OW M-52B AF
The M-52B AF evokes the exceptionally rare Ollech & Wajs B-905 ‘US Airforce’ – a watch that was custom made more than half a century ago for airmen serving in Vietnam. It also salutes the longest-serving combat aircraft in history.
- Swiss made
- Bespoke Soprod P024 Automatic
- 300 m / 30ATM
- Diameter (excluding crown) 39.5 mm
- Three-year warranty
- Free worldwide delivery (includes taxes, customs duties)
- AVAILABLE NOW
- FULL DESCRIPTION
- TECHNICAL SPECS
- SHIPPING.
- 3 YEAR WARRANTY
Estimated delivery time of about 3 weeks from ordering date.
The dial of the new M-52B AF bears the unmistakable silhouette of the most iconic combat aircraft of all time, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. A stark symbol of the cold war conflict and, in engineering terms, a symbol of longevity and dependability. 2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the 1954 maiden flight of the first B-52 production model.
Three generations of US military aviators have flown the 750 planes, built between 1952 and 1962, 70 of which remain in service today.
When professionals place their trust in equipment, whether it’s a 220-tonne aircraft or a mechanical wristwatch, reliability is prized above all else. The M-52B AF, as all OW watches, is built around this prerequisite.
The new watch features a robust 39 mm M-type case and a PVD-coated chamfered-edge Tactical Pilot's bezel, modelled on the streamlined nose cone profile of the B-52.
Intermittent cream lume on the bezel, dial indexes and hands adds warmth to the overall monochromatic scheme. Vintage enthusiasts will appreciate the red numeral date wheel, in keeping with the original B-905. The engine of the M-52B AF is a customised, Swiss made, Soprod calibre P024, chosen for its robustness, reliability and serviceability. A gently domed, thickened sapphire crystal helps ensure an impressive 300 m water resistance, which has become a characteristic of all Ollech & Wajs modern pilot’s watches.
The M-52B AF is presented a military-grade black nylon RAF strap. A bespoke M-Heritage 20 mm medium gauge, stainless steel mesh bracelet with hand-brushed OW engraved thorn buckle can be ordered as an additional accessory for 126 CHF.
Though not quite as hard to come by as the vintage watch that inspired it, availability of the M-52B AF will be limited. There will be just 56 engraved crown numbered editions at launch. Thereafter, a limited production provision of non-numbered watches will be made available each year.
Year
2024
Dimensions
39.5 mm × 12.5 mm; 48 mm mm lug to lug
Case
39.5 mm × 12.5 mm; 48 mm mm lug to lug, brushed 316L stainless steel, screwed bottom, screwed crown, rotating steel bezel; made in the Swiss Jura
Bezel
60-minute Tactical Pilot's bidirectional friction bezel
Glass
Sapphire with anti-reflective treatment
Dial
Hands and indexes in Super-LumiNova®
Water resistance
300 m/ 30ATM
Movement
Automatic, bespoke Soprod P024; date-only calendar, with semi-instantaneous changes and quick adjustment using the crown; stop seconds; 4Hz 28,800 vibrations per hour; 25 jewels; 38-hour power reserve; lncabloc. Bespoke OW Zurich 1956 rotor, OW-engraved platine, custom screws, assembled for OW and adjusted in three positions
RAF strap
20 mm military-grade black nylon; finished in Switzerland; with a brushed stainless steel thorn buckle, signed ‘OWZ 1956’
M-Heritage bracelet
20 mm medium gauge, stainless steel mesh bracelet, hand-brushed, reinforced ends, with an OW-engraved thorn buckle. (Purchased as an additional item 126 CHF)
Origin
Handmade in the Swiss Jura
Free shipping by FedEx, which includes all import taxes, customs duties, customs clearance fees, VAT and handling fees.
For shipment to countries beyond the European Community, Great Britain, Canada and the United States, where the prepaid tax service cannot always be offered, we offer our customers the benefit of a special rebate, via a 15% discount, corresponding to the average import duty and tax percentages in the countries listed above. This amount will serve as compensation for any such charges by local tax authorities.
Please note that the stainless steel bracelet should always be adjusted by a competent watchmaker.
Swiss made percentage is calculated according to Swiss regulations and may vary, depending on the exact configuration of the watch. This percentage does not include straps or packaging.
"Just about as cool as watches come"
"cool military aesthetic and solidly reliable movement"
“A nod to the longest-serving combat aircraft in history”
OLLECH & WAJS: IN THE AIR - ON THE LAND - UNDER THE SEA
Professionals, sportspeople and military personnel have relied on our rugged precision instruments for over 65 years. Worn by elite pilots, Arctic expeditionists, Nasa astronauts and scientists, record breaking scuba divers and saturation divers, the name Ollech & Wajs has become synonymous with durable reliability the world over.
SWISS MADE
Designed in Zurich, and individually assembled and adjusted by hand in Haute-Sorne in the Swiss Jura
METICULOUS CRAFTSMANSHIP
In keeping with the traditions of Ollech & Wajs, every watch undergoes more than a dozen operations and is inspected at regular stages of assembly – a rigorous, multistep quality-control process to ensure that it is perfectly finished
PREMIUM-QUALITY MOVEMENTS
Our watches are powered by independently tested movements from respected manufacturers – ETA 2824-2, Valjoux 7753 and Soprod Newton P092