Ollech and Wajs- Your take?

Midget

Midget

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Hey watch snobs, does anyone know about the brand Ollech and Wajs? Good, bad reputation? Reliability? Resilience? Where is this company from, and is it still around? In context of the previous thread ("Your watch vs. your persona) how does this brand rank- a watch in the ultimate of swiss watch snobbery, or just a basic everyday man's watch? Any information is appreciated.

Thanks guys.
 
Many autos are based on the same movements. The ETA 2824-2 and Valjoux 7750 are two very common ones. Prices range from the hundreds to multiple thousands. The differences are in styling, case materials and quality, warrantee and service, etc. Buying a watch based on one of these movements guarantees that you can have it serviced by experienced local watchmakers. Beyond that, choose one that suits your intended use, sense of style and pocketbook. Good features would include sapphire crystal, screw down crown, minimum overall thickness, solid link bracelet, tritium vs Luminova, etc. There's lots to choose from but a good movement is the basis for all the rest.

The O&W, though not a high profile name, seems to be a very affordable watch based on a good movement. Never owned one so I can't attest to longevity, durability, etc. Maybe someone with 1st hand knowledge chime in with more on this. Though based on a solid swiss movement, I wouldn't rate this brand real high on the 'snob' list. Their stylings are more utilitarian in nature.

(Edited to add content)
 
Ollech & Wajs is an entry level brand that is probably one of the more affordable Swiss Brands out there. They are made well from very commonly available movements and parts. Most of their watches feature an ETA 2824-A2 movement. Mr. Ollech passed away a few years ago, however, Mr. ALbert Wajs is still very much with us, and I have spoken to him many times over the years. He is making quite a few watches now, but his heyday was during Vietnam when manyu of his watches were bought by servicemen.

I've got half a dozen O&W watches, and they are perform flawlessly, and are quite hard to beat at the price. They are not generally a well known brand. It is sold almost exclusively on the internet by just a couple of sources, and you will not find them in stores. Rarely will you find a mall jeweler who has ever heard of them. That doesn't make them bad, it just means they are very "limited" in terms of availability and production. I would suspect less than 500 a year.
 
I am wearing my O&W right now with a Hirsch Carbon Fiber strap. Awesome watch. I really like it. I wish that it would hold a charge longer though. It's pretty consistent. I don't know what the +/- is. I bought it with a bracelet and it was horrible. It looked and felt like plastic. I think that is their only con in my eyes.
 
Hi Midget. I've been watching (no pun intended) for posts about this make myself. You can check WestCoastTime
to see availability and pricing. There's mention that the Tudor (economy Rolex?)brand uses the same movement.

There's another site that installs customized faces, hands, and bands for the WCT watches. Try Bill Yao at Bill Yao

I have no first hand experience with these watches. I hope this helps.
 
I have one of their watches for almost a year now. I wear it daily in the field and have no problems. I check it against the atomic clock on the internet and it keeps great time. They have quite a few models too choose from at Westcoastime. They are great people to work with. Excellent value, quality for the price they can't be beat. You can spend around two hundred dollar and get a great mechanical watch with a good movement. I know several people on this forum own them. Becareful watches can be just as addictive as knives only more expensive :D
 
toothed,

Ok, I give in. The reason I started this thread was because this morning I took the plunge and bought an O&W from westcoastime, this one- http://www.westcoastime.com/oweta20milst.html.

After I talked to Mr. Marx, (great guy, btw), I bought the watch. Then I thought to myself, "hm, I wonder what the guys at the forum with about it." I obviously hold you all in high regards. ;)

So I'm glad to hear that O&W's are reliable, rugged, working mans' watches. I'm not too much a snob...
 
I got this one about 2 months ago from Westcoastime with a black G-10 nato strap and I'm very happy with it. It loses about 1-2 seconds a day which is very good for this type of movement.

http://www.westcoastime.com/westcoastime/precdivwatwc.html

Before I got it I did some 'investigation' on O&W. I e-mailed them with a small question and got a nice reply from Switzerland. Also, there's a glossy dutch watch magazine (with only expensive watches), and some retailers advertise in there and frequently offer vintage O&W watches. So that made me confident that it's a small, but good brand.

Ted
 
Hey Midget, don't forget to give us your report after you receive your new watch. :D
 
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