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Charles Le Menestrel took ownership of Ollech & Wajs in 2017 after first encountering the Swiss watchmaker as a collector and later representing it as a French distributor. In a 2023 interview with Xavier Markl for MONOCHROME, he described a revival built around the brand’s 1960s tool-watch identity—not exact reproductions, but contemporary watches that carry forward its design cues and practical outlook.
How Le Menestrel came to own Ollech & Wajs
Ollech & Wajs was founded in 1956 by Albert Wajs and Joseph Ollech, according to the MONOCHROME interview. The partners initially ran a watch shop and distributed watches from other makers, including Breitling and Omega, before establishing their own brand, Ollech & Wajs Zürich, with a focus on reliable, accurate mechanical watches.
Le Menestrel says he began collecting watches as a teenager and discovered O&W through an Astrochron chronograph in the early 1990s. He met Albert Wajs in 2005 and became the brand’s French distributor. In 2017, he acquired the business from Wajs, who had led it for more than six decades, the interview reports.
What the brand’s production history looked like
Le Menestrel offered approximate production figures to illustrate how the company changed over time. These are his recollections in the 2023 interview, not audited production records.
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| Period | Production recalled by Le Menestrel | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| 1960s | About 10,000 watches a year | Approximate figure recalled by Le Menestrel in the 2023 interview. |
| Circa 2005 | A few hundred watches a year | Approximate; Le Menestrel said Albert Wajs had not given him exact numbers. |
| 2017 | About 100 watches a year | Approximate figure recalled by Le Menestrel in the 2023 interview. |
What Le Menestrel wants the revival to preserve
Le Menestrel says his aim is to reconnect O&W with the 1960s in both design and philosophy. He describes the intended watches as rugged, relatively simple Swiss instruments for professional and semi-professional users, including military personnel, divers, sportspeople and pilots. His emphasis is on practical quality rather than prestige: “I use the word quality and not prestige because O&W is not a prestige brand but simply a smaller brand that makes quality watches.”
That approach means borrowing visual ideas from historical references while designing watches for contemporary use. “We much prefer to take styling cues from older models and apply these to modern designs,” he told MONOCHROME. He says he prefers this to making exact copies: a collector who wants an original historical watch should seek the original, rather than a replica.
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- WATER RESISTANT TO 100M: Withstands 10 bar (100 meters), ideal for swimming and outdoor pursuits. Perfect for those who demand resilient accessories that accompany them confidently on their explorative journeys.
- BUILT FOR ADVENTURE: Featuring a 40mm stainless steel case, a white dial and stainless steel bracelet, this watch combines durability and functionality. With Super-LumiNova and sapphire crystal, it’s ready to tackle your outdoor challenges.
- PREMIUM MATERIALS: Stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp offers day-long comfort. The clean lines and sophisticated design make it the perfect accessory for both casual wear and formal attire, merging functionality with fashion.
- RICH HERITAGE: Over a century of Hamilton's legacy in field watches, admired for precision. Originally designed for WWI soldiers, these timepieces combine rugged durability with history, showcasing Hamilton's commitment to quality and innovation.
How the modern watches connect to earlier O&W models
Le Menestrel used several watches to explain the line between the company’s past and its present. The descriptions and specifications below are his statements in the 2023 interview, not independently tested specifications or confirmation of current availability.
P-101: a pilot watch with a second-time-zone bezel
Le Menestrel describes the P-101 as a three-hand pilot watch with a 12-hour bezel for tracking a second time zone. He gives its case diameter as 39.56 mm and says the screw-down caseback and crown support a stated water-resistance rating of 300 m.
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- MANUAL WINDING: Designed for precision, this hand-wound watch is powered by the exclusive H-23 movement, offering an extended power reserve for reliable performance.
- WATER RESISTANT TO 100M: Withstands 10 bar (100 meters), ideal for swimming and outdoor pursuits. Perfect for those who demand resilient accessories that accompany them confidently on their explorative journeys.
- BUILT FOR ADVENTURE: Featuring a 40mm stainless steel case, a white dial and green textile strap, this watch combines durability and functionality. With Super-LumiNova and sapphire crystal, it’s ready to tackle your outdoor challenges.
- PREMIUM MATERIALS: Textile strap with pin buckle offers day-long comfort. The clean lines and sophisticated design make it the perfect accessory for both casual wear and formal attire, merging functionality with fashion.
- RICH HERITAGE: Over a century of Hamilton's legacy in field watches, admired for precision. Originally designed for WWI soldiers, these timepieces combine rugged durability with history, showcasing Hamilton's commitment to quality and innovation.
P-104: a design linked to O&W’s “computer” watches
Describing the P-104 as related to the P-101 and reminiscent of the Selectron line, Le Menestrel points to its calculator-like function. He says historical O&W models of this kind were called “computers” and were popular with NASA engineers; that account is his, as presented in the interview.
C-1000: a contemporary take on the Caribbean 1000
Le Menestrel calls the C-1000 a modern interpretation of the Caribbean 1000. He cites the domed crystal as a retained stylistic link, while distinguishing the modern watch’s construction from that of the original.
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- WATER RESISTANT TO 100M: Withstands 10 bar (100 meters), ideal for swimming and outdoor pursuits. Perfect for those who demand resilient accessories that accompany them confidently on their explorative journeys.
- BUILT FOR ADVENTURE: Featuring a 42mm stainless steel case, a black dial and leather strap, this watch combines durability and functionality. With Super-LumiNova and sapphire crystal, it’s ready to tackle your outdoor challenges.
- PREMIUM MATERIALS: Leather strap with pin buckle offers day-long comfort. The clean lines and sophisticated design make it the perfect accessory for both casual wear and formal attire, merging functionality with fashion.
- RICH HERITAGE: Over a century of Hamilton's legacy in field watches, admired for precision. Originally designed for WWI soldiers, these timepieces combine rugged durability with history, showcasing Hamilton's commitment to quality and innovation.
8001: an integrated-bracelet design with deep-water ambitions
Le Menestrel traces the 8001’s design to the O&W 8000, an integrated-bracelet watch he says appeared in the early 1970s with a Valjoux 7750 movement. He describes the modern 8001 as 13.5 mm thick and rated to 300 m water resistance, adding that it was tested beyond that rating. The interview gives no test protocol or independent test result, so that statement should not be treated as a verified performance comparison.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the interview says about O&W’s earlier tool-watch reputation
Le Menestrel points to the brand’s history of water-resistant watches and says O&W made what he calls the first 1,000 m diving watch and one of the first—possibly the first—200 m chronographs in the mid-1960s. He also describes letters from U.S. personnel during the Vietnam era praising O&W watches, along with connections to NASA personnel and Global Marine divers. These are historical claims he attributes to the company’s records and archive in the interview; the article does not independently verify them.
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At the time of the interview’s publication on 31 July 2023, Le Menestrel said customers could buy through dealers or the company website. He described the website as offering orders with taxes and duties paid, plus the possibility of a refund or exchange. Those terms are a dated statement from the interview, not confirmation of the company’s current sales channels or policies.
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