The Chicago-based company Oak & Oscar has been around since 2015. Over the past nine years, the brand has built a catalog of attractive, robust watches that pay homage to the Windy City.
Moreover, the watches display a design consistency usually associated with major historical brands. Today's Oak & Oscar Atwood chronograph continues this trend and stands out with enhanced functionality.
It's hard to believe we're approaching the 10-year mark since Chase Fancher founded Oak & Oscar. I still remember meeting him in London at the SalonQP exhibition when he brought his first watch, the Burnham. Since then, we have reviewed almost every model from the brand, and I purchased one myself, the Olmsted 38. So every time a new release appears, we're eager to share it. Today's Atwood is particularly interesting because it is presented in one of my favorite genres - a chronograph.
A Bit of History: Jackson Chronograph
The first Oak & Oscar chronograph, Jackson, debuted in 2017. It was a 40mm limited edition in stainless steel with manual winding and an Eterna flyback movement inside. Jackson was quite a bold offering for the then-young brand. Priced at $2,650, it was the most expensive model Oak & Oscar had ever created. Since then, apart from another limited series of Jackson “Big Eye” models in 2021, the chronograph's place in the Oak & Oscar lineup remained vacant. Now, with the new Atwood model, this gap is filled.
Atwood Chronograph
The new Oak & Oscar Atwood chronograph, measuring 39mm × 46mm in stainless steel, is named after Chicago architect Charles Atwood. He designed the Museum of Science and Industry for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. This building is one of two original structures remaining from the fair (and it's a remarkable museum!). The Atwood chronograph is available with three matte multilayered dials: a white panda, gray with white sub-dials, and dark blue with white sub-dials. The watch can be ordered with a three-link stainless steel bracelet with a quick-adjust clasp or a brown Horween leather strap. The bracelet is 20mm at the ends and tapers to 16mm at the clasp. The package also includes a nylon strap, a strap change tool, and a waxed canvas wallet.
Intriguing Movement Choice for Atwood
The previous Oak & Oscar Jackson chronograph used an unusual Eterna manual wind caliber. The new Atwood model also features an unconventional choice - the Sellita AMT5100M, a manual wind chronograph with a column wheel. Sellita's AMT Manufacture division is dedicated to the company's innovations and developments. Honestly, this is the first I've heard of it, but I welcome the non-standard movement choice. In addition to the 58-hour power reserve, it features a flyback function. The caliber is visible through a screw-down case back, and although it's not a vintage-style movement with multiple bridges, it has stripes and the Oak & Oscar signature.
Classic Layout with Three Registers
The new Atwood model features a multilayered dial, immediately recognizable as an Oak & Oscar creation. While the Jackson model had two sub-dials and a date window, the new model's dial consists of three registers. The far right register is a 30-minute counter, the left shows running seconds, and the bottom is a 12-hour counter. Another change is that the dials are equipped with multilayered Super-LumiNova indices instead of applied metal ones. Note the use of radial numerals on all recessed sub-dials. The central hands are also styled like other Oak & Oscar watches. This means lume-filled hour and minute hands and a central chronograph hand with the brand's signature barrel-shaped counterweight. A white tachymeter forms the outer ring around the dial.
Clean and Slim Case Design
The new Atwood features a matte case with a large tactile crown and pump pushers. Although the case diameter is just one millimeter smaller than its predecessor, its thickness has significantly changed. The Jackson was a rather hefty watch with a case thickness of 14.5mm. Fans of slimmer watches will appreciate the Atwood, which is only 12.9mm thick, including the domed sapphire crystal. Water resistance is 5 ATM.
A Wonderful Addition to the Model Lineup
I remember the challenges Chase faced while developing the Jackson model. It was the brand's most expensive watch, and, let's say, Eterna wasn't always the easiest partner. So I'm glad Oak & Oscar attempted another chronograph. I still like the Jackson model, but the Atwood is a more evolutionary design. I also like that one of the brand's fantastic bracelets is offered as an option. The case size should also appeal to a wide range of buyers.
In addition, there is the question of price. Oak & Oscar watches have never been cheap for a small, independent watch company (some say "microbrand"). To this, I might argue that the finishing and quality control can compete with watches twice the price. However, in a time when watch prices are simply skyrocketing, the Atwood will sell for $2,450 on a leather strap and $2,650 on a steel bracelet. I think this is more than reasonable for a well-thought-out chronograph with an atypical manual wind movement. Hats off to the brand for this model. It's a refreshing release.
The Atwood chronograph will start shipping this fall. For more information, visit the official Oak & Oscar website.
Watch Specifications
- Dial: White, charcoal gray or dark blue with a multilayered construction and Super-LumiNova indices
- Case Material: 316L Stainless Steel
- Case Dimensions: 39mm (diameter) × 46mm (lug-to-lug) × 12.9mm (thickness with crystal)
- Crystal: Domed sapphire with anti-reflective coating
- Case Back: Stainless steel display, screw-down
- Movement: Sellita AMT5100M: manual wind chronograph with flyback function, frequency of 28,800 vph, 58-hour power reserve, 23 jewels, column wheel
- Water Resistance: 5 ATM (50 meters)
- Strap: Three-link stainless steel bracelet (20/16mm) with quick-adjust clasp or Horween leather strap with pin buckle; additional nylon strap included
- Functions: Time (hours, minutes, small seconds), reverse chronograph (12-hour and 30-minute registers, central second), tachymeter
- Price: US$2,450 (leather strap) / US$2,650 (bracelet)
- Special Note: Comes with a canvas and leather watch case with a strap change tool