2021-09-28

Ollech & Wajs OW 350CI [retro Swiss watch for an historic Swiss bike]

The new OW 350CI from Ollech & Wajs commands in khaki! 

This is the new OW 350CI, the result of a collaboration between Ollech & Wajs and the Atelier Zevaco, a vintage motorcycle restoration workshop based in Zürich.

The name and design of the OW 350CI refers to the Condor 350 motorcycle and its inverted controls ("commandes inversées").

I am no biker dude, so when I first saw this bike I was thinking; is that the one that Steve MacQueen rode in the Great Escape but I was way off. 

He actually rode a 1961 Triumph Trophy TR6 disguised as German BMW R75.

Nevertheless the Condor 350 which this watch is named after had a pretty cool history itself. 

The company who made it was once a clock and bicycle maker based in Switzerland’s Jura region, the same place where this watch was made.

The later went on to become a motorcycle manufacture in 1901 and were the main supplier of motorcycles to the Swiss Army from 1939 onward. 

Their bikes were powered by several different engines over the years including Ducati.

The Condor A350 had a single-cylinder, overhead-camshaft Ducati engine, first seen in the Italian company’s Sebring introduced in 1965. OW 35CI khaki dial has yellow indexes to respect military color codes. It features a brushed 316L Stainless steel case measuring 39.56mm in diameter by 12.5 mm, a 12h rotating bezel in Stainless steel. While the bike is Ducati powered, the watch is ETA powered by a 2824-2 OW5P automatic caliber with 28,800 bph, a power reserve of +/- 38 h and a custom engraved main plate machined with Ollech & Wajs Zurich 1956 and OW rotor.

The OW 350CI is a tool watch that can be worn in any condition. 

It can be put on the left wrist to avoid damaging its oversized crown during a dive, a mission, or when practicing motorsports. 

MSRP is 1’146CHF.

Thoughts? Here’s yet another piece from Ollech & Wajs that simply oozes retro charm. 

I absolutely love the color pallet of this watch and would love to see an OW C-1000 with a khaki dial.

Although this watch isn’t exactly evocative of the sea, its specifications do have what it takes if ever you wanted to take it diving. 

Btw imo this should have been released with an additional Khaki NATO strap. 

But what do you think?

 https://ow-watch.ch/

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