OCHS UND JUNIOR WATCHES
ochs und junior is a Swiss watch brand co-founded by Ludwig Oechslin, Beat Weinmann and Kurt König in 2006 in Lucerne.
Born on 10th February 1952 in Gabice Mare, Italy, Dr. Ludwig Oechslin is a scientist, philosopher, artist and watchmaker. He was involved on dismantling, restoring and reassembling the famous Farnese astronomical clock in the Vatican. Also, he designed some of the most exciting and innovative wristwatches such as the Freak, Moonstruck, Trilogy of Time, Perpetual GMT, and Sonata for Ulysse Nardin.
ochs und junior represents a platform for Dr. Oechslin’s innovative, laterally thought horological time sculptures. Every ochs und junior timepiece incorporates instances of inventive, fresh thinking. Generally speaking, there is a tendency to complexity in the world of watchmaking – which is fine in the few instances where it is warranted. Dr.Oechslin has adopted a philosophy that is at variance with mainstream thinking: his approach is one of simplification, of paring down a complex scenario to arrive its technical essence.
Take, for example, the design for a straightforward, traditional mechanical annual calendar – one that automatically recognises the different lengths of the months and needs the owner’s intervention only at the end of the month of February as it passes into March: such a mechanism usually requires in the region of 40 individual components. The ochs und junior annual calendar manages this with just three.
Dr. Oechslin’s three components indicate the date, month and weekday by means of three orange-coloured dots travelling around three circles of apertures perforated in the dial – an entirely novel approach to calendar indication. It quickly becomes second nature to interpret the positions of the dots.
Dr. Oechslin’s definitive ochs und junior timepieces are much like his prototypes in appearance: he likes the cases to retain visible signs of the workmanship that has gone into making them. The cases of precious metals are milled by Peter Cantieni, the engineer behind the intricate titanium parts used in BMW-Sauber Formula 1 cars.
Most ochs und junior watches are presented on ecologically tanned leather straps and come in handmade leather wallets.
Today, ochs und junior is owned by the Oechslin family and based at Rue Numa-Droz 143 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
In addition to customized watches, ochs und junior has two core ranges: ochs line and settimana line. The brand’s flagship watch models are day/night, moon phase, date, annual calendar, perpetual calendar, two time zones and two time zones with date. ochs und junior watches retail price range is CHF 1,000 to CHF 20,000.
