I was interested in the history of Formex and I was charmed by it.
The Formex Essence Leggera is a light and elegant watch. Its carbon fiber case is topped with a ceramic bezel, a material that is also found on the signed crown. The green dial sports a "teak" pattern with the most beautiful effect. It knows how to remain discreet as well as play with the light to the point of having a syntillant emerald green.
I chose the green leather which suits it perfectly. It comes with two strands to cover the points from 16 to 20 cm and a carbon buckle with the possibility of quick adjustment.
It is a comfortable watch to wear every day.
The movement is a Sellita SW200-1 chronometer-certified (with the dated COSC booklet with the measurements of the movement of your watch).

If you are looking for a sporty, elegant and light watch, the Formex Essence Leggera is an excellent choice.

Sporty and elegant

The Seamaster Diver 300M is a watch that embodies elegance, robustness and precision. Its iconic design made famous by the James Bond license features a wavy ceramic dial reminiscent of ocean waves. The factory ceramic of this Seamaster constantly plays with light. It is a real pleasure to look at it. Its co-axial movement is of formidable precision. This Seamaster is elegant, precise and reliable. Its design with the unscrewable Helium valve at 10 o'clock will not please everyone and yet that is what makes it unique. I am happy to have acquired it 20 years after having had views on the first models of this watch.

Elegant in all circumstances!

Jacques Bianchi became a watchmaker in the 1950s. He learned his trade with watchmakers in the PACA region before settling in Marseille.
His workshop grew in importance and brands such as Rolex and Omega entrusted him with repair contracts.
Jacques Bianchi also rubbed shoulders with renowned divers such as Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Captain Albert Falco and members of COMEX. In the early 1980s, he created the JB200 (Jacques Bianchi) with the same case as the reissue offered on Kickstarter in 2021. The one from the 80s had a date and a mechanical movement.
It was above all this fabulous story that pushed me to order a watch that I can't try on!
You may know this, but I prefer to try on the watches I buy.
I love the very crazy shape of the case with its crown on the left, the polished flange allows you to see the indexes reflected in it. The manufacturing quality had amazed me when I received the bindle which had two pearls, a Jacques Bianchi badge to sew, and a carrying pouch.
For 560 euros, I had a beautiful case with an incredible lume worthy of the ZRC. The movement is a NH35 from Seiko with the disadvantages of the Seiko in terms of precision even if this jb200 is quite well adjusted.
It is a watch that I wear whenever I have to do water activities and it is very pleasant to wear.
A reissue faithful to the Jacques Bianchi workshops. I invite you to follow the Jacques Bianchi workshop on Instagram (instagram account @atelier-bianchi)



A brilliant diver

This is my first analog watch! I bought it in my last year of engineering school and it accompanied me to my first job. It was my daily for about ten years until I bought an Orient Bambino and my partner gave me my Longines Presence in 2010. This Swatch Irony Chrono reference CADMOS YCS409 is robust, elegant with its openwork hands that remind me of the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M, the chronograph hand has a look that reminds me of the Speedmaster.... The worm is in the apple. I like its matte black dial and the whole thing is working 100% for over 23 years. My son has already spotted it in my collection and he plans to get it soon. By the way, this watch is indestructible but who said a Swatch is disposable?

My Swatch Irony Chrono is indestructible!

I dreamed of having a Breitling Navitimer. I chose a new model because I wanted to have this 70-hour power reserve. I had the opportunity thanks to Godechot Pauliet to acquire this model. My choice was oriented towards the Breitling Navitimer B01 in 43 mm. It is equipped with a high-quality mechanical movement with automatic winding, the Breitling Caliber 01, which is entirely developed and manufactured by Breitling. This column chronograph movement is a guarantee of precision and reliability. This reliability is confirmed by a watchmaker that I follow on Instagram. The indexes, the hands with the luminova, the micro grooves in the sub-dials and the meticulousness of the calculation rules are all elements that give this watch a luxurious appearance. I love the B at the end of the red second hand on the chronograph and I am crazy about the black dial which sometimes has electric blue reflections. Note that it does not like water (3 atm) and on the other hand it is precise +1 to +2s per day. This design is more than 70 years old and this watch was a tool used for airline pilots. Beyond that, this watch is the favorite of my loved ones. A masterpiece !!!

A sophisticated navitimer

This ZRC was born from Stéphane Clouzeau's wish to celebrate these 50 years with a collaboration with ZRC of which he is one of the ADs. This watch announced in July 2021 on the ZRC group's Facebook page was reserved by 48 people based on a photo of what it could be. In the end, it is a magnificent Grands Fonds 300 water-resistant to 1000m with a 4mm sapphire crystal and a chimney shape. This watch is unique with its dial featuring a beautiful light blue to abyssal blue gradient, unique red magnum hands on the edges, a second hand with a red tip, its 40.5mm case is microblasted, the unique blue bezel like the flange... it's killer! I am a fan of this watch with a beautiful precision of +3 seconds from the ETA 2824-2 movement developed presnet inside. It is an exceptional Grands Fonds.

ZRC BY STEF

This speedmaster is a dream come true 7 years ago. This chronograph is elegant and sporty at the same time. My omega is equipped with a hesalite glass and the manual mechanical caliber omega 1861. The power reserve is 46 to 48 hours and an accuracy of +3 seconds per day. My pleasure lies in winding the watch. I love to contemplate the dial, the design of the case and the dome of the hesalite glass. The history of the speedmaster and its selection by NASA shows how robust this watch is. It will be passed on to my son.

STRATOSPHERIC!

This is one of my watch grails from the historic Rolex range. The first Rolex Explorer II was launched in 1971 and was designed specifically for speleologists and explorers who spend long periods of time in extreme environments where natural light is limited. The watch was therefore equipped with an additional 24-hour hand, which makes it easy to distinguish day from night. But it is as a real GMT that I have been using it daily since 2021, the date of this Explorer II which reached 70 hours of RDM for the 50th anniversary of the model. Its brushed bezel, its oyster case, its orange GMT hand and the mention Explorer II energize this wonderful white dial. It is both elegant and robust without forgetting magnificent precision. It is certainly my favorite GMT.

The perfect GMT

I was on vacation in Spain and I had the opportunity to try it at an AD. I was immediately impressed by the comfort of wearing this watch and the thickness so criticized was not the steak I expected. I love the concept of a chrono resistant to 20 bars. This makes it a solid watch that fears (almost) nothing. I like this bezel and the two sub-counters inspired by the first chronos of the 70s. The symmetry of the dial is remarkable and the opaline color fascinates me. The precision of the movement is surprising and my watch is particularly very well adjusted. This chrono for the 50th anniversary of the Tudor chrono is a success.

She's clinical!

The ZRC Grands Fonds 300 North adventure was designed for Alban Michon's polar exploration. ZRC carried out a kickstarter in 2017 to appeal for funds and a little over 320 privileged people contributed to this adventure. It was designed and tested by Zrc and Alban in real conditions. I like to go on trips or on vacation with only this watch because it is unique in terms of design and look. It is a very resistant watch with a unique look. It is a technical concentrate in terms of materials because Zrc has a strong experience in material resistance studies. The watch is water-resistant to 300m but validated at 1000m without any worries with its 4 mm sapphire. I love the shape of the case, the crown at 6 o'clock and the impossibility of leaving it open, the noise of the bezel, the exceptional lume, the elaborate ETA 2824-2 caliber (write to zrc to ask for the chosen mechanism on its serial number), the steel bracelet with its ability to be placed on the arm, its comfort when worn, the steel bracelet closing mechanism, the possibility of putting the rubber or the ZRC nato, the beauty of the watch. A unique beauty. Distinguishing feature: a technical diver in the service of the French Navy for many years. Distinctive features: hexagonal case (go France), brand with a crown 👑 


The ZRC North Adventure is unique!

Admittedly, the title of this review is mocking, but Formex, a Swiss micro brand with a generic name, is not here to joke around. Their "Essence Leggera" model, which is the latest addition to my collection, includes components that we generally only find on much more expensive models. For 1650 euros, Formex delivers a chronometer movement and therefore COSC certified, embedded in a carbon fiber case that brings a remarkable lightness to the wearer. Although the diameter of the watch is announced at 41mm in the SPEC, the latter seems less big on the wrist (which is not to displease me).
For this model, Formex offers a variety of colors for this model. I opted for the "electric blue" which I find particularly sublime. Finally, I took the NATO strap that equips the basic watch. It is possible to opt for a leather, nylon or rubber strap but these alternatives will cost you 140 euros more.


No, it's not a condom brand.

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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