The must-have Macro Loupe for all watch lovers

Iconic watch art prints. Made in Switzerland, lifetime guarantee

Already the owner of the Royal automatic caliber with the Péquignet Royale moon phase, I wanted to acquire the manual version of this movement but with a different dial from mine, more modern and here comes the Paris Royal aventurine limited series at the end of 2024. The magnificent sandwich case of the Paris Royale with the manual movement with 100 hours of power reserve and, the cherry on the cake, a pure blue aventurine dial. A first at Péquignet. This very limited series of 30 copies is only sold in Péquignet Boutiques or on the site. The dial is hypnotizing for a 2-hand with its constantly changing reflections, in short I love it!!

French luxury

Already the owner of an MN64, I have been able to appreciate the quality of this watch for 3 years, which is why I fell for it when Stéphane Clouzeau received this limited series of 100 copies worldwide. This watch, created in partnership with Frédéric Presle for his adventure "return to Campana" in Chilean Patagonia in the footsteps of his ancestor, has a dial with exceptional reflections that makes it unique.
Like all ZRCs, it is very technical, waterproof to 1000m, monobloc case, ceramic bezel, crown at 6 o'clock, ...
Only its precision could be better (Sellita movement).

Amazing !

It was through the ZRC Fan Facebook page that I discovered this brand that was relaunching and it is one of my favorite divers. I love its massive hands and its refined dial. Its metal bracelet is a work of art in itself, although a little complicated to put on, be careful not to drop the watch when taking it off! As soon as spring comes, I switch it to the super comfortable and more practical rubber strap. Mine is equipped with the 2824-2 with remarkable precision, less than 2s per 24 hours. A brand that deserves to be better known!

An original and little-known diver!

Bought for my 30th wedding anniversary in 2021, this watch never ceases to amaze me with the reflections of its dial that always change depending on the light. The moon phase has a lot to do with it and its hot-blued hands too. On the back, you can dive into this superb manufacture movement with multiple patents. The triple date with instant jump is also amazing.

The best of French watchmaking!

And yes, Omega is not just the Moonwatch, the 300M and the Planet Ocean! While surfing their site, I came across the Aquaterra, a model that is not talked about much. This version with a silver dial is crazy, going from silver to white or gray, like the indexes. The finish is perfect, I am still discovering details after 3 months. Even the crown is super worked. The 8900 movement has a quick time zone change complication, you can change the time (and the date follows in both directions) without disturbing the watch. With its 2 barrels it has an excellent autonomy of 60 hours. I chose the version on a rubber strap, perfectly in keeping with the colors of the dial and with the most beautiful folding clasp I have ever seen so far.

The Seamaster Aquaterra deserves to be better known!

This little diver is equipped with a high-performance 2824-2 and has a water resistance of 500 m with very contained dimensions; I love the work of the very curved case which adapts perfectly to my small wrist as well as the very discreet crown. It is very readable with its orange hand. It is an endearing watch and ideal for summer. An excellent quality-price ratio!

Squale 50 ATMOS 1521, packed with quality!

Pequignet is a French watch brand founded in 1973 in Morteau by &Eacute;mile P&eacute;quignet; after an early chapter shaped by jewelry-inflected design (the Moorea bracelet), the company set up a Haute Horlogerie lab in the 2000s, from which came French-made movements &mdash; Calibre Royal (2011), Calibre Royal Manuel (2018), Calibre Initial (2021) and, more recently, a tourbillon &mdash; that now underpin contemporary collections combining useful complications, clarity and a distinctly national identity.
<h3>Morteau 1973, Moorea 1984: a French storyline of design and know-how</h3>
Created by &Eacute;mile P&eacute;quignet in the Haut-Doubs, the brand has been anchored in Morteau from the outset &mdash; a cross-border watch basin &mdash; before signing, in 1984, the &ldquo;Moorea&rdquo; link, an articulated steel grain that became an emblem, and the Equus line (1987), reflecting the founder&rsquo;s passion for horsemanship, and these aesthetic milestones explain the brand&rsquo;s enduring blend of jeweller&rsquo;s vocabulary and purpose-built watches.
Over time the company pursued a broader industrial ambition: a managerial takeover in 2004 to build a manufacture, launch of the Calibre Royal in 2011, then a stabilising ownership relay (buy-out by four executives in 2017, followed by Enowe&rsquo;s involvement) to secure a French pipeline, and though shareholder details evolved, the constant has been a stated will to design and assemble in France.
Public recognition followed: the state &ldquo;Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant&rdquo; (EPV) label in 2014, renewed in 2019 and 2025; own-name boutiques in Paris and Besan&ccedil;on; equipped e-commerce (EU shipping/returns) and structured after-sales, and this footprint makes access to a French take on Haute Horlogerie straightforward for buyers.
<h3>Calibre Royal: integrated architecture, big date, moon and 88 hours</h3>
The manufacture&rsquo;s cornerstone, the Calibre Royal, bundles a long power reserve (~88 h), a double-window big date and day display, a day/night indicator, a moon phase and, on some versions, a double UTC time zone into a movement conceived in Morteau, and this in-house integration aims for instant legibility and daily reliability rather than gratuitous show.
Beyond functions, development required 279 industrial drawings for a 318-component movement (316 proprietary parts), protected by multiple patents, with a large balance showcased through a sapphire back, and the brief openly champions &ldquo;unfussy Haute Horlogerie,&rdquo; advancing technique and clarity together.
Housed across steel, titanium or gold cases (Royale Paris, Royale Grand Sport, Royale Titane, Saphir editions), the Calibre Royal also spawned a hand-wound version (2018) and a recent flying tourbillon, widening the aesthetic spectrum without diluting the signature, and coherence stands out: shared dial grammar, clear displays, one pillar movement.
<h3>Calibre Initial and &ldquo;French movement&rdquo;: Attitude, short supply chain and 65 hours</h3>
Launched in 2021 to power the Attitude collection, the Calibre Initial brings bi-directional winding, a 65-hour reserve and a patented semi-instant date, with a tightly localised supply chain (components produced within ~80 km of Morteau, the majority made in France), and the goal is a robust, slim, easy-to-service daily movement.
Visually, the openworked rotor with the house fleur-de-lys appears on the back, while Attitude dials stay restrained (crisp hands, applied markers) so desk-to-play wear remains seamless; limited &Eacute;lys&eacute;e editions underline the brand&rsquo;s civic bent, and the three-word message is: French, readable, durable.
This &ldquo;French movement&rdquo; also flows into sportier (Extr&ecirc;me 300) or smaller 36 mm references, showing the platform adapts to varied sizes without losing its functional personality, and modularity remains guided by real-world use rather than a pile-on of complications.
<h3>Today&rsquo;s families: quick orientation by wear scenario</h3>
To navigate without getting lost, think in families, each covering a use case and wrist stance; the list below gathers landmarks in one or two points apiece, and the names follow the brand&rsquo;s current official taxonomy.
<ul>
<li>Pequignet Royale Paris &mdash; downsized to 39.5 mm in its 2025 update; big date, power reserve, vertical moon; contemporary city wear.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Pequignet Royale Saphir &mdash; translucent sapphire dial revealing the Calibre Royal; launched 2019 to spotlight the French movement.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Pequignet Royale Grand Sport &mdash; 44 mm, Royal&rsquo;s classic displays (PR, big date, moon) in a sportier shell.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Pequignet Royale Titane &mdash; light, tough, sport-tool codes with LumiNova indices.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Pequignet Extr&ecirc;me 300 &mdash; 300-m diver driven by the Calibre Royal; legibility with refined execution.</li>
<li>Pequignet Attitude &mdash; three-hand/date Calibre Initial (65 h, patented date); everyday urban wear.</li>
<li>Pequignet Concorde &mdash; contemporary line with French movement; broad range of sizes/colours.</li>
<li>Pequignet Moorea &mdash; heritage return of the icon bracelet (Moorea Vintage capsule).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Positioning, prices and distribution: French Haute Horlogerie, measured volumes</h3>
Published prices place the brand in the mid-to-upper segment: Attitude around &euro;2,800&ndash;3,500 depending on reference, Extr&ecirc;me 300 typically &euro;5,600, Royale Paris (39.5 mm) roughly &euro;5,300&ndash;8,500 by material/complications, with solid-gold or special pieces well above, and this scale reflects local manufacture, refined finishing and extended warranties.
Distribution blends the official site (instalments, EU returns, up to 5-year warranty by line) and own-name boutiques in Paris (Rue de Rennes) and Besan&ccedil;on, complemented by a small specialist network, and this short channel keeps a tight grip on client experience and lead-times.
Annual volumes aren&rsquo;t disclosed, yet the structure (HH lab in Morteau, local chain, EPV) and the breadth of the range suggest steady output paced by launches, with punctual limited runs (e.g., 2024 tricolour Royale Paris), and the audience spans discerning enthusiasts and buyers seeking a credible &ldquo;made in France&rdquo; proposition.
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
Pequignet fits wearers who want clear, French-conceived Haute Horlogerie powered by coherent in-house movements. The &ldquo;Royale&rdquo; families embody the complication-with-legibility DNA; Attitude bridges into everyday wear; Extr&ecirc;me 300 covers aquatic duty; Moorea ties back to heritage. Decide by use case, validate ergonomics and reading, then choose Royal vs Initial by your relationship to complications. To align these cues with lived ownership over time, a practical compass remains Dialicious customer reviews.
(Updated September 2025)

In search of a French watch with a movement entirely designed and assembled in France, I could only turn to the Pequignet manufacture. So I chose the classic Pequignet Royal with a small second and a power reserve on sunray blue sub-dials! A big special mention to the beauty of the caliber that you can see in the photos. An elegant, French and very well designed watch! However, the diameter of the case is a little too big for me (42mm) and the bracelet is not really comfortable to wear even if aesthetically very beautiful. If you are looking for the most French watch in the entry-level luxury range, go for it!

French know-how!

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)

Pequignet Royale Origine Owner Review : Lunar, comfortable and royal

The best of French watchmaking!

Where to buy your Pequignet?

YOU ARE :

Other reviews published by Lolo4529

Pequignet
Royale Paris

ZRC
Grands Fonds South Adventure

ZRC
Grands Fonds 300

Omega
Seamaster Aqua Terra

Squale
1521

Customize your Pequignet with our selection of accessories:

Eagle Eye Watches

Iconic Switzerland

Pequignet Royale Origine Owner Review : Lunar, comfortable and royal

The best of French watchmaking!

Where to buy your Pequignet?

YOU ARE :

Other reviews published by Lolo4529

PequignetRoyale Paris

ZRCGrands Fonds South Adventure

ZRCGrands Fonds 300

OmegaSeamaster Aqua Terra

Squale1521

Customize your Pequignet with our selection of accessories:

Eagle Eye Watches

Iconic Switzerland

Pequignet
Royale Paris

ZRC
Grands Fonds South Adventure

ZRC
Grands Fonds 300

Omega
Seamaster Aqua Terra

Squale
1521