Swiss brand Ollech & Wajs knows how to make a badass, no-nonsense tool watch — their modern designs are fresh but feel about as genuine as their vintage diver and pilot’s models. Their latest is an extension of their established formula, but this time based on a military motorcycle.
Collaborating with a Zurich-based, vintage motorcycle restoration workshop to restore a Condor 350 motorbike, Ollech & Wajs produced a watch to match, called the OW 350CI. It’s essentially a new version of the brand’s OW P-101 watch, one of the models that introduced the modern brand’s revival, but with some key changes. The base model has a highly legible design with a clear military inspiration (the brand calls it a field watch), but also offers the handy additional functionality of a 12-hour rotating bezel, which is a simple way to help you track a second time zone.
The specs and dimensions are the same, with an identical 39.56mm steel case with 300m of water resistance and an ETA 2824-2 automatic movement inside — but there are a few notable tweaks that give it a character all its own: You’ll probably notice the khaki green dial first (easily the dial color trend of 2021), and it comes on a leather strap to match it, echoing the colors of the Condor 350 motorbike. The bezel here is in bare steel, rather than the black coating of the P-101.
The biggest difference, however, is that you’ll find the large crown on the opposite side of its usual position on the 3 o’clock side of the case. A 9 o’clock crown orientation is often referred to as lefthanded (or “destro”), and it’s particularly appropriate for a watch made for riding because a crown can dig into your wrist while gripping handlebars. Orienting the crown this way doesn’t require a lot of technical tweaking, but it does give the OW 350CI a more deliberate and special feel.
The OW 350CI isn’t a limited edition, but the first 56 examples will feature their production number on the crown. You can get one now directly from the brand online for around $1,240.
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