I had planned to buy myself a Grand Seiko Snowflake Spring Drive in 2023 for my tenth birthday when I stumbled upon it in a second-hand store last year.
And then, I completely fell in love when I put it on my wrist.
The reflections of the hour and minute hands and indexes (Zaratsu polishing), the blued seconds and power reserve hands, the highly detailed dial with its "Tatami" texture and its little GS logos.
When you get closer, you can see some details like the Lion hidden among the GS and the inscription "caliber 9R 10th anniversary" on the flange because it is a limited series for the 10th anniversary of the Spring Drive (2004-2014).
Of course, it works perfectly and is super precise: less than 10 seconds per MONTH.
If I had to find a fault, the only small one I could find concerns the metal bracelet which is not very easy to adjust (micro screw) and to change for its Croco bracelet.
Otherwise, a killer.


Grand Seiko 10th Anniversary of Spring Drive

This Perrelet is my first "out of the ordinary" watch with a turbine inside a watch!
I discovered this watch model by watching the Dialicius video with the presentation of the turbine diver by Tangui.
I also find it hypnotic because as soon as you move your wrist, the blades start to turn very quickly until they disappear and you stay looking at the dial until they slow down.
Another very original thing is its crown which is embedded in the case and which can be manipulated thanks to a folding handle. Super pretty but not very practical for winding the watch.
Otherwise, it is a very comfortable watch to wear with its rubber strap and not very heavy: thank you titanium.
It is a little big, 48mm anyway, but the lugs are very short. So good presence but does not look huge.
I don't wear it often but I like to rediscover it from time to time like a toy that we have put aside.

A Turbine in my Perrelet

Skeleton watches have always fascinated me and it was while watching a show that I discovered this Swiss brand "DONE" and saw this one in their collection. And there, Wow.
A real skeleton on a hand-wound watch as beautiful on the front as on the back.
As soon as you turn the crown to wind it, the gears start to turn and then you see its heart beating and it's magnificent. You can also immediately see the power reserve depending on the tension of the spring. The finishes are very beautiful and the bracelet is very comfortable.
The case is made of grade 5 titanium and it is water-resistant to 100 m.
Inside, the ETA 6494 is much larger than the SW 200 of my old skeleton watches (Hamilton and Oris, part of the movement at the back of which was hidden by the oscillating weight) and it allows us to admire this superb skeleton through the anti-reflective sapphire crystals on both sides of the watch.
Only very beautiful and good. Very beautiful achievement and superb work.
The only small regret, no stop second and not very precise (-12s/d).

A completely transparent skeleton

I had the steel version of this model for a few years but I didn't wear it anymore because it was really too heavy (200 g), even though I loved it.
It had everything of a perfect Tool Watch diver but when I found this one, I jumped at the chance.
I found all the Victorinox know-how. Titanium bracelet and case, 500 m resistance, a helium valve, a transparent case back to see the ETA 2896 movement, a very beautiful lum on the hands, the indexes and on the rotating bezel.
Otherwise, a small particularity on this watch which is very rare on a diver, it has a large date very well integrated into this beautiful dial where you can even see carbon.
The numbers are on a black background like the dial which really doesn't clash at all. Not like on some watches which have a date on a white background with a beautiful black dial. What Horror!!
This Victorinox Dive Master 500 is a limited edition of 900 copies, including 30 copies for France.
It is very light and very comfortable to wear.


My titanium diver with a big date

This 2010 Tissot PRS 516 automatic has seen it all. A real tank, but it comes at a price: 232 g on the scale.
In any case, I like it and I wear it almost every day at work, not behind a desk but rather in the field and I don't spare it anything, yet it has never let me down.
Why this one?
Because it's a design that I love and I need a Chrono at work.
With its openwork bracelet, it is associated with motorsport, especially with this chronograph model equipped with a Valjoux 7750 that can be seen through the transparent back. Another feature that I love is the syringe-shaped hour and minute hands, very readable and very precise. Otherwise, very practical, well integrated and which I use often, the day and date window is on a black background so fits very well in this black dial. (I hate having a white block for the date on a beautiful black screen!)
Every time I put it on my wrist, I imagine finally having the TAG HEUER CARRERA “PORSCHE” of my dreams.

Tissot “Particularly Resistant”

Another French brand that does a great job.
BRM: Bernard Richard Manufacture.
Their watches are super sporty, with most of them featuring references to cars and circuits.
This mechanical watch is water-resistant to 100 m, yet it weighs less than 50 g.
Here's the recipe to get it:
- Skeleton movement
- Drilled hands, horns and crown
- Makrolon case
- Drilled technical fabric strap
- Titanium buckle
The watch is super comfortable to wear and with its featherweight, you totally forget about it.
But as soon as you lay eyes on it, it has a hell of a face.


BRM Featherweight

What attracted me to this watch was this other way of reading the time.
Its dial is inspired by submarine instrumentation, such as a depth gauge here.
I don't really like "single-hand" watches like the MeisterSinger, but this one is something else, another universe.
Above all, there is this "lightning" hour hand where the hour change and the return of the minute hand are instantaneous.
This watch has several complications: a jumping hour, retrograde minute and a power reserve indicator.
It also has a transparent back and a very well-made leather strap.
For your information, this model is a limited edition of 250 pieces.
And with this sick face (black and yellow), it matches really well.
RESERVOIR is a very young French brand (but Swiss made) that makes superb, very original watches like the SONOMASTER (uses the VU-meters of old amps) or the POPEYE (with its articulated arm).
I love this brand and I love this watch.


A watch with a lightning-fast passage of time

We must be honest, this watch is aimed first and foremost at motorsport enthusiasts, especially in the "Gulf" edition, at first glance we immediately understand the car inspiration, we have the impression that the watch is assembled from car parts. The watch is quite imposing, but on the contrary it is its finesse that surprises, finesse of the parts, of the assembly, of the details, the openwork and signed crown alone represents the know-how of BRM which machines all its parts. The bracelet also reflects motorsport, of very good quality and with a unique buckle! The glass surface is quite large which unfortunately exposes it to scratches, well-known ETA movement, reliable and precise. A watch obviously not easy to wear every day, but a presence on the wrist a very recognizable style, unique to BRM which offers many limited series in the colors of brands related to the automobile, or if you prefer, custom-makes the watch of your dreams.

BRM V6 Edition "Gulf"

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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