Historical Touches Meets Modern Reliability | The Ollech & Wajs P104

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WRITTEN ARTICLE: https://www.watchgecko.com/ollechwajs-p104-watch-review/

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*Model Wrist Sizes*
7 inches - 7.25 inches

Products featured;

The Ollech & Wajs P104
https://www.watchgecko.com/ollechwajs-p104-watch-review/

ZULUDIVER Quick Release Sailcloth Waterproof Divers Watch Strap
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Veryan NATO Watch Strap By Zuludiver
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Welcome back to Your Next Watch, an ongoing series that looks at the watches you’re considering buying at the moment and breaks them down based on real hands-on experience with them.

The act of wearing a watch is rooted in historical importance and a sense of connection. Mechanical watches specifically take us back to a time when their usage was focused on dependence rather than any sort of emotional connection to a bygone era on the wrist. There is something hugely appealing in wearing a watch that was created for a clear purpose, job and role to execute. These watches are commonly referred to as tool watches because since birth they have been regarded as tools.

This is a concept Ollech & Wajs (OW) understand well. They have been doing this since the 1950s and I’m pleased to say that this philosophy is still paramount in their newest creations.

The OW P104 - What it does

Looking back through the history books, it doesn’t take long to realise that the watch world has a complex, hard and multi-layered past. A textbook example of this is OW Watches. The brand had a humble birth attributed to the meeting of minds between Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs in Zurich, 1956. This partnership was founded on a desire to open a watch shop stocking many familiar brands, however, the two friends wanted to create something for themselves.

So, Ollech & Wajs was born. Their aim? To create robust, reliable, legible and functional watches powered by reputable movements. And it's fair to say not much has changed for the brand. The brand went on to enjoy many decades of creating great tool watches including a period where they actually took ownership of Breitling’s stock when Breitling went into liquidation in 1979. The outcome of this came in the form of watches that were made from genuine Navitimer parts but assembled under the brand name of Aviation (Sinn was also involved in this). Today a trusted collector and friend of Mr Wajs is now at the helm of the OW brand to ensure that desire and spirit of the founders is still as strong as ever.

The P104 here with us today isn’t a re-issue, rather a reimagination of the watches produced by the brand over the decades. The first aspect of the watch that reflects this is the case. This 39mm wide, 50mm lug to lug and 12.5mm thick fully brushed case is prominent and substantial on the wrist. It effectively avoids feeling brash, in your face or clumsy.

This robustness is a common theme throughout every aspect of the watch. Screwing and unscrewing the crown feels reassuringly secure and the presence of the OW logo etched on the crown lets you know you’re wearing a considered watch. With 300m of water resistance, you need not worry about wearing this watch basically anywhere.

A frictionless bidirectional slide rule bezel frames the whole watch, marking the start of another theme for the P104 - information. Moving from the slide rule bezel we see the corresponding inner track with a kilometres scale.

This scale is actually raised from the dial itself which gives the watch great depth and a sense of consideration behind it. The P104 hasn’t been created on a whim. It’s the combined effort of all of these small design choices that make this watch a hugely compelling offering. The presence and execution of sensible depth are always appreciated and welcomed in watches, especially at this price point.

This inner scale is the first time we get to see the presence of colour on the piece as small orange arrows sit on the greyed-out scale providing a warm addition to the black colours of the watch. The dial itself is excitingly understated in its execution.

Видео Historical Touches Meets Modern Reliability | The Ollech & Wajs P104 канала WatchGecko