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Brand history & owner guide

Ollech & Wajs

Ollech & Wajs is a Swiss watch company based in Zurich. 1

A bounded brand-history and identification guide, not an authentication, valuation, or reference-specific specification service.

At a glance

Guide subject
Ollech & Wajs 1
Entity type
historical and current watch brand 1
Documented date
1956 1
Primary evidence
Ollech & Wajs 1

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Selected reference records

38 documented configurations from 38 model names. These records are a selection, not the full Ollech & Wajs catalogue.

Browse 38 recorded Ollech & Wajs configurations →

Identity and scope

Ollech & Wajs is a Swiss watch company based in Zurich.

This guide treats that identity as the starting point. It does not transfer line-level history to an individual watch without matching reference evidence. 1

Historical position

The official brand history dates the partnership of Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs to 1956 and the start of watch production to 1957.

The date and context belong to the event described, not automatically to every object bearing the name. 1

What the source establishes

The cited Ollech & Wajs record is the evidence anchor used here for Ollech & Wajs. Its documented scope is narrower than a complete corporate, calibre, or model archive.

Where the source speaks for the brand, its historical statements remain attributed rather than converted into independent verification. 1

Identify the exact watch

Record every visible dial signature, the complete case-back reference and serial markings, movement or module markings, dimensions, materials, and complications. Compare those details with a dated catalogue, manual, archive extract, or service document for the exact reference.

A shared logo or broadly similar case is an identification lead, not proof of age, originality, or authenticity. 1

Keep entities and dates separate

Use 1956 only in the documented context described above. Names may survive ownership changes, disappear and return, or refer to a founder, historic maker, product line, and present operator at different times.

Build an object-level chronology before making continuity claims. 1

Research an Ollech & Wajs watch

Start with clear photographs of the dial, case back, crown, clasp, and movement where safely accessible. Search the exact markings in primary documentation and retain the document date and page or section.

For authentication, servicing, or valuation, use a qualified specialist and preserve provenance, invoices, and prior service records. 1

Independent research update

Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs established their Zurich partnership in 1956 and began making watches shortly afterward.

The modern Ollech & Wajs business continues/relaunches the historic brand after a later ownership transfer.

Charles Le Menestrel took over Ollech & Wajs from Albert Wajs in 2017; Swiss commercial-register and UK IPO records identify him in control/management of Ollech&Wajs Precision AG from that period. 23456

Key dates

  1. 1956

    Documented milestone

    The official brand history dates the partnership of Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs to 1956 and the start of watch production to 1957. 1

  2. 1956

    Partnership established

    Ollech and Wajs established the Zurich business. 23

  3. 1957

    Watch production begins

    Official history dates watchmaking to 1957. 23

Ownership and continuity

The current evidence identifies Ollech & Wajs and establishes the bounded historical context above; an individual watch still needs reference-level documentation. 1

Identification and service

For an individual watch, record the complete reference, serial, dial, case, and movement markings and compare them with dated primary documentation.

A brand history cannot authenticate, appraise, or establish the provenance of a particular watch.

Evidence and limits

How the claims are supported
  1. source stated claim

    Ollech & Wajs is a Swiss watch company based in Zurich.

  2. source stated claim

    The official brand history dates the partnership of Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs to 1956 and the start of watch production to 1957.

  3. verified observation

    The cited Ollech & Wajs page is the source used for this guide's bounded identity and history statements.

  4. verified observation

    Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs established their Zurich partnership in 1956 and began making watches shortly afterward.

  5. reasonable inference

    The modern Ollech & Wajs business continues/relaunches the historic brand after a later ownership transfer.

  6. verified observation

    Charles Le Menestrel took over Ollech & Wajs from Albert Wajs in 2017; Swiss commercial-register and UK IPO records identify him in control/management of Ollech&Wajs Precision AG from that period.

Known limits

  • This guide does not authenticate or value an individual watch.
  • The complete legal chain of every historical Ollech & Wajs corporate entity before the 2017 Precision AG structure was not reconstructed.
  • Reference-level movement and component sourcing still varies by model.

Direct sources

  1. HistoryOllech & Wajs · official history · accessed September 12, 2026

    Locator: Identity and historical context used by this guide. First-party source; its statements remain attributed.

  2. HISTORYOllech & Wajs · official · accessed September 12, 2026

    Locator: Relevant identity/history/control/manufacturing passage. First-party source; its statements remain attributed.

  3. The Rebirth of Ollech & Wajs (OW), with a New Collection of Accessible Tool WatchesMONOCHROME · specialist · accessed September 12, 2026

    Locator: Relevant identity/history/control/manufacturing passage. External source.

  4. Interview: Charles Le Menestrel, Owner of Ollech & Wajs, On Keeping A Historical Name AliveMONOCHROME · specialist · accessed September 12, 2026

    Locator: Interview introduction and 2017 acquisition discussion. External source.

  5. Ollech&Wajs Precision AG in ZürichMoneyhouse · registry · accessed September 12, 2026

    Locator: Swiss commercial-register information and management timeline. External source.

  6. UK IPO consolidated proceedings decision O/1199/25UK Intellectual Property Office · registry · accessed September 12, 2026

    Locator: Paragraphs identifying Charles Le Menestrel and Ollech & Wajs Precision AG. External source.

Corrections

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