Zurich-based watchmaker Ollech & Wajs continues to make some very compelling retro-style dive watches, relying on its considerable heritage of achievements in the sports and underwater watch field. This “Mark II” version of the 1964 Ollech & Wajs Caribbean 1000 watch is just that. The company of today re-imagined its seminal 1964-era 1000-meter diver’s watch in a new form resulting in the OW C-1000 MkII wristwatch model. Not to make things too confusing, but Ollech & Wajs is about (at the time of writing) to release another version of this watch that has a slightly different dial and bezel which is a more true (though it has its differences) replica of the dial of the original Caribbean 1000 watch that will be known as the Ollech & Wajs C-1000 A. Both the pictured Ollech & Wajs OW C-1000 MkII and the aforementioned C-1000 A are supposed to have more or less the same retail price. Which you end up liking more is really just a matter of taste.
In the mid-1960s, having a 1000-meter water resistance rating for a diver’s watch was a considerable deal. The limit for human diving capacity was still being determined, and a diver’s wristwatch was an incredibly important part of a professional diver’s toolkit. It was understood that serious water resistance could be achieved if you built a watch case like a tank using thick pieces of metal, but such items were often unwearable or impractical. That the Ollech & Wajs Caribbean 1000 was both durable and wearable was a big deal.
Accordingly, today’s Ollech & Wajs OW C-1000 MkII’s major selling point is the water-resistance-for-size proposition of this roughly 39.5mm wide, 15.8mm thick steel case. Most other deep diver’s watches are larger, so in this instance, we have a macho-style timepiece in a more humbly-sized package. Another benefit is Ollech & Wajs’ continuation of its historic instrument style. Nothing else out there quite looks like an Ollech & Wajs (meaning that wearers can enjoy some brand distinction), which the watches themselves certainly have a timeless presence to them. Thus, you have the benefit of something that looks retro, while also not looking generic either.
Let me address the one major flaw in this otherwise really nice timepiece package and design. That flaw is the reflectivity off of the very thick, domed sapphire crystal. The crystal does have AR-coating, but it doesn’t do all that much given the fact that this style of sapphire crystal shape seems to really like to reflect light. The thickness of the sapphire crystal is necessary due to the overall water resistance of the case. While you can read the dial easily enough, there is nearly no viewing angle where the dial isn’t reflecting some light, thus obstructing parts of the face. Ollech & Wajs marketing images of the OW C-1000 MkII show the watch beautifully without any glare, but in person, the presence of the crystal is much more visible. Even more high-end watches like those from Panerai often have the same issue with glare, so this isn’t unique to Ollech & Wajs. It did, however, make photographing this lovely timepiece much more challenging. As I said, the overall design of the OW C-1000 MkII dial is very legible, but it would have been even better without the ever-present glare.
Probably the best part of the OW C-1000 MkII watch package is the movement story. Ollech & Wajs again uses the interesting and uncommon Swiss Made Soprod P092 automatic movement for this “Precision” watch. “Precision” is a term on the dial of the watch, being carried over from the original 1964 models. The Soprod P092 movements operate at 4Hz with 44 hours of power reserve and feature the time and date. Rather than go the COSC Chronometer-certified route, these movements are “Chronofiable” certified (a different and more stringent performance certification as I understand it), done by the Laboratoire Dubois located in La Chaux-de-Fonds Switzerland. The watch has a closed caseback, so you wouldn’t really know the movement in there is different from a standard base ETA or Sellita, but it is a good part of the overall product story to know that an enhanced focus on “precision” was part of the conception of the OW C-1000 MkII watch and that a proper movement was accordingly relied upon for powering the timepiece.
Like other Ollech & Wajs watches, the case of the OW C-1000 MkII is very attractive both in shape and production. The just-under 40mm steel case is brushed and given special features (like having four gaskets in the crown assembly to ensure water resistance) to make sure it withstands the depths. Still, it is very compact and wearable on the wrist making it very comfortable. The original Caribbean 1000 watch had slightly different sword-style hands and a 12-hour, rather than 60-minute scale on the uni-directional rotating bezel. This OW C-1000 MkII model uses Ollech & Wajs’ blockier handset and a more standard diver’s timing scale for the bezel insert. Over the bezel insert is a transparent mineral crystal.
The matte black dial with its applied, brushed metal hour makers and hands is a good design that is both easy on the eyes and very legible thanks to the high contrast. The position of the date window at the 6 o’clock position on the case allows for an entirely symmetrical dial design, which I appreciate. The combination of interesting geometric shapes on the dial makes for a pleasant viewing experience (that would be further amplified if the crystal created less glare). The combination of white and green luminous paint intelligently adds more color to the dial composition but still leaves the face looking like a serious instrument.
A close inspection of the case reveals further nice details and finishes. Even though the steel case is not that large, it does feel beefy and dependable thanks to elements such as the precision-milled caseback and extra-thick crown design. Ollech & Wajs offers the OW C-1000 MkII on one of three bracelet/strap options. There is a matching metal bracelet option, as well as a high-grade black rubber strap and this “RAF Freediver” nylon NATO-style strap in black with an off-white stripe running down the middle (as pictured for the review).
Ollech & Wajs is an important brand today because it pulls from an authentic history of making Swiss Made diver’s and military watches, but is priced reasonably for what you get and still operates like a small brand. You can tell that the folks behind the brand are serious about both tool watches and the brand’s own history. It can be confusing to tell many of the brand’s watches apart, but a considerable amount of thought seems to go into each of the products. Indeed the challenge for consumers is to determine which of the various Ollech & Wajs models they like – as sometimes the differences between them are relatively minor.
The ideal wearer for the OW C-1000 MkII watch is a diver’s watch lover who doesn’t want to wear anything more than 40mm wide, and who has a penchant for historic tool watch achievements. There is really nothing you can’t do with a 300-meter versus 1000-meter diver’s watch today, but you want one over the other due to emotion and storytelling. So for those watch lovers out there with big watch ambitions but smaller wrists, something like the Ollech & Wajs OW C-1000 MkII could be perfect. Price for the Ollech & Wajs OW C-1000 MkII watch on the NATO-style strap as shown is 1,856 CHF. Learn more at the Ollech & Wajs website.
Necessary Information:
>Brand: Ollech & Wajs
>Model: OW C-1000 MkII (on RAF Freediver nylon strap as review)
>Price: 1,856 CHF
>Size: 38.6mm wide, 15.8mm thick, ~49mm lug-to-lug distance
>When reviewer would personally wear it: As a sensibly sized sports watch when swimming or diving.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Smaller-wristed watch lover seeking 1000 meters of water resistance and a vintage-style package.
>Best characteristic of watch: Very comfortable and well-conceived package. Uncommon movement given what other diver’s watches at this price point tend to use.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Too much glare from the sapphire crystal shape. Easy to become confused among the various brand models.
