Ollech & Wajs M-110 AS

Since 1956, Ollech & Wajs has produced a succession of capable tool watches. I last sampled O&W watches in 2022, reviewing the Ocean Graph diver and C-1000 field watch. Like all of the Swiss brand’s models, they were handsome, practical pieces with great character. The Ollech & Wajs M-110 puts yet another satisfying spin on the brand’s utilitarian ethos.

The M-110 is 39.5mm wide, 47.5mm long, and 12.5 mm thick, with 20mm between the lugs. Its crystal is flat, AR-coated sapphire. An arched case, deep undercut, and sloping upper surface make the brushed stainless steel appear even leaner than its dimensions might suggest. Still, its aggressively oversized crown and engraved bidirectional compass bezel provide ample presence, resulting in a watch that makes itself known without occupying too much space, even on my 6.75″ wrist.

Ollech & Wajs describes the M-110 as a tactical tool, and the case back marks it as a Pilot. While I have no reason to refute those labels, I think they undersell the M-110’s versatility. A screw-down crown and modern gaskets ensure 300m water resistance. I tend to associate compass bezels with those trekking across the land (see how to use one to navigate by the position of the sun here), but there is no reason one couldn’t use the same technique on water. A navigator’s triangle at 12 hints at aviation, and the green blocks to three minutes past the quarter hours mark the time reserved for listening for maritime distress signals. Clearly, the M-110 has borrowed a bit from air, land, and sea.

Inside the case, a Soprod Newton P092 hums away at 28.8k. This 25-jewel, 44-hour reserve automatic has been modified to Ollech & Wajs’s specification. They tell us that it is finished to the brand’s “rugged aesthetics,” with an engraved nickel-plated base and a custom rotor in the shape of the logo, but as it lives behind a solid case back, one wonders why they bothered. Of more importance, is the fact that it has been adjusted in five positions for +/- 5 seconds per day, independently tested at the Laboratoire Dubois in Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, and awarded the lab’s Chronofiable® certification.

Personally, I prefer to have my rugged aesthetics on the outside, and this is where it truly shines. The M-110 exudes a cool, modern style with a military bearing. The engraved and finely delineated compass bezel projects the air of precision machinery. Its friction action is smooth and sufficiently firm that you won’t worry about it slipping out of place and navigating you into oblivion like some I’ve owned. (Yeah, I’m looking at you, Seiko Atlas.)

Its compass points match the green Super-LumiNova on the hour hand and triangle, but it is non-luminous because, really, you can’t navigate by the sun at night. The remaining markers on the dial are white, as is the minute hand.  As you would expect, it glows long and strong. I’ll note that the radio silence segments are just color-matched paint. I would not have expected them to light up, but as the website gives conflicting information, I thought I’d make that clear.

The soft gray dial and pale green elements are a refreshing departure from the usual white-on-black motif that dominates the tool watch market. The markers are sufficiently large that diminished contrast does not detract, although it does minimize the lightweight white text a touch. I love the thick bar markers at 9 and 3, the proportionately sized square-tipped hands, and the white date window at 6 that balances the other cardinal elements. The overall appearance is clean, contemporary, and seems almost effortlessly cool.

Ollech & Wajs offer two strap options. Paying a slight premium gets you the M-110 M, which features a brushed, stainless steel mesh bracelet with a milled and engraved expandable clasp. It looks perfectly fine in the photos online, but I did not try it. My review sample was the M-110 AS with an Army Green strap of 60-year-old double-twill hemp canvas, reclaimed from Swiss Army surplus and handmade in Italy. The fabric features leather keepers and lining, and a signed buckle.

When a watch has an optional bracelet, I usually advise my readers to buy it. In this case, I’m going to waffle a bit. True, I did not review the mesh, but this canvas is really something special. It perfectly suits the watch’s character and color scheme, it is shockingly soft and comfortable, and you will not likely find anything quite like it in the aftermarket. You can expect the material to fray with wear, as this well-loved press sample has. It is simply part of its rugged charm.

The Ollech & Wajs M-110 AS sells for $1,599.48; the M-110 M (with bracelet) is $1,753.27. Whichever you prefer, you will be getting a top-quality watch that will gladly accompany you on just about any adventure you can cook up while looking quite handsome in the process.

For more information or to place an order, visit ow-watch.ch.