Ochs und Junior is a Swiss manufacture founded by Ludwig Oechslin, focused on creating complex calendar complications using minimal mechanical parts.
Overview
Founded: 2006
Based in: Solothurn, Switzerland
Typical Price Range: £4000–£12000 GBP
Known For: Annual Calendar, Settimana
Website: ochsundjunior.swiss
Brand Story
Ochs und Junior was founded in 2006 by legendary watchmaker and mathematician Dr. Ludwig Oechslin (creator of Ulysse Nardin’s Freak). Oechslin’s design philosophy is ‘simplification’—replacing the dozens of springs and levers of traditional calendars with a handful of custom gears. Operating as a small workshop in Solothurn, they build highly customized, minimal calendar watches.
Design Language
The brand’s dials feature circular apertures and geometric layouts that display the date, month, and day through a series of rotating discs. Cases are industrial, showing raw machining marks, and dials are available in raw brass, titanium, or bright colors.
Movements & Manufacturing
Ochs und Junior builds custom mechanical gear modules that fit over robust Swiss automatic movements (primarily the ETA 2824-2). For example, their annual calendar adds only nine parts to the base caliber.
Notable Models
The Annual Calendar displays the day, date, and month using only nine additional parts, and the Settimana offers a time-and-weekday display with raw, technical styling.
Why Enthusiasts Care
Ludwig Oechslin’s calendar designs are masterpieces of mechanical simplification. By reducing moving parts, they minimize wear and ease serviceability. Their raw, industrial cases appeal to collectors who appreciate technical purity.
Official Website
Ochs und Junior Official Website
Featured Models
Annual Calendar
A radically simplified annual calendar watch displaying day, date, and month using only nine additional mechanical components.
