2018-04-17 OWC Intro HF

[foxint@foxint.com.au]

Hi… Nice to be back in the new re-imagined Homage Forum. A brief introduction to OWC watches (Orange Watch Company).

As you may have read OWC is framed in Obsession, led by my reverence for the Bauhaus and influence by the Fibonacci sequence.

OWC continues down the road of small production, focusing on higher and higher quality. We honour our micro brand origins, but as we continue to learn: to make a better product we cannot and will not build down to a price.

We have bugger all for advertising and nothing for bull shit. We tell it how it is and basically make a bloody good watch at any price point. All our components are individually made for us and we are not using off-the-shelf parts from generic producers.

We make ISO watches – In the Spirit Of. (Some may say homage, but if you want an accurate replica, you will not find it here). We distil the essence of good design and try to make it better. Sometimes it is hard. The Oyster bracelet is an example – but we have managed to make 3 different bands with many changes that no one could tell – we are the 911 of the watch world, the same but different.

Our most successful model is the MS-9411 or Snowflake. A model I was never going to release, as I thought the MS-5517 was the obvious choice. Our current MS-6538 is good and with the no Crown Guard case and many modifications is selling well.

We are looking at 2 new projects: All leather band; and the BT-XXXX (I have given it a name, that will change). I have obsessed over these 2 items for many years.

The BT was made as a 3-off model called the BT-5517. It has been a difficult watch to get right. Also, I made the decision to move out of the sub-USD1,000 market and hence I have dropped the very excellent and under rated Seagull 2892-A2. The BT will make a significant jump in quality of case and movement (with the VMF5400). The Divers remain, and the BT will be a tool dress watch. My wife has a totally different understanding of the word “tool” …

The other most difficult birth was the leather band. How hard is it to get a sweat shop in Asia or Italy to make a band – bloody hard if you want a good one. They all make them the same way and as one Asian factory told me, “we make very good, crocodile, ostrich, fish and other exotic leathers from cow” …The amount of times I pulled apart a “leather” band only to find plastic, fillers and other crap has been far too much.

The OWC band it made from 4 strips of Leather and that is all – NO PU leather, NO fillers, NO bonded leather – nothing but KANGAROO, some glue and stitches. I showed my Vietnamese sweat shop owner the Hermes Band making videos and told him I wanted better…we will see what we get. But I supply the leather, the stainless-steel buckle and the 3 steel tubes for each band. (The samples have been good).

Just to revisit the new case: the modified Super Compressor construction remains; water resistance will be above average for a dress watch; diameter about 40mm; sapphire crystal will be retained; bracelet will get another modification; the new movement; and the leather band.

As I am totally rubbish at marketing, if you could all spread the word that would be great. We all want to see an OWC on every thinking persons’ wrist. that would be very much appreciated.

[Emilio]

I will try my best to spread the love