# New To O & W



## ESL

Hi to all,

Hope you don't mind a one time 'lurker' joining in the fun.

I have recently become interested in O & W after finding some information purely by chance whilst 'swanning' around the internet (as you do), looking for watches and watch information.

I am quite taken with the sport diver range and certainly can't afford Seadweller or Seamaster prices; and I am particularly keen on the M2 Kartago and M5 date version, but just can't choose between them.

It would be great to hear from owners about their watches and what you think. I would like a biggish watch with a bit of presence on the wrist, a sturdy secure and reliable wrist band, readability in the dark is quite important too.

Thanks in advance.


----------



## Griff

M5.............by a long way!

I bought one, and it is a great watch.

The M5 has the most useful bezel, giving a direct 2nd time zone.

Also, the lume is excellent, as are the hands, dial, magnified date etc etc etc.

You will NOT be disappointed with this watch!!


----------



## MIKE

Hi ESL,

Welcome to the forum, hope you like it here! I asume you will have read the earlier thread about O&W's quality and that most of us said you could not beat them for the price, my self included. As Griff said you will NOT be disapointed.

Don't forget if you get it off "our Roy"







it will be checked for time keeping etc. so you can't go wrong.

MIKE..


----------



## Nalu

Bought an M1 from Roy. A very handsome, well built watch. Great dial contrast, strong illum, eminently legible with a magnified date







. On the downside, the bezel is difficult to turn and the 12 o'clock bezel click is off slightly on mine







. The illum dot will line up directly at 12 if you don't 'click' it, however.

Personal preferences: I like it better on a Rhino than the bracelet it came on. I also like bigger watches: 40mm looks small after wearing a Breitling Avenger and a Citizen 1000m. Then again, what doesn't? (A: A-P T3 and that Russian military dive clonker Ray's got for sale!).

Bottom line: Put it on a nylon strap and beat it up!


----------



## Griff

The M5 on a bracelet is A LOT of watch for the money, and the 2824-2 in mine gains just 3 s per day

I think this bezel is the most useful in the M series


----------



## abraxas

What is the difference between the various O&W Divers 1-6? :huh:The descriptions make them sound identical.

http://rltwatches.com/ow.htm

john


----------



## Griff

Dial and bezel variations


----------



## JoT

Griff said:


> The M5 on a bracelet is A LOT of watch for the money, and the 2824-2 in mine gains just 3 s per day
> 
> I think this bezel is the most useful in the M series


 That M5 does look good; two new tyres this month I am afraid


----------



## Fred

Hello ESL,[whats ESL mean, ESL] i have the Kartago, i find it a good looking well made watch, easy to read the time, and mine keeps time well,[if you look under STRAPS,there is a photo of mine on an altered Rhino strap]. I agree with Nalu re the bezel being slightly off centre,only a tag mind but its still off, and agree with Griff that the M5 is a great looking watch with the Two time zone set up, its down to your choice realy, cheers fred.


----------



## DLG

M4 for me. Tomorrow marks its first week. I check the time much more often.









I'm no watch expert, but imo O&W is a great product.

Dave....


----------



## rockpile6

I'm wearing an M6 that I purchased from Roy. The bezel is a little stiff but otherwise its a great watch and my favorite behind my RLT4. I don't see how you could go wrong as long as you select the face and bezel combination you like best.


----------



## JayGee

Griff said:


> Dial and bezel variations


 ...and the bezels are interchangeable so if you ask him very nicely Roy will mix'n'match them for you, which is how I came to have an M4 with a second time zone on the bezel


----------



## ESL

Wow, what a lot of great replies.

Plenty of food for thought as well. My thinking at the moment is that I like a dial that is instantly readable and clear, both in the dark and during the day. So batons or dots as hour markers, not numerals. I very much like the Omega Seamaster Professional in black-dial (non Bond) style, which makes me lean toward baton markers, but I am not overly fussed

I like the idea of the GMT dial as I would use it for timing when hill walking; it would be easier than the dive-timer style, but there is not a baton version of that.

I also like NATO style straps, as it allows me to wear the watch threaded through my rucksack straps when hillwalking. (There is nothing worse than fighting through layers of clothing to find out how many minutes have elapsed since the last waypoint, in the dark, when it is hissing down with rain, windy and cold.)

I could imagine that the M6 on a Rhino strap would do the trick.

Incidentally, FRED, ESL stands for Explorer Scout Leader, I could not think of anything more original as a moniker at the time I was registering! But it does explain my penchant for a watch that does not mind getting beat up a bit and being left out in the rain.

Regards to all.


----------



## ESL

Just been doing a little lunchtime navel gazing (as you do) and pardon me for being so slow on the uptake, but the M6 on the "James Bond" NATO strap, looks one heck of a lot like the Sea-dweller on old Bondy's wristy in the earlier films. Methinks not too much of a coincidence there 

Anyway, here's a poser: How practical would it be to order an M6 with a steel wrist band and swap it for a Rhino for when I go hopping about in the mountains?

Does anyone else swap bands like this? Is it practical?









I have no idea how difficult it might be to remove/replace the steel wrist band.

Regards

G.


----------



## AlexR

Hi,

I am an official band changing addict,cannot seem to stay with a strap more more than a week









You need to buy yourself a decent quality spring bar tool,to save nasty slips with a knife blade.The lugs on the O&W are not drilled through,so a little more difficult than a R***x but easy enough.Taking a Rhino off is a few second job,putting on and removing the bracelet will take a little longer.

I would not recommend doing this outside on the side of a hill,if you loose a spring bar then your in trouble,or in a room with a deep pile carpet


----------



## JoT

ESL said:


> Anyway, here's a poser: How practical would it be to order an M6 with a steel wrist band and swap it for a Rhino for when I go hopping about in the mountains?
> 
> Does anyone else swap bands like this? Is it practical?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have no idea how difficult it might be to remove/replace the steel wrist band.
> 
> Regards
> 
> G.


 ESL - I swap bands all the time .... buy one of Roys spring bar tools and a few spare spring bars and you are away!! Its really easy.


----------



## JoT

DLG said:


> M4 for me. Tomorrow marks its first week. I check the time much more often.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm no watch expert, but imo O&W is a great product.
> 
> Dave....


 Dave ... First it is checking the time more often ... then it is seeing how much a watch gains or loses in 24 hours ... then its "I must set the watch at the exact time" ... by then it is too late ... hooked ... there is no cure except buy another watch


----------



## ESL

Awww you guys... is there anything you won't help me with? OK OK, don't go there... that German cannibal on the news has freaked me out once today already!









Me thinks it's an M5 and a Rhino. All I need now is to convince the wife!









My wife has just looked over my shoulder to see what I am buying now. (Why does she always think that I am buying stuff whenever I am on the 'net? Sheesh...) I think that she thinks that the M5 might be another sort of M5 and is quite keen on the idea, but can't figure out where the Rhino fits into the boot!









Come on guys, help me out one more time, I know you are all biased but two last questions please:

1. I am not going to be disappointed now am I? I am a big boy, I know it's not a Rolex or an Omega - it's a nice O & W.

2. How exactly do you pronounce Wajs ?









Regards G.


----------



## Cornelius

Wajs is pronounced "Vajs"









Enjoying my new MP 2801. Nice to do some manual winding fro once.

Â´nice weekend

//Henrik


----------



## DavidH

On the subject of always changing the straps, notice anything?

And Welcome ESL / G.


----------



## pg tips

AlexR said:


> I would not recommend doing this outside on the side of a hill,if you loose a spring bar then your in trouble,or in a room with a deep pile carpet


 Or sitting in your works van at lunch time with the window down! Yes I did it! Bar went straight out of the window and into a puddle!

Roy you need an embarased smiley!

Welcome ESL, I don't own a O&W myself but the guys on here love 'em, and I think we all mess around with straps. Ask Stan about Mesh bracelets!









Is that M1 Still on watchbay? Could be a bargain.


----------



## AlexR

O&W are a good choice and very good value for money.If you want that certain look and a good quality watch go for it.

I always thought it was pronouced Olleck and Vice.


----------



## Cornelius

Yes, vice. But Ollech is pronounced with a German "ch". Have to put that in writing I do not know.


----------



## Fred

Try this, fred.

http://chronometrie.com/watchsounds/watchs...hsoundspage.htm


----------



## Sargon

I own an M2 and love it. I may have gone with one of the sub looking ones but the military time in red bothered me. This watch is exactly the right size in my opinion. Not too big and not too small.


----------



## ESL

Well, just thought I ought to check back and update all those who answered.

After a quick chat with Roy







I am shortly to be the proud owner of a O&W M4.









For good measure I decided to get a Bond NATO as well as a spring bar tool. (could not resist the idea of swapping straps about.)

I don't know why I did not think of it before







Up to now, I only changed straps when an old one was knackered







.

I have just swapped the olive nylon strap on my Citizen Eco-drive (with a black military style face) for a black leather jobbie, and it already looks 100% better! I like Eco-drives and this one is nice, but I was not wearing it as often as I would have liked to, cos it was a bit too, well, boring









Thanks all you guys for the assistance. I hope to hang around a bit more and see where else we all end up. I am sure Roy will be getting some more of my wedge over time too. (Thanks mate.)


















cheers


----------



## pg tips

ESL said:


> I am shortly to be the proud owner of a O&W M4.


 Congratulations ESL and enjoy.

Would be nice to see a picture of your eco on leather, have you a camera?

If so pic of the M4 on Bond when you get it would be nice as well.


----------



## ESL

pg tips said:


> Would be nice to see a picture of your eco on leather, have you a camera?
> 
> If so pic of the M4 on Bond when you get it would be nice as well.


I have a pic of the Eco on the General forum (What are you wearing today) 

Can't wait for the M4, and guaranteed to get its piccy taken on a 'Bond'.

G.


----------



## ESL

Well, it arrived,









I put it on,









I put the Bond on it,









I photographed it,


















I am well chuffed.









Many thanks for everyone who provided their views and opinions and to Roy, for being a sport.


----------



## Roy

Glad you like it,


----------



## pg tips

Looks great on bond.


----------



## Griff

Looks excellent, and a very good sharp pic.


----------



## DavidH

Splendid picture.

How about some more of the same watch. There is plenty of naff ones on the www that don't give that kind of detail.

In particular, I'd like to see the crown side.

Thanks


----------



## ESL

I will get some more pics up in a day or so. I might even be tempted to do a review for the review section, whilst I am at it. I am a long time Omega fan and up until recently had a Seamaster Professional Quartz (black faced, Bond version) and an automatic (blue faced) Bond version, but had to let them go









I think it might be interesting to record my thoughts on the three watches for comparison.

Look out for more, mid week...


----------



## Roy

ESL said:


> I will get some more pics up in a day or so. I might even be tempted to do a review for the review section,


 That would be great,


----------



## MarkF

JoT said:


> ESL - I swap bands all the time .... buy one of Roys spring bar tools and a few spare spring bars and you are away!! Its really easy.


 Boy I am such a cheapskate, I know these are a good idea but I can't bear to part with my money when I have tool box full of Stanley knives









My left index finger always has little cuts next to my nail and a lot of my watches have lugs likewise, it's pathetic


----------



## ESL

Review now done, with a bunch of piccies as hyperkinks.


----------



## DavidH

Excellent contribution.

Well done


----------



## dawnkeeper

Cornelius said:


> Wajs is pronounced "Vajs"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Enjoying my new MP 2801. Nice to do some manual winding fro once.
> 
> Â´nice weekend
> 
> //Henrik
> 
> 
> 
> ←
> ​


Hi... so how do you pronounce Ollech and Wajs..?

_Ollek and Vice?_


----------



## jasonm

I think so


----------

