in both recreational and professional diving, and partnerships with specialist makers fed a rational, no-nonsense aesthetic.
In the same spirit, the Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph brought a bezel and reading logic tailored to ascent and decompression stops, rooting the watch in a specific task rather than mere maritime d&eacute;cor, and the dial stayed clean to preserve underwater glance legibility.
These historic references&mdash;often cited and collected today&mdash;shaped a language of stout cases, serious water-resistance, practical bracelets and high-contrast typography that still surfaces in current models, and this through-line of &ldquo;tool first&rdquo; connects past to present.
<h3>Contemporary relaunch, Swiss anchoring and a short chain: O&amp;W&rsquo;s return</h3>
After weathering the quartz era and slowing down, the brand was revived in the late 2010s by Charles Le Menestrel with the explicit aim of extending the founding spirit rather than scattering into cosmetic runs, and&nbsp;design remains in Zurich while assembly and adjustment take place in the Swiss Jura.
The approach favours proven Swiss automatic movements, serviceable case architecture, credible water-resistance and bracelets built for comfort and durability, and the specification re-embraces the classic triad: reliability, legibility, serviceability.&nbsp;The comeback is not a millimetre-for-millimetre facsimile exercise; instead, it offers new watches inspired by historic use, upgrades finishing and emphasises stepwise quality control, and the outcome is a pragmatic modernity that avoids pastiche.
<h3>P-101, P-104, Navichron, C-1000 and Ocean Graph: today&rsquo;s families and real use</h3>
The first modern releases took the form of compact pilot watches, the Ollech &amp; Wajs P-101 and Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104, which reinterpret cockpit codes in versatile 39&ndash;40 mm cases with sapphire and screw-down crowns, and they target instrumental reading and all-day resilience.
On the dive side, the brand offers the Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000 (along with anniversary editions) as a contemporary take on the Caribbean ethos: seals, casebacks, and careful treatment combine into a modern sea instrument, and the dial retains the intelligibility that made the line&rsquo;s reputation.
In parallel, the Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph returned in an updated form, with its decompression-centred readout making for an instantly recognisable diver on the wrist, and this task-specific signature sets it apart in a crowded segment.
The Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron family serves those who want a readable, work-ready chronograph true to the O&amp;W spirit, with well-judged pushers and crisp scales for short-time duties, and the design stays deliberately practical rather than showy.
<ul>
<li>Ollech &amp; Wajs P-101 &mdash; contemporary pilot, compact diameter, sapphire, strong water-resistance, very legible dial for desk-to-field wear.</li>
<li>Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104 &mdash; aviation variant with a different bezel and markings signature, same robust intent.</li>
<li>Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000 &mdash; modern diver inspired by the Caribbean, serious water-proofing and direct readout.</li>
<li>Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph &mdash; instrumental diver with decompression logic, strong identity on the wrist.</li>
<li>Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron &mdash; &ldquo;tool&rdquo; chronograph, open dial and assertive pushers, clarity in short-time work.</li>
</ul>
Beyond names, what matters is use: a pilot for flat-plane readability and shock tolerance in active life; a diver for water and sturdiness; a chronograph to pace tasks and training, and this split helps pick an O&amp;W by real scenario rather than by style alone.
<h3>Tool-watch signature: materials, movements, dimensions and straps</h3>
Current cases prioritise steel, sober surface treatments, functional bezels and sapphire crystals, with diameters largely between 39 and 42 mm to sustain daily versatility, and on-wrist stability comes from disciplined lug spans and well-matched bracelets.
Mechanically, the brand uses modern, Swiss automatic calibres suited to intensive use&mdash;some adjusted or certified depending on versions&mdash;while ensuring that any competent watchmaker can service them, and this pragmatic mechanics reflects the utilitarian brief.
Bracelets&mdash;steel, RAF/NATO-type textile or rubber&mdash;are chosen for security, water-readiness and comfort, with buckles and end-links designed to minimise hot-spots, and modularity lets a single watch adapt to very different contexts.
<h3>Positioning, prices, channels and buyer profiles</h3>
O&amp;W sits in a &ldquo;quality tool&rdquo; segment: tidy finishing without ostentation, coherent spec sheets, tight quality control and messaging anchored in use rather than prestige, and the value proposition seeks instrument credibility rather than luxury posturing.
Distribution blends direct online sales with a small partner network and a didactic narrative about heritage and use, and this short channel supports coherent pricing and a clear link to the workshop.&nbsp;The core audience mixes owners who prefer watches to &ldquo;do&rdquo; rather than to &ldquo;show,&rdquo; recreational divers, travellers who prize sturdiness and professionals who need reliable, serviceable objects, and the brand resonates with those who trust proof of wear over glossy claims.
<h3>Selection guide: use case, legibility and ergonomics</h3>
Start by mapping your main environment&mdash;water, cockpit, desk-to-field or timed sport; if water rules, a Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000 or Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph is natural, whereas P-101/P-104 suit quick, uncluttered reads, and the Navichron chronograph serves intervals and structured routines.
Next validate legibility: hand-to-dial contrast, index size, minimal clutter, minute track visibility and bezel logic that matches how you actually use it, and run the &ldquo;one-metre/one-glance&rdquo; test in natural light before deciding.
Finally, try the watch to judge stance (lug-to-lug), crown feel in the palm, bracelet suppleness and how it sits with sleeves and tasks, and keep the version you forget the fastest once strapped on.
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
Ollech &amp; Wajs remains identifiable by its purpose-built vocation: watches made for use&mdash;readable, robust and supported by a clear Swiss chain. Between divers that channel the Caribbean legacy, modern pilot pieces and work-ready chronographs, the range is organised simply around real-world scenarios. To choose well, start with where you&rsquo;ll wear it, test clarity and comfort, then tune material and strap; you&rsquo;ll land on a capable instrument that ages well. To square these cues with long-term ownership feedback, a helpful compass remains Dialicious customer reviews.
Consult the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_swiss_watch_brands">Ranking of the best Swiss watch brands</a> of which Ollech &amp; Wajs is part.
(Updated August 2025)

The Orient Mako III Kamasu is an improved and stylized version of the famous Mako III series from the Orient brand. The name "Kamasu" refers to the barracuda, a fish known for its speed and agility, which perfectly matches the aesthetics and performance of this dive watch.
<h3 dir="ltr">What are the technical characteristics of the Orient Mako III Kamasu?</h3>
Design and case
The Mako III Kamasu sports a 41.8mm diameter stainless steel case, slightly smaller than some models in the series, giving it elegance and comfort on the wrist. The case is carefully polished and brushed, providing a premium finish that holds up well to the rigors of daily use. The unidirectional stainless steel bezel, featuring an aluminum insert, is designed for easy and precise handling, essential for measuring dive times.
Dial
The Kamasu dial stands out for its texture and depth, available in several attractive colors such as blue, black, and green. The applied indexes are large and luminescent, ensuring optimal readability even in low light conditions. The hour and minute hands are also coated with luminescent material, and the second hand is distinguished by its arrow-shaped end, adding a touch of dynamism to the design. The day and date display at 3 o'clock is framed, providing clear and crisp reading.
Movement
The Mako III Kamasu is equipped with Japanese automatic movement F6922, renowned for its reliability and precision. This movement has a power reserve of approximately 40 hours and is equipped with modern features such as manual winding and second hand stop (hacking). These features allow for precise timing and increased ease of use.
Bracelet
The Kamasu's stainless steel bracelet is sturdy and comfortable, with a folding clasp and safety clasp, ensuring the watch stays firmly attached to the wrist. Some versions of the Kamasu are also available with a silicone/rubber strap, ideal for use while diving or for those who prefer a sportier style.
Waterproofing and crown
With a waterproofing of 200 meters (20 ATM), the Mako III Kamasu is perfectly suited for swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. The screw-down crown reinforces this seal, providing additional protection against water and dust. The screw-down case back also contributes to the robustness and durability of the watch.
<h3 dir="ltr">History and heritage of the Orient Mako Kamasu</h3>
The Orient Mako III Kamasu continues the tradition of the Mako series, which began in 2004 with the aim of providing high-quality diving watches at an affordable price. The Kamasu, introduced as an upgraded version of the Mako III, brings subtle but significant changes in design and functionality. The name "Kamasu" evokes speed and agility, qualities that this watch embodies perfectly.
<h3 dir="ltr">How much does an Orient Mako III Kamasu cost?</h3>
The price of the Orient Mako III Kamasu is generally between 200 and 350 &euro;, depending on model and retailer. This competitive price, combined with its technical features and refined design, makes it a very attractive option for diving watch enthusiasts.
In summary, the Orient Mako III Kamasu is a stylish, high-performance dive watch that continues to honor the heritage of the Mako series while providing modern improvements. Its sophisticated design, robust features and excellent value for money make it a top choice for watch enthusiasts and divers. The Dialicious owners&rsquo; reviews are a fantastic opportunity to understand&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/orient/why_customers_choose_orient">why customers choose Orient watches</a>.
(Updated February 2025)

Orient Mako III Kamasu Owner Review : Humble, iconic and legit

Mako III Kamasu

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