Not content with the success of the MIH watch, which I presented earlier, Beat Weinmann orchestrated the coming together of a quintet for a new project.
MIH director Ludwig Oechslin would design complication modules with the strict minimum of moving parts, while master-watchmaker Paul Gerber would adapt ETA movements or design and build new calibres, both to be mounted by the latter with the complication modules.
Cases, dial, hands and buckles are manufactured by Peter Cantinei in his mechanics workshop and Dutch illustrator Sjoerd van Rooijen was brought in to cover all the visual part of the project, including launch of the Web site.
Ochs und Junior
The result is a line of modern-looking watches that strikes by the contrast between their simplicity and complexity. All models feature an astronomical complication (day, date or/and moonphase) and are almost entirely hand-made in Switzerland.
Prices range from CHF 2,905 for the settimana junior to CHF 44,650 for the anno cinquanta in red gold.
Here is the current lineup of Ochs & Junior:
- anno cinquanta: full calendar displayed in an intuitive manner. Automatic calibre from Paul Gerber. Available in white gold, red gold or silver.
- la due ore: displays a second timezone
- mese: displays days of the month
- luna mese: displays days and moonphase
- settimana junior: indicates weekdays by means of a dot aligned with the hour numerals
