# O & W and Accurist ?



## Colin (Feb 24, 2003)

I just came across this watch described as "un chronographe de rÃ©gate ou de plongÃ©e fabriquÃ© par Olech et Wajs dans les annÃ©es 60 et vendu en Grande-Bretagne sous la Marque ACCURIST"










Basically "a sailing or diving chronograph made by Ollech and Wajs in the 60's and sold in Britain under the name Accurist."

Can this be true?

Colin


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

If the movement or case is signed by Ollech & Wajs then I supose it is true.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Bluuuuuurrrdy 'ell...........Accurist...........that's almost as bad as a modern Avia or Rotary.

M5 on wrist............could it be an Accurist.........lump hammer on standby!!!


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## Colin (Feb 24, 2003)

Remember to take it off before you hit it!!

Colin.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

The Accurist company has no relations with O&W and never has as far as I know. Accurist could have bought watches from O&W and put their own dials on. They did not manufacture any movements. Everything was bought in and had their name put on.

All O&W are made in Switzerland by Wajs company which Mr. Wajs still owns and runs. Griff you do not have an Accurist on your wrist.

Just because somebody is claiming that this , probable auction, watch was made by O&W does not mean it was.

Even if the case and movement is signed by them then the dial could have been changed by anyone at any time.


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## ericp (Feb 23, 2003)

Griff,

Probably best if you send me the lump hammer as well...

I dont want you mashing watches. Not even bad ones.

Eric


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## Colin (Feb 24, 2003)

Thanks Roy - I thought it would be highly unlikely.

I couldn't get the pic sharp enough to read the dial and see whether there was any reference to O&W.

It is a strange coincidence that the two dodgy watches I have spotted recently, other than blatant fakes, have been to do with O&W.

Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery or do the people who misappropriate the name think that they won't be spotted if they pick on a lesser known make instead of Rolex or a double-barrelled French name?

They obviously don't know about Griff's hammer!

Colin


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

People will replicate anything nif there is money to be made. I have seen many fake Seiko's over the years. Even 1960's fake Omega's. They will and have copied watches for years so it does not surprise me at all.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

The day hasn't yet come when I'd think an M5 might be an Accurist.

Sorry Eric, the post is too much on a lump hammer!


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## ericp (Feb 23, 2003)

I saw a fake Ferrari once....etc........


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

I'm betting they have appropriated the O&W name because of the resemblance. Another thought is that this might be a Jenny. Was a chronograph Jenny manufactured?


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## Guest (Mar 16, 2003)

I've seen Jenny divers and believe they had an involvement with O&W but I'm not sure on what basis.

Or the whole thing could be a total fake, a lot of watch company machinations in the 60's remain clouded in mystery.

Did O&W ever make any movements or are they all standard ebauches with their name on?

Cheers,

Neil.


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## Colin (Feb 24, 2003)

Hi,

I emailed the seller of the Accurist/O&W with the question "are there any O&W signatures on this watch" and this is his reply :-

Hi Colin,

No, there is no signature O&W on the watch, but I made

some research on this model and found the very same

watch badged "Olech & Wasj" in Rheinhard Meis' book on

chronographs "to stop time". Since Accurist seems to

be an english brand that did not manufacture its own

watch but re-badged watch made by others, my

conclusion is that this watch was made (or assembled)

by Olech & Wasj (which assembled watch for many other

brands).

Regards

AR

That seems reasonable if the last sentence is true but he is making an assumption rather than drawing a conclusion. What do you think?

Colin


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

I think he is making it up, many watches look similar but it is like saying he saw an Invicta in a book that looks like a Rolex so it must have been made by them.


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## Foggy (Feb 25, 2003)

My guess is that it shares a case with the O&W. As far as I know neither they nor Accurist made their own cases, so there is no reason why it couldn't be the same case type supplied to each manufacturer. I remember seeing another vintage O&W watch which was basically the same as a Globa - everything was identical except the dial signage. Generic cases are still relatively common today. One only need look to the CWC dive watches as the perfect example - a case that is used by several different manufacturers.

Regards

Foggy


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