Independents

 

Functional.
The sum of 40 years of watchmaking experience, Dr. Ludwig Oechslin’s perpetual calendar watch is designed for everyday use. It correctly displays the date for every month including February. Analog dots represent the year, month and date to address a key usability challenge with calendar watches: making the date legible, without resorting to an oversized display which distracts from reading the time.

 

Uniquely simple.
Oechslin’s perpetual calendar function comprises just 9 additional parts plus 3 modified parts (*):

1. Dial*
2. 12 hour ratchet wheel*
3. Date disk*
4. Baseplate for perpetual calendar mechanism
5. Date ratchet wheel
6. Bridge
7. Month ratchet wheel
8. Another bridge
9. In-between wheel
10. Month disk
11. 4 year ratchet wheel
12. Additional tooth

 

For a presentation please watch OuJ' video:

Each part is designed to solve multiple problems at once. Like in software engineering and architecture, a simpler solution is more difficult to achieve, but technical elegance brings significant benefits. If a solution requires fewer parts, there are fewer interactions between parts, and fewer potential sources of manufacturing error. Oechslin strives to develop the simplest possible solution because he wants a more reliable result  –  and he enjoys the intellectual challenge. His ability to reduce a perpetual calendar down to 9 additional parts is the only way ochs und junior, a company with 4 employees, could bring to market an original perpetual calendar function. Oechslin replaces the R&D and quality assurance departments with greater upfront thinking.

They have a fantastic instructional video:

Reliable.

Fewer parts mean fewer interactions between parts and higher reliability. A lifetime warranty covers all parts designed by Oechslin. The base movement is Ulysses Nardin's UN-118.

Simple to set.
In general, perpetual calendars are a laborious affair to set. Most require a complex system of pushers, and the date cannot be adjusted backwards. Oechslin’s perpetual calendar can be set simply using the crown, and the date is adjustable both forwards and backwards.Individually manufactured in Switzerland.

 

 

 

 

ochs und junior expects to manufacture about 20 perpetual calendar watches this year. The case is manufactured by Peter Cantieni in Hinwil, Switzerland, while the gear system, dial, hands, buckle and crown are manufactured by Helfenstein in Alpnach, Switzerland. Each perpetual calendar is hand-assembled and hand-regulated by Sandra Flück at the ochs und junior workshop in Lucerne.

Technical Data:

• 42mm grade 5 titanium case with screw-down crown 
• Dial, date disk, month disk, leap year wheel, seconds disk, power reserve indicator in gray patina 
• Markers in rhodium 
• Hour and minute hands in brushed platinum PT950 
• Date and leap year dots in orange 
• Waterproof sturgeon leather strap handmade in Switzerland 
• Wrist size of model: 165mm

I already had my hand on the prototype and will post much more in a few days! Until then, please visit ochs und junior's product site !

Cheers,

Magnus 

P.S.: Text and images are a compilation from their Press Release!

  login to reply