I have been traveling all over Europe for almost a year and I often buy watches that I consider as small souvenirs, but often second-hand and not very expensive.
I always check to see if in the country where we are there is a brand of watches originating from that country.
I discover Balticus on the internet and I come across this green dial that I immediately find sublime. I ask around everywhere, it seems really qualitative, I need one!
I find a shop that sells them and without me asking for anything, the very friendly saleswoman offers me a reduction of 60 euros!
So it is the Balticus Stardust BALSDGHD limited edition sold at 3890 Zloty or about 860 euros.
What do you get for this price?
- An anti-reflective sapphire crystal.
- A screw-down crown that allows water resistance to 200 meters.
- A crazy dial with a diameter of 40mm.
- An integrated bracelet mounted on quick spring bars allowing the bracelet to be quickly exchanged with the leather strap provided with it.
- A clasp equipped with a very good sliding bracelet extension system, allowing the size to be precisely adjusted but also to put the watch on over a diving suit.
- A nice packaging with a cardboard outer box in which there is a very beautiful blue lacquered wooden box.
- A black leather strap as well as a very well-made Balticus blue chiffonette.
And all this powered by a Miyota 9015 caliber.

I can't help but admire this dial from all angles when the sun hits it. Unfortunately, when it's a little dark, the watch becomes very discreet, the dial turns gray/black.
The case is massive, I think it's my thickest watch, when I put my Tissot Prx next to it, which also has a 40mm dial, the latter really seems smaller. It is also quite heavy, at the end of the day I must say that I feel a relief on my wrist when I take it off.
In terms of finish, it is very very clean, I did not detect any imperfection with the naked eye, the brushing on the bezel and the case is very fine and gives magnificent reflections.
The polished edges that become thinner towards the crown perfectly highlight the outline of the case.
The crown is marked with a beautiful polished "B" in relief.
The case back is really cute with these little shiny stars, a bit poetic.
The metal bracelet is very beautiful with its entire mirror-polished center, unfortunately the mirror part is a real scratch catcher, I already have a lot of micro scratches, especially on the clasp.
The latter is also equipped with a great sliding extension system, you slide it with the two pushers on each side and you choose the size of the extension in five notches, which allows me to adjust it well to my small wrist, indeed, if I add a whole link, the bracelet becomes too wide for me but without the extension the bracelet is too tight so there I have a perfect adjustment. And when it's hot and the wrist swells it's also very pleasant to widen by a few millimeters in 1 second.
It is possible to put on the leather strap provided with it quickly, in theory. I say in theory because I did it once but I really had trouble putting on the leather strap which seems a little badly cut at the level of the quick pumps. But anyway I wasn't a fan of the rendering of the leather and I much prefer the metal strap.

For 860 euros there is a huge choice of watches and most certainly bigger brands, better finishes, with a more important history etc...
It is certain that it is a purely pleasure purchase and I think that when reselling it we must lose a lot of money on it (I do not intend to resell it anytime soon anyway)

Despite all that, I do not regret my purchase at all, I even find my PRX of lower quality than my Balticus, and obviously much less fun. (I compare it with the PRX because it is my only other watch in the style).

It is really a great watch that catches the eye, it is not bling bling but still very flashy.
It pleases a lot of people, even watchmaking muggles thanks to its dial.
I find the price a bit high for the range of watches, if the price was free and I had to give something according to my feelings, I would pay 650 rather than 860...
It's a great everyday watch

A travel souvenir

I bought this new watch on sale for 70 euros when I was looking for a simple watch that would go with everything.
The fun side of the single hand appealed to me.
Time seems to pass more slowly when you look at the time, you should wear it on days when you are not in a hurry.
Since the hand is very thin and long, it is easy to read the time quite precisely.
For the price, the finishes are correct although the shine of the case looks a little cheap.
I like the small window that reveals its mechanical movement behind the case back.
In short, a basic but fun watch that can be worn on any occasion and that you are not afraid to wear!

A watch for when you have time

After much hesitation, I finally chose the bronze model with the brown dial. The bronze patinas differently depending on the wearer, which makes it unique. As a traveler, I love seeing it age at the same time as me through the adventures we experience together. Its look, halfway between a classy watch and an adventurer's watch, goes with any style of clothing. The dial changes from light brown in the sun to very dark in the evening. I really like the date display, which is less conventional than a simple window and is often used. The cathedral hands go really well with the rest. Its only flaw is the bracelet, which is rather fragile, as is often the case with Oris unfortunately.

A common watch that becomes unique

I had a great experience making my watch. Mr. Caradant really listens, all the details I wanted for my watch were taken into account and made with care.
The finishes of the case are perfect, the paper dial is full of subtleties, the bracelet is impressively high quality, it is much better than on my Oris which is a recognized Swiss brand.
I can only recommend Atelier Caradant to have a high quality and unique watch in the world for the price of a mid-range series watch. The value for money is impressive.
Thank you to Atelier Caradant.

A unique experience

The brand Atelier Caradant comes from a Kickstarter campaign. It was created in 2022 by Julien Caradant in Vernon, France. After spending more than 10 years as a railway project engineer and completing a CAP in Watchmaking in one year, he created his own brand. Atelier Caradant offers an original watchmaking concept by selling watches with dials and oscillating masses made of paper, which makes each watch unique.
Indeed, the brass dial is worked with one or more layers of paper, dressed using traditional techniques (overlay, airbrush, watercolor, etc.) or innovative (laser cutting and engraving). There will be several ways to choose your watch in one of the 3 universes: signature watches (already finished creations available for direct sale with the possibility of choosing your bracelet and adding an engraving), semi-custom watches (with a configurator allowing you to choose from limited variations) and custom-made watches (on request and on quote).
The range includes watches such as the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/atelier_caradant/citymaps"> Atelier Caradant CityMaps</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/atelier_caradant/patterns"> Atelier Caradant Patterns</a> and the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/atelier_caradant/solar6"> Atelier Caradant Solar workshop6</a>. Each watch is assembled in Normandy and tells its own story, decided by the customer who is involved in the design and manufacturing stages here.
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does an Atelier Caradant watch cost?</h2>
Prices of Atelier Caradant watches different depending on the models offered in its catalog. Most cost between &euro; 495 and &euro; 595 depending on the models and finishes. An Atelier Caradant Patterns costs &euro; 495, while an Atelier Caradant City Maps costs &euro; 595. The brand also offers bespoke models starting at &euro; 745.
<h2 dir="ltr">Atelier Caradant: A watch to carry your story</h2>
Atelier Caradant is an independent watch brand and produces around 150 to 200 watches per year, all models combined. Atelier Caradant is part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_micro_watch_brands">Ranking of the best microbrand watches</a>.&nbsp;To choose an Atelier Caradant that best suits you, Dialicious owners&rsquo; reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating each of the different models through real customer experience.
(Updated November 2024)

Participated on the kickstarter campaign as I found the Vernon sample very nice. Since then the experience with Julien has been amazing. I came with almost no ideas of what to do and finished with a lot of different proposals to choose from and finally an amazing watch, unique and personnalized. See by yourself on the picture, the detail is even in the packaging! 

Amazing unique watch!

Magnificent custom-made watch! A deep blue that evolves with the light, a stunning level of detail, impeccable assembly quality and components meticulously selected by the Atelier Caradant. The concept of paper frame is truly adaptable to everyone, according to their wishes and desires. The leather strap is well made. Little extra: the choice of hands!

Beautiful custom watch! Quality and precision

Creating my custom watch was a memorable experience. From the beginning, I was captivated by the watch concepts proposed by the Caradant workshop and had a clear idea of the watch I wanted.

The design phase of the watch was an essential part of this experience. Mr. Caradant spent time in discussions in order to fully understand my project and proposing various ideas to bring it to life. I truly felt involved in the creative process with regular discussions and the possibility of making adjustments along the way.

The end result is truly stunning, and one can only fully appreciate the fine details once the watch is in one's hands. The precision that Mr. Caradant manages to achieve and the effect of depth that he creates is truly impressive.

This piece holds a very special place within my collection.

An unforgettable experience

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)

Atelier Caradant CityMaps Owner Review : Atypical, unique and endearing

A unique experience

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