If you haven't noticed, I'm a fan of the Omega brand! The reason is simple and illustrated by this watch, an Omega Constellation that looks nothing like the other Constellations! That's the charm of vintage Omega, fantastic looks that you don't expect!

The rectangle watch is not something easy! The Dunhill Facet is the only other rectangle watch in my collection with this Constellation. For the record, I found it at auction on Jauce, the Japanese auction site, then my wife wanted it and a few weeks later it arrived 😎 Quite tired, but I had planned to send it to a watchmaker specializing in these "old" Omegas. Before that, my wife and I realized that this model - for men - could not be adjusted to the size of her wrist! If you look at it closely, it is trapezoidal in shape, unsuitable for fine adjustments... Good news in the end, I kept it for myself as planned.

The drawn-line dial is magnificent and goes perfectly with the same drawn lines on the case. The two Omega logos in appliques (very 70s) give it the pep that it would have lacked with its dominant silver gray... This Omega Genève joins my Omega collection and in particular the Omega Genève integrated bracelet which sports the same type of dial.

➡️ The construction of the case is also very original because the movement is housed in a cell that unscrews (4 screws) on the back of the watch, like some Omega Genève or Omega Dynamic. I have not found - if you have any information, I am interested - a leather strap suitable for this removable cell. Regarding price, we are on a full cost price of €600 including the watch, sales costs and reconditioning.

One of my rare rectangle watches

I bought this watch - reference 15300 - in 2016 to celebrate an important moment in my personal life. It was an eternity ago now as the watch market has evolved towards speculation. At that time the choice for this model was not so obvious given its high price (very relative compared to current prices) and the few watches manufactured.

Was it already a legendary model? I am not so sure. This watch symbolizes risk-taking in terms of design, whether it is watchmaking or not. It sparkles with a thousand facets and presents with its open case back a view of an Audemars Piguet manufacture movement reference 3120 with very neat finishes... in any case more neat than most - if not all - of the other watches in my collection.

Is this the most important watch in my collection? If we look at the range, we are clearly in the Haute Horlogerie segment... even though everyone can put what they want into it. From an emotional point of view, it is undoubtedly a very important watch but ultimately no more than the one I had when I was 30 or 40, for example. From a heritage point of view, it is by far the most important because it is valued at stratospheric prices. The moral is that it is a watch that I rarely wear and that spends most of its time in the safe, hidden from view. It is sad but it is only a matter of time before reason takes over so that I can enjoy it more often.

A symbolic model in many ways

Since I gave my son a Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive last year, the little seed has continued to germinate to also give me an Eco-Drive. OK, we are not the nobility of mechanical watchmaking but rather in the functional watch that tells the time very well. It must be recognized that the operation of the eco-drive is remarkable.

I had already been troubled when acquiring the Promaster on the movement in two-second increments of the second hand! Sacrilege, it is new and does not work properly... Even constant for this one but with experience in addition 😎 Its thwarted movement is simply an indicator of low battery charge. A short day with the current little sun and Hop it resumes its jerky rhythm characteristic of quartz watches!

For this one?

I had already hesitated a few months ago with a promo on a merchant site and by dint of procrastinating, the lucky one was gone! Chance made me meet a buyer of this same watch but with a black dial. I put it on my wrist and it just matched. The design, the lightness and the visual and touch softness are very very cool...

OK, the look is not ultra-innovative either... But it is precisely a watch made to be functional, without more or less questionable aesthetic attributes and especially not a "Fashion Watch". A beautiful watch, simple to have one on the wrist - otherwise I am unhappy!

From a figurative point of view we are close to the void but from a literal point of view, it is a good 3-hand watch and the date that gives the time in good conditions of aesthetics and sobriety... The most important thing is elsewhere, here we are both, with my son, in Citizen Boys 👍

Simple, sober and light for every day

I was lucky enough to be given this Zenith Elite HW for my 40th birthday… With Zenith, it’s a long story that began 10 years earlier when I was looking for a watch for my 30th birthday – ultimately the TAG Heuer Séries 6000 Chronometer which will surely be presented on this platform instead of a Zenith El Primero Rainbow –

I came across an ad for 800 euros for this ultra-classic Calatrava-type watch… I was hooked by the brand and then little by little by the model… We met up with the seller at the bottom of his office on the Avenue de la Grande Armée in Paris and we did a deal… I had just been bitten by vintage… But it was another passion that fell on me. And yes, my brother was going to give me a custom-made crocodile strap that would make me fall into leather goods!

Long story short, this Zenith has become over time my watch for major events. Ultra-flat and discreet, it’s a perfect combo for this kind of event… but I almost always wear it with its homemade red crocodile strap!

The beginning of another passion

I fell head over heels for this model to the point of buying two! What a thrill this watch is, which for many takes up the codes of the Patek Philippe Nautilus while the two I have date from 1972… including one from March 1972, before Basel World of the same year which will see the presentation of the Royal Oak! And yes, this Jaeger-Lecoultre Master-Quartz is equipped with the Girard Perregaux GP352 caliber, one of the two Quartz calibers developed by the Swiss watch industry with that from the BETA21 consortium. Note that Girard Perregaux was at the time one of the most innovative Swiss brands. This watch is therefore equipped with a battery and a Motorola chip allowing the watch to be dated with a number showing the date of the week and the year! This JLC therefore predates Gerald Genta's two blockbusters. Its design has everything to please me, TV box, integrated bracelet from Chatelain, absolutely fantastic striped blue dial! What is it missing? Reliability, quite simply! An electronic circuit that is over 50 years old was not designed to have such a long lifespan... So it is a capricious watch far from being able to be used as a Daily! No problemo if we have understood this paradigm.

Many believe it is a Nautilus

I would love to have the same one in mechanical movement but it is much more expensive and thicker! This Zenith Port Royal chose me during a session on the Swiss site Ricardo. Sold as defective for a few Swiss francs, I immediately said to myself that it had found me. Having in my bag a few sharp watchmakers to operate these obsolete technologies, I was sure to get a good deal.

It thus joins my collection of typical 70s models with a very improbable look that has a beefy effect when I wear it. The thing that I like is the gap between the stylistic attributes of the watch (dial, hands, cases) very classic and the presence of a quartz caliber. The marriage of the carp and the rabbit. Its condition is correct but nothing more and would deserve a polishing done by a pro to bring out its absolutely magnificent drawn features.

Thank you Zenith

Zenith Port Royal? Too bad it's quartz

This is the latest arrival in my collection. 70s style as often with still very prominent angles on the case. It is equipped with the Omega 1481 caliber widely used by the brand during the 70s. I had been eyeing it for a while for its discreet proportions all in finesse, and its confidential notoriety compared to the Speedmaster and other Seamaster or Constellation. Although it is not extra-thin strictly speaking, it gives the visual feeling of being so. Its 34mm diameter seems larger given the configuration of the bracelet integrated into the case. It is a simple watch with a very characteristic sharp line, which fits perfectly into my collection. Purchase price at auction (including fees) €450 Nice catch ;-)

She has everything a big girl has. Reference 166099

By dint of rummaging around here and there to be surprised by an unknown watch... I was once again cracked by this Omega Constellation F300 Hz. My taste for this type of hybrid watch that has made the connection between mechanical watchmaking and cheap and bland Quartz is not new... but in this case the design makes the difference.

This Omega called D-Shape in the shape of a capital D is simply stunning... A shape like you rarely come across. Equipped with the famous ESA caliber - based on Bulova Accutron technology - it seduces you with its characteristic hum that keeps you awake! The precision was fantastic for the time (late 70s early 80s) even if today it leaves a little to be desired. The bracelet is absolutely perfect in terms of integration and comfort.

This Omega Constellation remains however a watch for seasoned collectors who are not very moved by the small daily hassles of this type of watch. You have to know how to change the battery and be patient to have it serviced or repaired if necessary, because watchmakers who are willing to put their hands in it are increasingly rare.

This watch is important in my collection - with the Zodiac Olympos - because they gave me a taste for asymmetrical watches... Maybe it is the missing bridge that will make me treat myself to an asymmetrical Carter Tank with Roman numerals... And there you understand all the complexity of the passion for watchmaking.

😱 We love this crazy asymmetrical design

What I like about Omega is diversity and the improbable! What is the connection between this Genève, a PLOPROF or a Seamaster Diver 300M? None! And yes, that's the beauty of Omegas from the 70s that go in all directions.

This watch is reference 198.0030 (198 meaning in particular that it is an electronic caliber in any case not mechanical). Omega has done everything in terms of movement and in this case it is the caliber 1310 working with a battery. The originality is the presence on the side of two small buttons allowing to advance the date or the day of the week and to move the minute hand. It is interesting to understand and use these buttons for the historical dimension but in terms of use it is quite fragile and not very practical!

Its look is great even if the case is a little damaged. I put a firecracker red strap on it to give it some pep and match the Omega logo presented in an original way at noon. The buckle is not original either but aftermarket probably made in Asia.

Morality, what is the point of having such a watch? I like Omega in its diversity and I am attached to understanding and identifying all the types of electronic calibers that accompanied the watch industry during its transition from exclusively mechanical movements to electronic precision. The 15 years from 1965 to 1980 were fantastic in creativity to try to resist the quartz ogre that will have swept almost everything away.

But let's not be mistaken, the watchmaking that we love today is also the fruit of the creative destruction of Quartz 👍

Another Omega Geneva, much more confidential

This Glashütte Original holds a special place in my collection. It is the only model that holds its own against the Royal Oak in terms of caliber finish. The plate, bridges, and decorations of the oscillating weight are exceptional and probably superior - in my opinion - to that of the open case back of my Royal Oak 15300.

I bought it at auction without having tried it on at exceptional price conditions! I took care to have it serviced at the brand's boutique in Paris where my contacts had identified that it was going to be auctioned. A great start to my relationship with the brand that allowed me - a priori - to obtain a certificate of authenticity in good and due form.

Paradoxically, this is a watch that I rarely wear because it is a tad too big and does not sit well on my wrist! Am I deformed ;-) Surely not, but that's how it is... but as I don't sell watches, it has remained in my collection, to my great delight as an irrational enthusiast.

A caliber with exceptional finishes

😎 It looks - from afar - like a Patek Philippe from the 30s with its faceted glass! A nice surprise because it's a watch that I wanted to buy one day... This one arrived in an incredible way at an auction. Advertised at €100 at Quartz, its design fascinated me but I wanted to have one with a mechanical caliber. But at €100 I said to myself: "Why not?"

The big day arrives and I'm the only one to bid! €100 plus shipping and transport, here is this impulse purchase that arrives at home a few days later... I open the envelope and immediately find it strange that the back of the box does not mention Quartz. Spontaneously I wind the crown - no interest for a Quartz - and I feel the click of the barrel. Weird? I put it to my ear and I hear its Tic Tac with a big smile! Hats off to the expert at the auction house who offered this mechanical watch as a Quartz watch! Obviously, I opened it to discover a tiny ETA 2660 movement that works perfectly.

Superb faceted design, mirror polish that absorbs scratches, reading the time is more than random - but which is worth it given the facets - and very slender format that does not go with everything. This is an original combo that does not reassure me about my ability to regularly wear rectangular watches. However, I gave it a double simple turn - in the Hermès style - which enhances the watch. Note a very successful pin buckle...

Morality, I am always on the lookout for vintage Dunhill, including the Dunhill Facet Chronograph reference 8042 with a black dial... A killer with a Valjoux 773x. To be continued in my collection. To be continued

Beautiful Art Deco surprise

One day, I will have it as a famous ad says! 
While browsing the aisles of the Besançon watch fair during the 24 Heures du Temps, I came across it, or rather, it got its hands on it ;-) For a few years, I had been looking for the strap for this model - in quartz version and white dial - and I hit the jackpot with this one... Self-winding caliber derived from the ETA 2824, tritium index that is starting to turn gold... all that with the original case and additional links... 

What more could you ask for? 

We can always quibble about the fact that 3 indexes (3, 4, 5) are broken and that the bezel is in its original condition... But that is exactly what I am looking for, a watch in its original condition - but not too much - and which has been eating away at my brain for years! The budget is certainly modest and Chrono24 presents them around €1,000. This is where, if you take the trouble, you can find cheaper and above all have a completely unexpected shopping experience... It's quite a story to buy a vintage watch.

What I like above all is its look, its line of purity, even simplicity, very 80s. The dial perfectly matches this clean aesthetic, almost brutal but whose curves make it feminine...

So, Porsche Design, it's not a Porsche, but is it a "real" watch? Let's look at the lineage of Porsche Design since its beginnings in the 70s, Porsche Design by Orfina, by IWC, by Eterna... so many monuments of the watchmaking industry at the service of a car manufacturer at the top of its art today but which was just as moribund as these Swiss brands at the same time!

The historical dimension undoubtedly weighs in my interest for this watch which combines interest in watches and cars... I could see myself driving a 928S MK1 with this Porsche Design... A waking dream for a completely different budget ;-)

Porsche Design by Eterna in the look of Porsche Front Engine

A nice surprise, without being one, that this Swatch Moonswatch received for Christmas. Being a happy owner of an Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, I had this very attractive crossover on my radar and it immediately caught my attention when it was launched! In fact, it is a Swatch Quartz Chronograph at €250, or €50 more than the brand's other chronographs... it's quite expensive for a useless plastic object... This is where it becomes attractive to agree to be captured by a well-conducted operation that has allowed Swatch to seduce both passionate amateurs (call them what you want) and the general public who don't care about watchmaking but who find happiness in Swatch's magic recipe with its pop and tangy watches. The first target being microscopic compared to the second who for a modest price discovers that there are other things at Swatch than plastic watches... and that a watch has gone to the Moon! In 10 years, young people will come and testify on the Dialicious channel that their first emotion in watchmaking was a Moonswatch… and probably that the Omega brand “speaks” to them more than others! That’s the magic of watchmaking, seeing things that others don’t see. In this Moonswatch Jupiter, I see a thoughtful gift from my loved ones, the satisfaction of being a voluntary victim of the marketing of the two brands Swatch and Omega… It’s perfect if you understood that this Moonswatch is not a Moonwatch ;-)

I agree with the concept 100%.

Beautiful large Flierger Uhr type watch in the style of WWII pilot watches. Archimede is a relatively recent brand offering mainly aviator-type watches with a large open dial, very refined indexes and typical hands. Visibility is exceptional thanks to a sapphire crystal - it seems - treated on both sides, so much so that it gives the impression of not having glass. This 45mm model is equipped with the Unitas 6498 caliber at 21600 vibrations... The open case back allows you to admire the finish offered by Archimede with blued screws in particular. Too bad this watch is a little big for me, which makes it uncomfortable for my taste...

Fantastic readability

A favorite for this Zodiac Spacetronics with its hexagonal shape. It corresponds to one of my interests in watchmaking with watches with original shapes, in any case different from a round or rectangular watch. The originality in my discovery of this Zodiac comes from the Zodiac Olympos that I had bought a few months before. Seduced by the asymmetrical shape of this other Zodiac, I dug into the history of Zodiac and tried to dig into the history of this brand… The fruit of chance or self-denial made me discover this Spacetronics equipped with a hybrid and familiar caliber, the Dynotron proposed by Ebauches SA in the late 60s, early 70s. The most important is its sharp look and completely out of step with a classic watch. It has a few flaws, the diameter - if I can say so - a little small - for me - of 32mm and a very precarious Reliability / Precision couple as is often the case for hybrid technologies of this era. Before you, it’s a watch collection that I love to look at and listen to rather than wear it!

For those who love original shapes

After buying my Pulsar P2 Date somewhat by chance, I realized that the best-known Pulsar LED was actually the single-button version. The little extra being that James Bond (Roger Moore) wore it in "Live and Let Die" (1973). Having found a "watchmaker" specializing in electronic and LED watches, I didn't hesitate to buy it when I saw a defective one for sale on the online auction site Interenchères.

It's really a very nice watch that raises a lot of questions from people who notice it... especially when you want to read the time. Because yes, it's not practical at all, because you have to look at it then press the button and display the time! It seems subtle but in fact, you have to have both hands available to be able to read the time... Not the right watch for going shopping and coming back with both hands busy carrying your shopping bags.

But frankly that's not the point... The thing, at least mine, is to wonder about the place that this watch had in the watch industry. An essential place at the beginning of the 70s, a period particularly animated by the jolts of multiple innovations aimed at replacing the mechanical watch. Fairchild, the major semiconductor manufacturer of the time (as well as the better known Texas Instruments) developed strongly on this technology in watchmaking, calculators and other electronic products that were developing at the time... Unfortunately this technology was expensive to produce, unreliable and above all very energy-consuming. Imagine that an LED watch like this Pulsar was sold as expensive or more than many brands of Swiss watches already venerable at the time... This technology did not survive, it too, the wave of digital quartz with LCD cheaper to produce.

One of the characteristics of this watch – like the Pulsar P2 Date – is its very particular time setting system. This is done using a small magnet (stored inside the folding clasp) to be placed on the case back, in one of the two notches Hours, Minutes… A completely outdated and confusing thing! A beautiful collector's watch forming a superb pair with my Pulsar P2 Date bought a few years before.

The path, always the path that leads you from one watch to another...

😎 Much more than a watch associated with James Bond

It was time to have a G-Shock and the opportunity came during a vacation in Malaysia... For months, friends had been bugging me about the absence of a G-Shock in my watch collection... It's true after all, who doesn't have their G-Shock?

Although this is not my personal trajectory, the holiday atmosphere and the opportunity to also offer one to my son seduced me. I hesitated between a yellow one - my son's - and this one, the GLX5600 reference displaying the tide times... Sparkling and tangy, it's exactly what I needed to go fishing or boating. Ivan, one of the guests of the Dialicious YouTube channel convinced me of the relevance of the history model with its unique design... 40% off for less than €60 and good memories, isn't that - also - what we look for in a watch... Of course, it is neither radio-controlled, nor solar, nor Bluetooth... but it gives me the tide of my favorite fishing spot allowing me to escape for a moment ;-)

How long will the romance last? One thing is for sure, my son and I both have a watch in common with the holiday memories that go with it... and that is priceless 👍

📣 Finally my first G-Shock

This is surely the most thoughtful choice I have had to make when buying a watch. Without being particularly passionate about chronographs, I was looking for a historical model that had been released without interruption since its creation - 1957 in the case of the first Speedmaster -

It is a search in history, mine and that of a watch that has evolved over time like me. This adventure led me to turn to Omega - undoubtedly one of my favorite brands - because it has offered hundreds of models - many have disappeared - while developing some of their models that have become historic, such as the Speed or the Seamaster! It is a simple, efficient and recognizable chronograph, of course, but which knows how to remain discreet. This Speed - reference 145022 - bears the marks of time like all vintage watches of this era and suits me well.

I had a blast understanding the differences between the Speed models and identifying and validating that this one had all the characteristics of a model manufactured in 1970. A loop is closed, an adventure has ended, until the next one...

A 50 year old vintage for my 50th birthday

Another collector's item from the 1st generation of Swatch. When I show my watch collection, some people ask me: "Why do you bother with all these plastic Swatches?" First of all, I only have 3/4 of them and each one is either a memory of the journey taken before arriving at more prestigious models, or they are part of history.

In this case, it has never been taken out of its box except to take the photos in this review and allow you, like me, to remember where Swiss watchmaking comes from before forgetting it with a Swatch x Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 😎

Far from the wrist and yet not far from the heart!

This is typically a watch that you don't look for if you're not interested in asymmetrical watches... I saw it on Catawiki and bought it without asking too many questions. A crazy look with an asymmetry on the concave lugs at 12 o'clock and convex at 6 o'clock. I love it! It's a small, slender watch with a diameter of 32mm and whose asymmetry continues with a totally improbable crown at 10 o'clock! It is equipped with a Zodiac 72 movement on an AS base (Andre Schild). A good little Swiss caliber that has equipped entire generations of watches (Schild being one of the ebauche manufacturers at the origin of the creation of Ebauches SA which brought together other ebauche manufacturers). Why buy it? Interest in asymmetrical watches, ugly ducklings or improbable designs that will arouse the interest of those around you!

Love at first sight for this asymmetrical watch

I always try to let myself be guided by the first impression! When I saw this Seiko on a watchmaker's workbench, I fell under the spell of its simplicity and its shape, very characteristic of Seikos from the 70s. A case recognizable among all, the crown "integrated" into the caseband and hands whose name I cannot describe, but which are different from the classic Dauphine and other Alpha. The rice grain bracelet is very pleasant to wear and it is an interesting point to note as Seiko is not really - I could be wrong - known for the interest of its bracelets. We find of course the symbol (reversed s at 6 o'clock) which thus specifies that this model was manufactured on the Daini site of Seiko. This simple-looking watch made me want to dig into the diversity of the Seiko brand to the point of noting the immense production of this brand with an exceptional diversity that will delight all vintage lovers. Last but not least – as the English say – the uniqueness of this watch was contagious to those around me… and almost 4 people picked up the same one (reference 7005-8020)

Everything to please me (Reference 7005-8020)

Although I bought this Pulsar with the P2 of James Bond (see my opinion on Dialicious), we must give Caesar what is Caesar's! It is indeed this one that put me in the stirrup of LED watches which were an essential link in the electronic conquest of time...

It was already the beginning of "new technologies" with watch models that progressed in terms of functionalities from one reference to another. This P2 Date is different in several ways, but let's start with the similarities:

➡️ Similarities with the Pulsar P2:
Case
Bracelet
Batteries
Glass (acrylic)
Right button to display the seconds
Adjustments with a magnet

➡️ Differences with the Pulsar P2:
Pulsar logo printed on the glass and not engraved on the case
Two buttons instead of one
Left button to display the date and the AM/PM indicator

Other than that it's the same watch as the Pulsar P2 with all its desirability - without the direct link with James Bond for those who are interested - and all its constraints, from the cruel lack of readability in the sun, to the energy consumption, including the need to have your hands free to read the time! The accelerometer popularized on a "watch" with the Apple Watch will only appear in 2016, more than 40 years later...

A gadget that smells of memories or nostalgia for another era!

😎 A gadget watch full of nostalgia...

I really like the PR516 range from the 70s/80s. It is a small 33 mm watch with an integrated bracelet. The very prominent applied indexes and the Tissot logo also applied are characteristic of this period. The blue dial is superb and the PR516 mention in red gives it a funky side that other versions do not have. It perfectly completes my collection of this style without having anything to envy in terms of look to models from other brands of the same period.

Beautiful vintage 70s at a low price

As a LIP fan, I am always careful not to miss an original model - at least for me! This is done with this simple and elegant mechanical watch like Lip made dozens of in the 50s/60s. Found in an auction lot for a few dozen euros with other Lips ;-)

A favorite purchase for its very original handles

Happy owner of a more discreet Omega Constellation Marine... I really like this Omega quartz series (caliber 133X) for its finesse and its refined style very 70s type integrated bracelet. It is a constant in my collection and it finds a good place there. It is a very pleasant watch to wear because of its finesse and its discreet style even if it is made of 750/000 gold. Note that it is equipped with the caliber 1333 (Chronometer certified) an outdated label - even incomprehensible nowadays - for a quartz watch. And yes, there was a time when quartz watches were - rightly - considered both precise and noble in terms of chronometry. Quartz technology almost killed the mechanical watch industry in 10 years for better and for worse with the revival of the 90s. This watch is a vestige of an era when quartz was intended to be more precise and not cheaper. The materials and feel of this Omega Constellation are absolutely fantastic!

My first two-tone watch

A simple and sentimental Swatch because it is a birthday present. It is also the watch that I wear most often on vacation! Basic and of negligible financial value that would allow me to forget it sometimes. Over time, I care more and more about it because it carries memories of beautiful vacations spent with family...

Isn't that the value of a watch, the memories and not the time it was when we were on this beautiful beach, facing these majestic mountains or simply on the terrace of a café? We could almost imagine Proust's Swatch?

The holiday watch

I bought this watch at auction for several reasons! I really like Omega, which has shown immense - even crazy - creativity with a phenomenal diversity of models. I am a fan of 70s styles and this Omega Genève is no exception. Finally, the dial is both simple and fantastic with its grooves like on a 33 rpm record! Here we are, for someone of my generation, 33 rpm records sound like the good old days of high school with all the groups that accompanied my youth. The Genève collection - like the Dynamic collection - was positioned by the brand as the Omega entry level with less noble calibers. Not being a watchmaker, I can't say whether this means or not ;-) An interesting feature of this caliber is the rapid date change by pulling and pushing the crown! Original and functional, even if it probably shouldn't be overused. Last but not least, the case is completely detached from the bracelet with an ingenious system - similar once again with the Dynamic collection - and which allowed you to change the bracelet (steel or leather) to change the aesthetics of your watch... An original idea? Perhaps, but one that has been taken up many times since then...

A great success with accomplished aesthetics

Watches and cars are often winning combinations and without originality I am one of them… For a long time I have wondered about the opportunity to buy a Porsche Design watch whose name alone indicates that it is neither a Porsche nor a watch… In fact, it is quickly understood that Porsche has approached the best watchmakers to offer models with an aesthetic in line with the brand… This one is an Eterna – one of the most underrated historic brands – with quartz with a simple, radical style, all roundness and geometry… like a Porsche 911… Ah, does love make you blind? I don’t think so… The quality of manufacture, the purity of the white dial, a screw-down crown, a sapphire crystal… It has everything going for it except an engine worthy of the name… a bit like a 912. All it is missing is its original strap that I have not given up hope of finding one day… during a ride in a Porsche ;-)

A matter of line

This watch should never have existed. Like all LIP Super Nautic-Ski, it is equipped with the Super Compressor case manufactured by Piquerez SA, one of the most efficient manufacturers of waterproof cases at the time. Things get complicated with the dial labeled "Les Industries de Palente" and not LIP. This watch, or at least the dial, dates from the period before the workers of the Besançon factory occupied the factories to protest against repeated social plans and the closure of the Palente factory. More than 3 years of social unrest from 1973 to 1977 led to the creation by LIP workers (the LIP) of several SCOPs aimed at producing watches - without the LIP brand - but with the brand's industrial assets. One of these SCOPs being "Les Industries de Palente". Even more surprising, this Super Nautic-Ski is called Nautic-Ski unlike the others bearing the LIP brand! Is it a service dial, a transition dial, a dial from another LIP Electronic model… I don’t know and that makes this watch even more attractive. It is equipped with the R184 caliber, a hybrid movement whose energy comes from a battery while integrating an almost traditional balance, balance spring, and anchor triptych… This is what I call a collector’s watch whose value is in line with the current trajectory of my very personal collection…

A piece of French watchmaking history

When you love LIP and especially its innovations in the field of electronic watches, you can only be charmed by this one. The dial is simply fantastic. Blue sparkling with a thousand shades and especially indexes with a very 70s typography while taking from the so-called "Breguet" indexes popularized by the famous manufacturer. Very often at that time, the indexes were prominent, with a very characteristic depth. We will also note the deterioration of the small tritium studs which are starting to damage the dial. I am not a big fan of the case with its very small lugs, even if they are original. It is not impossible that the case is not the original one while being from Lip. This is typically a purely emotional collector's watch that I wear little or not at all, but which brings me a lot...

Applied 70s "à la Breguet" indexes

La marque Ollech &amp; Wajs a &eacute;t&eacute; cr&eacute;&eacute;e en 1956 par Joseph Ollech et Albert Wajs &agrave; Zurich en Suisse. Albert &eacute;tait charg&eacute; de la conception, de l&rsquo;ing&eacute;nierie et de la fabrication des montres, tandis que Joseph s&rsquo;occupait du marketing et de la vente au d&eacute;tail. Avant de cr&eacute;er leur propre montres sous la marque Ollech &amp; Wajs, ils ont commenc&eacute; leur activit&eacute; en 1954 en fabriquant des bracelets en acier pour d&rsquo;autres marques.
La marque est connue pour avoir distribu&eacute; des montres &agrave; des unit&eacute;s de l&rsquo;arm&eacute;e am&eacute;ricaine pendant la guerre du Vietnam et pour avoir gagn&eacute; sa renomm&eacute;e aupr&egrave;s des plongeurs et pilotes du monde entier.
Apr&egrave;s 12 ans de n&eacute;gociation et apr&egrave;s avoir &eacute;t&eacute; son distributeur pour le march&eacute; fran&ccedil;ais, en 2017, Charles Le Menestrel, un passionn&eacute; d&rsquo;horlogerie, rach&egrave;te la marque. La gamme actuelle comprend des mod&egrave;les comme la Ollech &amp; Wajs P-101 et la <a title="Page Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104" href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/p-104">Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104</a>, la <a title="Page Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000" href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/c-1000">Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000</a>, la <a title="Page Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph" href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/ocean_graph">Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph</a> et la Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron.
<h2>Combien co&ucirc;te une montre Ollech &amp; Wajs ?</h2>
Les prix des montres Ollech &amp; Wajs &eacute;voluent et diff&egrave;rent selon les mod&egrave;les. La plupart co&ucirc;tent entre CHF 1,500 et CHF 2,000 selon les mod&egrave;les et les finitions. Comptez CHF 1,456 pour une Ollech &amp; Wajs 350CI et pr&egrave;s de CHF 2,300 pour une Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron Chronographe. Le march&eacute; de l'occasion est &eacute;galement une opportunit&eacute; &agrave; regarder pour acheter une Ollech &amp; Wajs moins ch&egrave;re. Les mod&egrave;les Vintage notamment les Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron et&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/astrochron">Ollech &amp; Wajs Astrochron</a>, sont tr&egrave;s pris&eacute;es des collectionneurs et ils convient de bien se renseigner sur le vendeur avant de franchir le pas de l'acquisition d'une vintage.
Ollech &amp; Wajs est une marque de montres ind&eacute;pendante et produit plusieurs centaines de montres par an, tous mod&egrave;les confondus. Pour choisir une Ollech &amp; Wajs qui vous correspond le mieux,&nbsp;les avis clients Dialicious sont une pr&eacute;cieuse ressource pour &eacute;valuer chacun des diff&eacute;rents mod&egrave;les &agrave; travers l'exp&eacute;rience r&eacute;elle des clients.
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 Octobre 2024)

The brand Ollech &amp; Wajs was created in 1956 by Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs in Zurich, Switzerland. Albert was responsible for the design, engineering and manufacturing of the watches, while Joseph handled marketing and retail sales. Before creating their own watches under the brand Ollech &amp; Wajs, they started their business in 1954 making steel bracelets for other brands.
The brand is known for distributing watches to units of the American army during the Vietnam War and for having earned its reputation among divers and pilots around the world.
After 12 years of negotiations and after having been its distributor for the French market, in 2017, Charles Le Menestrel, a watchmaking enthusiast, bought the brand. The current range includes models like the Ollech &amp; Wajs P-101 and the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/p-104"> Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/c-1000"> Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/ocean_graph"> Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph</a> and the Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron.
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does an Ollech &amp; Wajs watch cost?</h2>
The prices of Ollech &amp; Wajs watches change and differ depending on the model. Most cost between CHF 1,500 and CHF 2,000 depending on the models and finishes. Expect to pay CHF 1,456 for an Ollech &amp; Wajs 350CI and close to CHF 2,300 for an Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron Chronograph. The second-hand market is also an opportunity to look at to buy a cheaper Ollech &amp; Wajs. Vintage models including the Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron and<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/astrochron"> Ollech &amp; Wajs Astrochron</a>, are very popular with collectors and they should find out about the seller before taking the step of purchasing a vintage one.
Ollech &amp; Wajs is an independent watch brand and produces several hundred watches per year, all models combined. To choose an Ollech &amp; Wajs that best suits you, Dialicious owners' reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating each of the different models through real owner experience.
Consult the<a href="https://preprod.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 October 2024)

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