Ollech & Wajs
Encyclopedia
Ollech & Wajs is a watch
company based in Zurich
, Switzerland
.
bracelets for wristwatches. In 1956, a partnership was formed with Joseph Ollech, and they soon began manufacturing
wristwatches. Business was done from their retail
premises in Zurich. They soon began to expand into world wide markets, more notably the US and UK markets by advertising in magazine
s that were popular with aviator
s, soldier
s, diver
s and sportsmen, selling direct to the end user by mail order
from Switzerland.
In the 1960s O&W sold a variety of professional automatic
and manual-wind mechanical
military and dive watches for an average of US $12. The Ollech & Wajs M 65 military watch was often sold at PX's on US military bases. These watches became very popular with US soldier
s who bought them privately as a replacement for their government
issued disposable watches. Sales reached an all time high during the Vietnam War
era when they were selling thousands of watches via direct mail order. Towards the late 1970s, Mr. Wajs bought up much of the Breitling
company's stock for the aviation
models such as the Navitimer. They began producing their own label watches using Breitling cases and the same calibre movements
used in Breitling watches. These watches were branded “Aviation” and are now prized amongst collectors. During the first season of the 1970s British television series The Professionals
, actors Martin Shaw
and Lewis Collins
wore what appear to be Ollech & Wajs Caribbean 1000 wristwatches.
Due to the growing popularity of quartz
powered watch mechanisms in the late 1970s, much of the mechanical watchmaking industry suffered, and O&W finally ceased production in the early 1980s. In the 1990s, the company resumed production under a new company name, A.I. Wajs, formed by Albert Wajs. They continue to use the logo and the brand name Ollech & Wajs or O&W, as these brand names are owned by Albert Wajs.
Watch
A watch is a small timepiece, typically worn either on the wrist or attached on a chain and carried in a pocket, with wristwatches being the most common type of watch used today. They evolved in the 17th century from spring powered clocks, which appeared in the 15th century. The first watches were...
company based in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
History
Ollech & Wajs started business in the 1950s when Albert Wajs began making and supplying stainless steelStainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
bracelets for wristwatches. In 1956, a partnership was formed with Joseph Ollech, and they soon began manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
wristwatches. Business was done from their retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
premises in Zurich. They soon began to expand into world wide markets, more notably the US and UK markets by advertising in magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s that were popular with aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
s, soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s, diver
Underwater diving
Underwater diving is the practice of going underwater, either with breathing apparatus or by breath-holding .Recreational diving is a popular activity...
s and sportsmen, selling direct to the end user by mail order
Mail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
from Switzerland.
Automatic watch
An automatic or self-winding watch is a mechanical watch, whose mainspring is wound automatically by the natural motion of the wearer's arm, providing energy to run the watch, to make it unnecessary to manually wind the watch. A watch which is not self-winding is called a manual watch...
and manual-wind mechanical
Mechanical watch
A mechanical watch is a watch that uses a mechanical mechanism to measure the passage of time, as opposed to modern quartz watches which function electronically. It is driven by a spring which must be wound periodically...
military and dive watches for an average of US $12. The Ollech & Wajs M 65 military watch was often sold at PX's on US military bases. These watches became very popular with US soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s who bought them privately as a replacement for their government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
issued disposable watches. Sales reached an all time high during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
era when they were selling thousands of watches via direct mail order. Towards the late 1970s, Mr. Wajs bought up much of the Breitling
Breitling
Breitling is a luxury brand of Swiss watches produced by Breitling SA, a private company headquartered in Grenchen, Canton of Solothurn . The company exclusively offered Certified Chronometers in all models since 2000...
company's stock for the aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
models such as the Navitimer. They began producing their own label watches using Breitling cases and the same calibre movements
Movement (clockwork)
In horology, a movement is the internal mechanism of a clock or watch, as opposed to the case, which encloses and protects the movement, and the face which displays the time. The term originated with mechanical timepieces, whose movements are made of many moving parts...
used in Breitling watches. These watches were branded “Aviation” and are now prized amongst collectors. During the first season of the 1970s British television series The Professionals
The Professionals (TV series)
The Professionals was a British crime-action television drama series produced by Avengers Mk1 Productions and London Weekend Television that aired on the ITV network from 1977 to 1983. In all, 57 episodes were produced, filmed between 1977 and 1981. It starred Martin Shaw, Lewis Collins and Gordon...
, actors Martin Shaw
Martin Shaw
Martin Shaw is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in shows such as The Professionals, The Chief, Judge John Deed and Inspector George Gently.-Theatrical background:...
and Lewis Collins
Lewis Collins
Lewis Collins is an English actor best known for his tough-guy role as Bodie in The Professionals. He was educated at Bidston Primary and Grange School in Birkenhead. He started out as a ladies' hairdresser before playing drums and guitar in pop groups. He had a number of other jobs before...
wore what appear to be Ollech & Wajs Caribbean 1000 wristwatches.
Due to the growing popularity of quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
powered watch mechanisms in the late 1970s, much of the mechanical watchmaking industry suffered, and O&W finally ceased production in the early 1980s. In the 1990s, the company resumed production under a new company name, A.I. Wajs, formed by Albert Wajs. They continue to use the logo and the brand name Ollech & Wajs or O&W, as these brand names are owned by Albert Wajs.