Watch trends or not, everyone loves a good retro watch. Regarding style trends, vintage and retro designs are always relics that have a hold over consumers. In the watch industry, there are vintage designs that hold plenty of history behind them, which makes them staples for collectors.
As part of this revival of historic styles, Ollech & Wajs has decided to do a grand release of one of its most iconic pieces to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its Caribbean 1000 watch, which is a record-breaking dive watch. While different iterations of the Caribbean 1000 already exist, its newest revival gives the true spirit of the iconic dive watch.
First introduced in 1964 for the diving community, the Caribbean 1000 was ahead of its time and gave way to ingenuity in watch design. With this 2024 version, Ollech & Wajs creates a more modern version that’s the most similar to its 1964 design.
Introducing the Ollech & Wajs C-1000 A
To celebrate this iconic watch’s 60th anniversary, Ollech & Wajs has released a newer version of the record-breaking watch that faithful fans of the original will enjoy. The original watch once broke the record for being the first dive watch to reach the 1,000-meter point.
In this new iteration, the brand has released the Ollech & Wajs OW C-1000, which contains similar triangular lugs, tapered hour and minute hands, and a 12-hour bidirectional bezel with a 20-minute diver’s scale. The triangular lugs have previously become a hit among collectors who refer to them as “vampire fangs.” The watch measures 39.5 mm and its case is made of brushed stainless steel.
As with the original piece, this watch can reach a depth of 1, 000 meters, making it optimal for modern-day divers. This watch also comes with a domed sapphire crystal, a nod to the 1964 mineral glass crystal. Unlike its predecessor, the OW C-1000 comes with Super-LumiNova at the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock markers. The 6 o’clock marker also contains the date window, previously placed on the 3 o’clock marker. In another nod to divers, the watch comes with a yellow rubber strap, similar to the yellow used in scuba divers’ suits.
What to know about the Ollech & Wajs
While many rereleases and modern updates can leave fans feeling left behind, this Ollech & Wajs is a close retelling of an iconic watch. With very similar features to the original, the OW C-1000 is made for watch collectors looking to match their retro pieces with a modern variation.
For those interested in adding it to their collection, the watch will retail for a little over $2,000 and will begin to sell in late August. The first shipments of the watch are expected to arrive in early October. The first 56 buyers will also get a lovely surprise, as these first pieces are numbered crown editions equipped with OW’s last stock of the ETA 2824-2 automatic movement.
Those looking to purchase these rare pieces will need to email reservation@ow-watch.ch with their name and contact information. Those looking for notification of exactly when the watch will be released can also email service@ow-wactch.ch with their contact information to be notified.
