The must-have Macro Loupe for all watch lovers

In 2018, the purchasing circumstances are as follows: an internal note is circulating to order certain end-of-series models from Tudor. The discounts are very significant, and there will not be one for everyone. It's about making a choice among the few remaining models/variants, and hoping to be chosen. First come, first served.

I'm looking for something complementary to my current watch (chrono, black dial, no date). I like the steel style, so I'm going for a 3 hands, a white dial, and a date. The GranTour matches these choices. At this time, I still don't know much about what a watch technical sheet looks like. Just that it will be cheaper than my current one, and that suits me very well. The photos on the website help validate the choice. No real testing, let's go to order.

Once arrived, the watch is impressive (the side is substantial, although the total thickness is only 11.1mm). Diameter that I find sturdy, beautiful shine, fineness of the indexes, down to the small line representing tenths of a second. I will use it alongside my previous watch. It is an important step to know when to use one or the other. The rule I end up choosing will be to use the GranTour for 5 months at winter time. Its snow-white dial will go perfectly during my activities on the heights.

On the movement side, it is an ETA 2824-2. It is quite difficult to obtain information on this model. At first I found it frustrating, then with the years and experience coming, I took pleasure in having something barely recognizable on my wrist. And to be able to tell the story of this little-known model.

There remains the difficult task of finding another compatible bracelet, in rubber, to personalize it further.

Around 2006, I was asked to consult the brand's catalog to identify a watch style I would like. Not knowing much about the models, materials, or technical specifications, I had a hard time projecting myself and understanding the price. Having been well advised or influenced, I really liked the chronograph style. It was in the same vein as my previous watch. The following year would be my 20th birthday, and a beautiful, timeless gift was taking shape. The notion of investment was also present; my father knew this model already had a history, and everything indicated it would continue to do so.

In 2007, the watch arrived. Dazzling in its box, shining on my wrist! I quickly put it back on its stand for fear of damaging it. For the first two or three years, I only used it for safe events: birthday meals, Christmas, and the auto show. Then came two complicated years, where it wasn't practical to have a watch.

Around 2011, I started wearing it more regularly during my studies and outside of school. It's beautiful and practical in all circumstances. I noticed that no one noticed it, which suited me perfectly. It truly became my daily wearable when the battery in my previous watch died.

An anecdote that really stuck with me, probably around 2015-2016, was during a party with a group of friends. During a conversation between eight people, I noticed that a person (whom I didn't know) kept their eyes fixed on my wrist. I analyzed it for a long time, finally asking him, "Do you know it? Do you want to see it?" Maybe he knew more than I did. He replied with astonished eyes, "A little, it's magnificent!" Go ahead, try it. That day, I saw eyes light up over a watch. It was beautiful.

In 2019, I was able to benefit from an upgrade: getting the ceramic bezel. I knew little about this material, but since insiders told me it would be the next revolution, I had to believe them. I put it together and continued my life with it. I felt like I had a different watch, like I could appreciate it again, and differently. It seemed bigger, especially with the same dial color. At that time, I had two watches: this Daytona, used continuously for the seven months in daylight saving time, and a Tudor for the five months in winter time. Simple and effective.

That year, I had a visit to the notary for a real estate project. During the final appointment, I noticed the notary holding onto my wrist. Since the documents weren't properly completed, the notary decided to cancel the signing that day and ended up exclaiming something like this at the end: "Although the sales contract isn't finalized, unfortunately, I was able to see a very beautiful watch during this meeting. I don't know how you managed to get this model!" I was surprised (and flattered) that someone could love someone else's watch so much.

In 2021, I placed another internal order for the latest model, just to "reserve the space." Later, the time would come to decide whether I would pay for it and keep it. When I received the information that it was available and that I could pick it up from the factory, I remained skeptical about the pointlessness of having two of the same model. In the height of the current speculative bubble, I made the sensible decision and declined the order. It would have been quite easy to resell it for 3x the price, but I preferred to keep the possibility of another purchase with an internal discount to myself. This gave me time to delve into the brand's catalog again and better understand the world of watchmaking to find what would suit me best to truly begin my collection.

In short, a watch that has delighted me for the past few years. I recently put my steel bezel back on. We've been seeing too much ceramic on people's wrists for a few years now. I also varied it with a rubber strap for a unique configuration.

An icon that will always follow me

As a child, I always had a watch with me. It's an everyday item, so practical.
When I turned 15, I had the privilege of choosing my gift. We went to stores with a wide selection of watches to find the one I'd like best, but always within a reasonable budget (I think around 300 CHF).

I had a crush on this quartz model from Festina, which features Luminova, a chronograph, and a date display. Perfect for playing in the dark, fiddling with the buttons, and knowing what day it is at all times. Anyway, at that age, are there other watch complications? No idea, but I don't see what else there could be.

So, here I am, heading into adolescence with my superb watch, ready to accompany me in all my indoor and outdoor activities. It would become my main watch between the ages of 15 (2002) and 22 (2009).

Afterwards, other, more "beautiful" watches came to me, completely abandoning my Festina. Until the day the battery died, leaving it with only a final tribute, a place at the bottom of a drawer... Today, it's still by my side, but I don't wear it at all anymore.

The watch I wore when I was 15, which I used when I started out

This watch belonged to my father. This object therefore has sentimental value. I like its very pronounced patina, its finesse, its design all in relief. The Movement is very reliable, quartz chrono with lightning seconds which contributes to its discreet charm. The bracelet is super comfortable and the watch is quite light, its low thickness like we don't make anymore contributes to its comfort. My everyday watch, modest, but rich in emotion and memories.

The father's toolwatch

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&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/p-104">Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104</a>, the&nbsp;<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&nbsp;<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&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 October 2024)

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