This magnificent Squale was released in a limited edition for the brand's 60th anniversary. It is the Squale 30 ATMOS Tono-Argento. Squale was the subcontractor of many established brands for the manufacture of their cases, such as Tag Hueur, Douane, Doxa and even... Blancpain. We understand better why this 30 ATMOS looks so much like the Fifty-Fathoms. Its dial is smoked and sunrayed. Its anti-reflective sapphire crystal is domed, creating a charming visual distortion on its periphery. The hands and indexes are covered with Super-Luminova "Old Radium"... the vintage effect is very successful, at the expense of the brilliance of the luminescence which is a little dull. With its 40mm diameter (overflowing bezel) and 12mm thickness, it has contained dimensions. The bezel insert is made of sapphire crystal. The case and lugs are particularly elegant. The patinated leather strap is a total success. Water-resistant to 300 meters and equipped with an elaborate Selitta SW200-1, it is a diving watch full of charm and style. It was produced in only 75 copies and remains now impossible to find.

Fifty-Fathoms looks?

This Zodiac ZO9287 is a very beautiful watch, offered as a tribute to the "Baby Blue" of the same brand. Zodiac had launched its first Sea Wolf in 1953 (hence their current nickname: Super Sea Wolf 53), but it was only after being presented at the Swiss Watch Pavilion at the World's Fair in New York in 1964 that they were adopted by the public who still identify them today with the Vietnam War and the US Navy Seals. Its dial is a real visual delight, with its vintage lines, which evoke the 50s, and these colors that put you in a good mood. It measures 40 mm in diameter, 48 mm from lug to lug, 13 mm thick. It is water-resistant to 20 ATM. The hands, indexes (applied) and the point at noon on the bezel are covered with Super-Luminova C3 and the minute hand with BGW9. It houses a STP 3-13 caliber regulated for a precision of -2 / +5s per day. The case, in 316L steel, is very simple and classic, which highlights its dial and its glass bezel with the appearance of Bakelite.

The new "Baby Blue"

When Evant presented this model, I was immediately won over. How could I not be? For less than €600 excluding VAT, you get everything you could expect from a good diver's watch, with a touch of originality that is relatively discreet at first glance but which really makes it stand out: sunray dioptaz green dial with a domed ring on the periphery, Mercedes-type hour hand (without the cross), Super-Luminova BGW9 on the hands, indexes and bezel markers (in ceramic!), flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment, 30 ATM, elaborate Selitta SW200-1, very good quality leather strap, 39.5 mm in diameter, 49 mm from lug to lug, 13 mm thick... reasonable dimensions, but be careful, don't be fooled, it looks thin and elegant on the wrist. It fits perfectly on the wrist and is wonderfully worn as a dress watch. This watch is one of my favorites. Versatile, contemporary with a vintage touch, in short original and above all, so beautiful. This Polestar is disorienting!

A complete steampunk-style diving watch

This beautiful watch from Copenhagen created by a small brand, Richardt & Mejer, which unfortunately seems to have closed its doors, gives me a unique emotion when I wear it. Its unusual design with its bold angles, with its dial topped with a light bottle green sunburst central disc on which the main applied indexes fit, offers a refined and refined design. It is 38mm in diameter, 11mm thick with its flat anti-reflective sapphire crystal, 47 from horn to horn, 5 ATM and fits a well-regulated STP 1-11. Acquired in 2020 for €621, this is a rare piece and will not leave my collection anytime soon ;).

A refined Viking design

This Zodiac (ZO9905) has it all: retro look, with this cushion-brushed case on the surface, so typical of vintage, and this sunburst scarlet dial... a grenadine red, almost insolent, but which fits perfectly into this ensemble, in resonance with the dark yellow color found on the minute track, at the base of the applied indexes, in the center of the main hands and which entirely covers the second hand. The genuine leather strap in the color of Starsky's jacket completes the whole thing and plunges us - not into the ocean where its 10 ATM would not be sufficient for great depths - but into a TV series from the late 70s. This is a model produced in 75 pieces. Acquired in 2019 for just under €850, it is 39mm in diameter and 12.5mm thick. It is equipped with a thick sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment, with a transparent back to admire its very well regulated premium STP 11-1.

Red suits him so well

This watch by Sergio Godoy DIRENZO is the little favorite of my large collection. Its design is incredibly accomplished. What strikes you first are these two arcs of circles from which emerge the indexes cut into the dial. The eye is then drawn to this absolutely unique cushion case with curved side edges, echoing the concave edges of the dial. According to its creator, this work was inspired by the Bugatti Aérolithe (Type 57)... not for any of the details of this 1935 sports car, but for its avant-garde concept. Powered by a Sellita SW 200-1, the DRZ02 has a domed sapphire crystal with double-sided anti-reflective treatment. The colors of this model, slate and orange, weave the link between vintage and the future. Acquired new for around €700 excluding tax, this atypical and classy watch is already sought after by collectors. However, it remains unobtainable on the second-hand market. I hope I make you want it ;).

A successful retro-futuristic design

This watch is immediately distinguished by its case in the shape of a flying saucer (which recalls this classic aspect of UFOs as "revealed" by Georges Adamski at the end of the 40s) characterized by the absence of horns to attach the bracelet. This is the reference design of the Ikepod brand. POD, which was the original brand, had released its famous SEASLUG model, designed by Marc NEWSON, in 1986. The brand later evolved into "Ikepod" in 1994. Currently sold at the price of €1140 including tax, this new watch measures 46mm in diameter and 17mm thick. The absence of horns makes it easily accessible to average-sized wrists. It is equipped with a Miyota 9039 and is 5 ATM. The hands are lightly coated with Super-Luminova and the glass is made of anti-reflective sapphire. I particularly like this steel case that seems to have been made in a single block, with its horizontal brushing. Its dial is brushed radially, creating a beautiful "sunburst" effect, and the indexes appearing on the flange are engraved in the mass. Its unique organic shape makes it a contemporary work of art with a refined design. The silicon strap is harmonious, and very comfortable. An original "dress watch" that I wear occasionally but which always causes a sensation.

The Ikepod M106 MATTI, a retro-vintage UFO

This Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin is the modern remake of the watch of the same name born released during the Basel fair in 1953 where Blancpain presented both its Fifty Fathoms, and Zodiac its Seawolf. Its looks are still as vintage and attractive with its main triangular indexes and dauphine hands. This 120-click steel bezel also contributes to its unique charm. 39.5 mm in diameter. 12.5 mm thick. Superluminova. Lightly gilded glass with anti-reflective treatment. It features an STP1-11 from the same group. Very well adjusted. A must have for me!

Revival of a legendary diving watch

As usual, Direnzo combines here the quality of the ingredients that make up his watch, with a refined design, inspired by vintage watches of major brands, but placed in a slightly futuristic atmosphere, with an identity specific to the brand. 39mm in diameter, 13mm thick, 20 ATM, Sellita SW-200-1 elaborate + incabloc, sapphire crystal, superluminova BGW9 treatment. 720 CHF. Your very competitive price for the quality of the design and the components.

A diving watch to wear in all circumstances

Squale is a historic brand established in Switzerland that has manufactured the cases of many renowned brands: Blancpain, Tag Heuer, Doxa... This Atmos 50 1521 Onda Azzurro Black borrows the most classic case from Squale, which is characterized by a semi-hexagonal shape, a crown at 4 o'clock in the style of Seiko's Turtles, a water resistance of 500m, and a thick, slightly curved flange in which the indexes are reflected, giving the impression that the flat sapphire crystal is domed. The Onda Azzurro with black bezel is a limited series that was only available at Gnomon at a price of around €900. With its fully mirror-polished case and shiny indexes, it has an assumed bling bling side, but nevertheless attenuated by the poetry of its textured dial reproducing stylized waves in blue from the southern seas. Despite its sporty look, its 41.5 mm diameter and 13 mm thickness, it can be worn very well in any circumstance, casual or business. Equipped with an indestructible ETA 2824-2, it is one of the most beautiful pieces of my blue dial watches.

Maldives on the wrist

One of the most beautiful pieces in my collection, this Speedy from 2015 is no longer produced, it has been replaced by a new Heritage '57 collection from Omega, thinner, with a manual winding mechanism, the 9606. This one, with an automatic movement, is thicker... 16 mm, instead of 13 mm for the new one equipped with the 9606. But this vintage softness associated with an ultra modern movement, the 9300 which offers a power reserve of 60 hours, makes it unique, fascinating and practical. Omega's know-how is such that it keeps a very nice seat on the wrist and ultimately does not seem so thick. Its sale price was 7500 euros. I acquired it for 5000€. It is ultra classy.

Speedmaster Heritage '57: between vintage and modernity

Known as the “Green Sumo”, this watch, not exactly a green watch, was released a few years after the Rolex Green Hulk, as if to echo the success of the emerald-hued Submariner and thus offer an accessible alternative, without sacrificing its own design on the dedication hall. First released in 2007, the case of this Sumo is of recent design and concentrates all the know-how of the Japanese brand in terms of technicality, robustness, comfort, aesthetic details and quality in this price segment (around €550-600 in its first version). With its 45mm diameter, 51mm from lug to lug, 13mm thickness and 181g, it seems rather imposing. But its sleek design combined with an unusual fluidity, especially under the case, allows it to perfectly fit the shape of the wrist and makes it particularly comfortable. Its nickname "Sumo", given by seikopaths when it was released, remains a mystery to be cleared up. It has been suggested that the marker at 12 o'clock resembles a 'Mawashi', which is the underwear worn by sumo wrestlers during a match, or an 'Oicho', the small tuft with which the sumo wrestlers' skulls are surmounted. The massive character and harmonious curves of the case, as well as the imposing font of the numbers on the bezel, may also have contributed to the attribution of this nickname. Water-resistant to 200m, this diver's watch is one of the most attractive I have ever worn. In addition to its sunray green dial which immediately immerses us in the plant world of marine flora, there is this rotating bezel, whose muffled clicks follow one another with flexibility and precision, partly embedded in the case which thus protects it from lateral shocks. Practicality meets aesthetics on several levels… The lugs, finely brushed on the top - thus respecting the codes of martial watchmaking defined since the Rolex Milsub to preserve the discretion of the snipers of the British Royal Navy operating under a full moon - are slightly twisted inwards in the manner of the lyre handles of the 1954 Polerouter (Universal Genève), a design born from the collaboration between the famous Gérald Genta and the Huguenin brothers and which would later be found on the Omega Speedmaster. The brushed surface of the lugs and on the lateral flanks of the case reveals angular lines that alternate and contrast with the magnificently polished and curved surface of the upper and lower flanks. There, everything suddenly becomes voluptuous, right down to the tips of the lugs under the case, like a tribute to aquatic fluidity. The screw-down crown, flanked by the Seiko "S", is located at 4 o'clock as on the Turtles, making it less vulnerable to shocks, without hindering access. This is all the genius of Seiko at work with this case. A few additional details emerge from the dial, such as these indexes of a size adapted to underwater reading, circled in polished steel and covered with Seiko's powerful Lumibrite, an improved derivative of Luminova's initial patent. A second hand identical to that equipping the famous "Captain Willard", tinted with this bright yellow that is found at the cardinal points on the minute scale. The bracelet brushed and polished on the sides of the central links is not left out either. We can regret that it only blends imperfectly between the horns but it usefully reinforces their aggressive appearance. The folding clasp is micro-adjustable, with a double secure pressure clasp and a folding extension for urgent diving needs in a wetsuit... Finally: Hardlex glass, less scratch-resistant than sapphire but nevertheless very resistant and more suitable for diving (it does not "explode" into pieces like sapphire), it is slightly domed and placed half a millimeter below the bezel, which protects it from unfortunate scratches. Everything is powered by a robust engine, the 6R15 (23 jewels, 21600 bph, 50 hours of power reserve) with an announced precision of -15/+25s per day. This model was worn throughout the month of August 2022 and did not blink for more than 30s! A stroke of luck, no doubt. Can we dream of better compromises at this price? Note that a new version of this SZSC004 appeared in 2019 under the name SBDC081. It is now equipped with a 6R35 (70 hours of power reserve), a sapphire crystal, the numbers on the bezel have been refined (they are no longer in "bold", which perhaps tarnishes its initial "Sumo" look a little but makes it more elegant), and the green color of the dial has changed from this superb deep dioptaze to a more classic jade-emerald which has the only advantage of now being harmonized with the intensity of the green of the bezel. This last model can still be found around €750-800.

The Green Sumo SZSC004 from Seiko watches the boat

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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