While other brands pursue complexity and compete in the number of components, Ochs & Junior takes the opposite path. In a literal quest for simplicity, the independent watch brand is known for doing extraordinarily creative things with as few components as possible. These include an annual calendar with just three moving parts and an extremely accurate moon phase indicator with only five components. Slightly breaking tradition, as the latest series of watches will not offer customization, Ochs & Junior continues its pursuit of simplification with the new Ochs & Junior Calendario Cent’Anni CCA perpetual calendar.
Collectors and enthusiasts familiar with the brand know its history and philosophy, yet it remains an intriguing story. Ochs & Junior is the brainchild of Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, a legendary figure in the watch world. The Ulysse Nardin Freak is considered his greatest achievement, being the first production watch to use silicon components. After a long tenure at Ulysse Nardin, Dr. Oechslin, along with partners Beat Weinmann and Kurt Koenig, founded his own watch project called Ochs & Junior in 2006. Today, the company is under the full control of the Oechslin family.
Over 15 years, the company has embraced the "less is more" approach in watch design and production. Ochs & Junior has created a world of "uncomplicated complications," resulting in several remarkable innovative watches. As previous Ochs & Junior watches have shown, the concept lies in radically simplifying complications. Not only in indication but more importantly by reducing the number of necessary or adjustable components. This is evidenced by an annual calendar requiring just three moving parts or an extremely accurate moon phase with only five components. To top it off, there is even a perpetual calendar in the collection with only nine new and three modified parts.
Today we examine the latest model in the Ochs & Junior universe - the Calendario Cent’Anni, or CCA. In line with the rest of the collection in terms of design and execution, these watches will not be available for customization.
The only available option is black PVD coating on a pure 40mm Grade 5 titanium case. Regarding the case, it features a simple two-part construction with zero finishing. This is not entirely true, as Ochs & Junior retains mechanical and milling marks as an industrial finish. The case has very short lugs, partially recessing the strap under the top half of the case. The Grade 5 titanium screw-down crown ensures water resistance to 100m. Naturally, sapphire crystal covers the dial and hands.
The Ochs & Junior CCA watches come in three different dial and hand combinations. Two variants have a black dial, and one has a white dial, with contrasting indicators. On the black dial, the hours are marked by either Arabic numerals or white markers. Other indicators include white markers for month and leap year indication and Pantone yellow markers for date and seconds. The white CCA dial has sharply contrasting black hands and indicators for the month and leap year, alternating with Pantone orange markers for date and seconds.
Hours and minutes are traditionally displayed by central hands. Small seconds are indicated via a rotating disc flush with the dial at the "6 o’clock" position. The perpetual calendar indication hints at a brilliant system consisting of just nine parts hidden beneath the dial. The date is displayed via a moving colored dot beneath a spiral of square apertures. The calendar module compensates for the length of each month, including February’s 28 days (or 29 in a leap year). On the same axis as the hour and minute hands is the month disc. A small dot aligns with 12 markers on the outer disc to show the current month. The last indicator is the leap year indicator - a small disc on the inner side of the month disc. If the mark on the disc aligns with the dot and month mark, it is a leap year.
The beauty of the mechanism driving the calendar display is mounted on the back of the dial, eliminating the need for several components of a traditional calendar module or mechanism. Essentially, it doubles as a plate and thus serves as one of the nine components. The complete module consists of:
- Brass dial with functional back
- Date disc
- Annual star wheel
- Main plate
- Gear
- Month wheel
- Pinion "finger"
- Month-end transmission wheel
- Month-end wheel
The entire module, driven by a base caliber, will maintain timekeeping accuracy for 100 years, as suggested by the name Calendario Cent’Anni (as with all regular perpetual calendar watches). The base caliber is made by Ulysse Nardin, reflecting Dr. Oechslin’s watchmaking roots. The caliber UN 320 is an automatic movement displaying hours and minutes, small seconds, and the date. It operates at a frequency of 28,800 vph or 4 Hz and has a 48-hour power reserve. Normally, the movement can be seen through a sapphire case back, but in Ochs & Junior, it is hidden under the bottom part of the two-part case. Another element of the simple design philosophy in Ochs & Junior watches.
The Ochs & Junior Calendario Cent’Anni “CCA” is delivered on a synthetic textile strap with a Grade 5 titanium buckle. The buckle design is again simple, as it tucks the strap end under the other end and thus has no keepers or loops to secure the free end.
Despite the history of Ochs & Junior suggesting extensive customization options, the Calendario Cent’Anni model comes in three fixed color combinations. The only option is the black PVD coating for the titanium case.
Each variant is sold at a price of 16,500 Swiss Francs and comes with a full 2-year warranty on the entire watch and a lifetime warranty on the calendar module developed by Dr. Ludwig Oechslin.
While certainly not cheap, one must consider the level of engineering involved. To eliminate components may seem simple enough, but ensuring the flawless and precise operation of a watch for 100 years is no easy task. Therefore, to be fair, the price for such a QP watch by Ochs & Junior seems quite reasonable.
Additional information and orders available at www.ochsundjunior.swiss.
SPECIFICATIONS – OCHS & JUNIOR CALENDARIO CENT’ANNI
Case: diameter 40mm x height 11mm - two-part Grade 5 titanium case with optional black PVD coating - visible milling and machining marks - sapphire crystal - screw-down crown in Grade 5 titanium - water resistance 100m
Dial: black or white PVD dial - white or black hands - white or black time markers - white or black calendar month and leap year indicators with orange or yellow date and seconds indicators - Super-LumiNova on hands and markers - no visible Ochs & Junior branding
Movement: In-house calendar module developed by Dr. Ludwig Oechslin - the module consists of nine parts, including a functional back of the dial - base caliber UN 320 - automatic winding - 28,800 vph (4 Hz) - 48-hour power reserve - hours, minutes, small seconds, date, month, leap year indication
Strap: synthetic textile strap - Grade 5 titanium buckle, no loops required
Reference: Calendario Cent’Anni I - white PVD dial with black markers and hands, black month and leap year markers, orange date and seconds indicatorsCalendario Cent’Anni II - black PVD dial with white markers and hands, white month and leap year markers, yellow date and seconds indicators
Calendario Cent’Anni III - black PVD dial with white Arabic numerals and hands, white month and leap year markers, yellow date and seconds indicators
Price: 16,500 Swiss Francs including taxes (15,230 Swiss Francs excluding taxes).
