Ollech & Wajs
Zürich, Switzerland · Est. 1955
Founded by Joseph Ollech, Albert J. Wajs
Founded in the 1950s, Ollech & Wajs captures the spirit of adventure through watches built to accompany the most demanding missions. A Swiss-Israeli brand with deep military heritage, OW is celebrated for cult vintage pilot and dive references — and continues producing robust mechanical sport watches for serious collectors.
- Founded
- 1955
- Headquarters
- Zürich, Switzerland
- Group
- Independent
- Price Segment
- Mid
- Status
- Active
Key Collections
- Caribbean 1000 (1964) — Ollech & Wajs Caribbean 1000 is the brand's deep-diving flagship line, rooted in the 1964 Precision Caribbean 1000 and continued through modern C-1000 professional dive watches. Key references: C-1000 Y, C-1000 MkII, C-1000 FAGN, OW702.
- M-Series — Military-inspired field watches descended from the M65 models popular with US servicemen during the Vietnam War.
- Aviation (1979) — Ollech & Wajs Aviation is the brand's pilot and aerospace-facing family, covering historic OW Aviation chronographs tied to the post-Breitling Navitimer story and modern slide-rule-inspired tool watches. Key references: P-104 Selectron, Aviation 6081, Aviation V7733.
Timeline
- 1956 — Albert J. Wajs partners with Joseph Ollech in Zurich, expanding from bracelet supply into wristwatch manufacturing.
- 1960 — Military and dive watches gain popularity on US military bases, sold through PX shops.
- 1968 — Vietnam War era marks an all-time sales high; the M65 becomes a favourite among US soldiers.
- 1970 — The Caribbean 1000 appears on British TV series The Professionals, boosting visibility.
- 1990 — Company resumes under the name A.I. Wajs, later returning to the O&W brand with new models.
- 2020 — Brand continues producing robust tool watches including the OW Ocean and Caribbean models, maintaining its reputation for affordable professional-grade dive watches.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ollech & Wajs
- What is Ollech & Wajs known for?
- Robust military and dive watches from the Cold War era, particularly the Caribbean 1000 diver and M65 field watch, popular with US servicemen.
- Are O&W watches still made?
- Yes. The brand was revived in the 1990s and continues to produce updated versions of its classic diver and military designs from Zurich.
Other independent Switzerland watch brands
- Appella — Carouge, Switzerland
- Murex — Le Locle, Switzerland
- Swiss Military Hanowa — Reinach, Switzerland
- Jowissa — Bettlach, Switzerland