Ochs Und Junior. A Very Early Possible Prototype Titanium Dual Time Zone Wristwatch
Model: Due Ore Idea
Circa: 2009
Cal. ETA2824-2 automatic jeweled movement, heat-patinated white gold dial, outer baton hour markers and orange dot marker at 12 o’clock, 12 inner apertures for a rotating disc with Arabic numerals for second time zone indication, two orange hands for home time indication, orange hand for center seconds, circular titanium case, downturned lugs, case back secured with four screws
39mm.
Accompanied by an Ochs Und Junior manual.
More about Ochs und Junior:
Ochs Und Junior was founded in 2006 by Ludwig Oechslin, the man behind some of the most unique manufactured watches, including the Ulysse Nardin Freak model. Oechslin created the brand to be able to produce watches of his own design and interests, which in contrast to the unusual watches he had previously designed, were remarkably simplified. In July of 2009, Oechlin developed a prototype of a dual time zone wristwatch, with a silver case and a nickel silver dial. A second prototype was then produced and cased in silver but with two heat-patinated white gold discs for the dial. Based on the early prototype, only ten of these early Due Ore Idea watches were produced, making them a rarity even for an independent watchmaker. Five were cased in silver, and five were produced in titanium, all with heat-patinated gold dials which feature indices that were milled into the patina. The oxidation process would leave little dots and imperfections, something that Oechslin preferred because it meant no two dials would be exactly alike.
The Duo Ore is a unique take on the dual time zone complication, featuring inner apertures with a rotating disc to show a second time zone. The disc is adjusted by the wearer calculating the number of hours the second time zone is ahead or behind home time, and turning the disc to reflect that number of hours at the 12 o’clock window. For example, if home time is 8:15 , and the second time zone is 3 hours behind, the wearer would turn the disc so the number “9” is at the 12 o’clock window (12 minus 3). This puts the number “5” at the 8 o’clock position, showing that the home time is 8:15 and second time zone is 5:15.
Despite being one of the lesser-known “Independent” watch brands, Ochs Und Junior is gaining recognition in the horological world for presenting well-designed, complicated watches, with the option of customization. Early watches from the brand present rare a look inside the mind of Ludwig Oechslin, and how a watch changes from prototype to production.