Ochs und junior: Doing more with less

The world of luxury watches is known for its opulence and complexity, with many brands showcasing their timepieces’ intricate complications and adornments. However, Ochs und Junior, a Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 2006, takes a different approach. The company focuses on simplicity and functionality, using only essential components to create high-quality timepieces. This philosophy, thanks to its founder, Ludwig Oechslin, who is famous for his revolutionary work in the watchmaking industry.

The history of the brand dates back to 2006 when Ludwig Oechslin, Beat Weinmann, and Kurt König founded the company. König, who owned Embassy Lucerne, one of Europe’s top watch retailers, brought valuable retail experience to the team. Today, the company is owned by the Oechslin family and based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the heart of Swiss watchmaking. The workshop is located in a beautiful early 20th-century villa that was once the annex of a former factory where owners and managers used to live.

Ochs und Junior stands out in the watchmaking industry by offering timepieces that follow a “form follows function” philosophy. This approach is a sharp contrast to the rest of the industry, which tends to prioritize complicated designs over simplicity. Ludwig Oechslin believes that simpler mechanics are more reliable and easier to manufacture and service. Therefore, he radically reduces the number of mechanical parts needed to create his watches. The result is watches that represent the culmination of his career, which includes the restoration of the Vatican’s Farnese Clock, the construction of the famous Türler Clock, Directorship of the Musée International d’Horlogerie, and collaborations with some of Switzerland’s greatest watch brands.

Their dedication to simplicity and minimalism is evident in its manufacturing process. The company offers development, production, communication, distribution, and service from a single source, ensuring that all aspects of the watchmaking process are held to the same high standard. The company’s focus on quality has led it to finance its operations and innovations solely through the sales of its watches, following an alternative path to the quantitative growth many other brands pursue.

The brand’s watch collections reflect its philosophy of simplicity and functionality. offered in three collections: astronomy, calendar, and time. The astronomical collection aligns everyday life with the natural cycles of the sun and moon, featuring day/night and moon phase displays. The calendar collection focuses on the visual hierarchy of date and time, with text and numbers giving way to a date ring with perforations that brings time and date into alignment. The time collection offers seamless transition between two time zones and expands the hour hand with a second time zone, making it ideal for frequent travelers.

While the label “Made in Switzerland” is often used as a trust signal in the watch industry, ochs und junior focuses on transparency and building relationships with trusted suppliers, regardless of their location. Therefore, the watches may feature components from various regions, but the brand prioritizes quality and personal connections over strict adherence to geographical labeling.

Ochs und Junior is a Swiss watch brand that values simplicity and functionality over complexity and extravagance. Its founder, Ludwig Oechslin, has revolutionized the watchmaking industry by reducing the number of mechanical parts in his watches, leading to reliable, easy-to-service timepieces. The company’s focus on quality over quantity has earned it a loyal following and set it apart from its competitors. The brand’s dedication to transparency and quality makes it a must-see for anyone seeking a high-quality timepiece that combines form and function.