Independent La Chaux-de-Fonds-based watchmaker Ochs und Junior, has pivoted to a more accessible price strategy — or at least for their latest timepiece.
Typically offering timepieces costing eight to fifty thousand dollars, Ochs und Junior — despite the trend for Swiss watchmakers to hit higher price points to offset lower volume — appears to be listening to what consumers actually want: quality mechanical timepieces, that don’t break the bank.
The Settimana Raw is available in either 36 mm or 40 mm case diameters (both 10.8 mm thick). Made in raw grade 5 titanium the total weight for each is 55 grams and 57 grams, respectively which is quite lightweight. Ochs und Junior describe the case finishes as having “visible machining and milling traces, which both look cool and presumably lower the cost to produce because no brushing or polishing is required.
Like the case, the screw-down crown is made of unfinished grade 5 titanium. The depth rating is 50 meters. Lug width is 22 mm. A sapphire crystal produced by Stettler in Lyss/Switzerland protects the dial.
As with all previous watches, the case has a Teutonic shape and the dial is as minimalist as possible. In this case, the brass dial has a deconstructed silver finish that looks as though the surface has been intentionally scratched in every direction.
Black stick-shaped hands mounted in the center stack indicate hours, minutes, and seconds — without any hour, minute, or second markers — so reading the time will not be as intuitive as with traditional watch, or even their past models for that matter.
Based on a highly affordable outsourced Swiss-made Sellita SW 200-1 movement, the company’s head watchmaker, Dr. Ludwig Oechslin has developed a 7-weekday module, which is the highlight of the watch. The added components used are 1. Brass dial with functional back, 2. Gear with weekday display (point), 3. Triple function wheel, and 4. Transmission wheel.
Uniquely, the Settimana Raw highlights the 7 days of the week by way of a rotating dot located between 1 o’clock (Monday) to 7 o’clock (Sunday). At the beginning of the week, the dot moves quickly to cover the 8 to 12 o’clock segment, restarting the new week each Monday morning.
The retail price is approximately $2,425.
Photos by Uchs und Junior.
