Mr. Wajs is accompanied by his daughter because his eyesight has been declining for several years. Despite his advanced age, Mr. Wajs is as erudite and businesslike as ever, fixing the interviewer with an icy stare, eager to get the formalities underway. Once our conversation starts, he begins to relax and, over the following three hours, recalls impressive detail with ease. Here are some extracts from our conversation…   AW: “Our adventure begins in 1956 in Zurich, when we decided, with my friend Joseph Ollech, to open a new watch store, Ollech & Wajs Zürich, or OWZ. We sold Omega and Breitling brands. A little later, our fancy and our obstinacy pushed us to produce our own watches by buying the components piece by piece. Then, in 1964, we launched the production of military-grade watches, following the suggestion of a young American soldier. The latter advised us to make a solid watch, waterproof, accurate and reliable, that could replace the usual Hamilton watch and become the accessory-companion of US Army soldiers. Initially, we targeted this production at American GIs, who would prove to be our most frequent customers, starting in 1965”. AW: “We bought very solid cases at ‘Maison Bouille’, which later became ‘Etienne’. We bought dials at the ‘Brothers Lender of Le Locle’, the hands in La Chaux-de-Fonds at ‘Universo’, and finally the automatic chronograph calibres came from ‘Maison Dubois Dépraz’, who supplied Patek Philippe. We also worked a lot with the Valjoux 72B movements, which were used in the Rolex Daytona at the time. At first, we were doing the assembly ourselves in our workshop in Zurich. We immediately had great success with the American military before, during and even after the Vietnam War. We sold our watches in US battalion shops all over the world”. AW: “We produced between 8,000 and 10,000 pieces a year. We also sold OW watches to the French forces, including Air Force pilots”. AW: “After the Vietnam War, we saw a significant drop in demand. We adapted and launched other models and bought inventory and tooling from the Breitling brand for the Navitimer pilot watch, the flagship model of the brand. Note from the author: When Breitling was liquidated in 1978, Ollech & Wajs, Sinn and Patek Philippe acquired the tools and stocks”. AW: “We were among the first to release a diving watch tested at a depth of 1,000 meters, with a graduated rotating bezel that allowed calculation of divers’ decompression time, which, for the time, was a technological achievement”. AW: “Indeed, American soldiers and even entire regiments ordered hundreds of OW chronographs very regularly. They have shown their gratitude in many letters over the years. Yes, NASA officials, including Mr. Von Braun, actually wore an OW watch”. AW: “I was convinced that there was still a market for quality mechanical watches, so I gradually introduced a new range of watches, including the flagship OW Mirage models, which benefit from the Valjoux 7750 and 7753 calibres. With my vision declining, I finally made the decision to put my business up for sale in 2016”.

Welcome to the Ollech & Wajs adventure Thank you for choosing an Ollech & Wajs watch, or OW for short, one of the world's most renowned Swiss brands.Carefully crafted using high-quality materials and components, itis protected against shocks, temperature variations, water, anddust. For perfect and precise operation of your watch formany years, we recommend that you carefully follow theinstructions given below.These instructions apply to all OW automatic mechanical watches. Important informationTo ensure even better water resistance, our modelsare equipped with a screw-down crown. Before setting thetime, winding, or adjusting the date, it isnecessary to unscrew the crown to position IB.Important: After any handling, it is essential to screw the crown back on to maintain the watch's water resistance. Winding It is necessary to manually wind your watch if it has stopped orhas not been worn for several days, in order to ensure the continuous operationof your watch during periods of low activity (e.g., whilesleeping). In these cases, turn the crown forward approximately 30 times inposition I. The automatic winding system will then fully wind the movement if the watch is worn. It is also possible to fully wind an automatic watch manually using thewinding crown. However, please note that automatic movementshave a slipping clutch that disengages the winding system (the crowncan be turned indefinitely) when the movement is fully wound.Generally, 80 turns of the crown are sufficient to fully windmost automatic mechanical watches..The efficiency of the automatic winding system of a mechanical movement depends on the wrist movements of the wearer. Do not intentionally shake your automatic watch to wind it; this is ineffective and could damage the watch.   Settings Time settingPull the crown out to position 3 and turn it forward or backwarduntil you reach the desired time.Synchronize the time with an official time signal (radio/TV/Internet).When the crown is pulled out to position 3, the seconds hand stops. Once the time issynchronized, push the crown back in to position 1 and screw it back in.Quick date correctionCaution: Do not perform a quick date correction between 10 PM and 2 AM.Pull the crown out to position 2 and turn it forward until the desired date is displayed.During this operation, your watch will continue to function and will not need to be reset..ChronographCaution: Do not perform rapid date corrections between 10 PM and 2 AM.Use the setting button at 10 o'clock; pressing it advances the date by one day. Technical information Power reserveOW automatic watches draw their energy from an oscillating weightactivated by the natural movements of your wrist.This weight winds the watch. Automatic watches do notrequire a battery. Depending on the model, the power reserve varies from36 to 54 hours. PrecisionThe accuracy of a mechanical watch depends on the wearer's movements and habits, and can therefore vary. A qualified OW watchmaker can adjust the accuracy of a watch within OW's tolerance limits.Most watches that are not chronometer-certified have an average accuracy tolerance of around -6 /+15 seconds per day.A chronometer is a high-precision mechanical watch that has obtained an official certificate issued by the COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute) after its movement has successfully passed several accuracy tests in different positions and at different temperatures, as well as water resistance tests, carried out in a laboratory for 15 days and 15 nights. To obtain the title of chronometer, the average accuracy of the mechanical movement must be between -4/+6 seconds per day. Water resistOW watches are designed to withstand pressures up to 30 bar (300 m / 1000 ft), 50 bar (500 m / 1650 ft), and 100 bar (1000 m / 3300 ft), as indicated on the case back. However, the absolute water resistance of a watch cannot be guaranteed at all times. It can be affected by the aging of the seals or by accidental impact. We recommend having the water resistance checked annually by an authorized OW service center. Care and maintenance TemperatureDo not expose your watch to sudden temperature changes (exposure to sunlight followed by immersion in cold water) or to extreme temperatures (above 60°C or below 0°C).Magnetic fieldsDo not expose your watch to strong magnetic fields such as those emitted by speakers, mobile phones, computers, refrigerators or other electromagnetic devices. ShocksAvoid thermal or other shocks: they could damage your watch. In case of a severe impact, please have your watch checked by an authorized OW service center.Harmful productsAvoid any direct contact of your watch with solvents, detergents, perfumes, cosmetics, etc.: they can damage the strap, the case or the seals. CleaningWe recommend regularly cleaning your watch (except for the leather strap) with a soft cloth and lukewarm soapy water. After swimming in salt water, rinse your watch with fresh water and let it dry completely. ServicesLike any high-precision instrument, a watch requires periodic servicing to function optimally. As a general rule, we recommend having your watch serviced every 3 to 4 years by your authorized OW retailer or service center. However, please note that this interval may be shorter depending on the climate and how the watch is used. To ensure impeccable service and maintain your warranty, always contact an authorized OW retailer or service center.  

The stricken SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 was now at the mercy of the storm clouds that enveloped it. Its 260-horsepower engine made a laboured whining sound as it fought the relentless windshear threatening to force it out of the sky and into the raging Indian ocean.