Today, I will be reviewing the Ollech & Wajs (pronounced as Or-Lake-and-Vays) M-10, the younger brother of the infamous M65 – a classic military style watch linking to one of the most brutal war in the 20th Century – The Vietnam War.
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The watch came with a padded 20mm leather strap with a “Swiss Cross” Logo. I took the first chance I got to remove them; replaced it with a Seiko Nylon 2-piece military styled strap.
Ah…Much better, now the M-10 can “look the part” and “get ready for war”.
At first glance on my wrist, the M-10’s diameter delivered the “in-between size” I was looking for. (Sitting in between the classic gent’s 36mm and modern gent’s 41-42mm).
At 38mm in diameter (without crown) and the slim height of 11.5mm, the M-10 seats nicely and hides discreetly between my wrist and shirt cuff. It’s so comfortable, I sometimes forget that the M-10 is on my wrist.
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The tonneau-like case is matt brush all over; a feature that I enjoy, for the fact that glosses finished watches, are like “finger print marks magnet”, which annoys the sh*t out of me.
The lug size the M-10 is 20mm, which is fantastic as you get the vintage military look but the lug size of a modern watch. Nice combo. You’ll be spoilt for choices if you are a crazy fan of strap changing like me.
Swopping of straps could transform the elements of the M-10 in matters of minutes. Non-padded Leather straps for the suave corporate/business look or nato/zulu for the military “bad ass” vibe.
In that sense, the look and the buzz of the M-10 is could be quite versatile, to be honest. You can literally tell a white (or non-white) lie with the M-10 on your wrist with rock-solid confidence and say, “Trust me, I am wearing a Ollech & Wajs’s M-10”. *grins*
The dial is no-frill, precise and clear: just what you would expect from a classic military timepiece. I learnt from an old-bird the vintage watch circuit, the arrow above the 6 o’clock is simply to tell you “which side is up”; quite practical in times of war and emergency. *smirks*
“The ETA 2452 movements are from old stock, but of course (they could be) cleaned and lubricated to become as new.” - Roland Ranfft (prominent watch and parts merchant based in Germany). I bought this watch with full confidence, albeit without warranty from JW Watch, as ETA parts are easy to source and be repaired/restored/ refurbished at a reasonable price.
On top of that, I enjoy observing the slow beating of the ETA 2452 at 18,000bph. Metaphorically, the slow beat feature made the M-10 move very “regimentally”; like a slow and steady marching private with a M-16 in hand. Power. \m/.
The slow-set date of the ETA 2452, is one of the features you like or you don’t. The crown (like most crowns in that era) is not big; the back and forth winding from 8-12 for date change maybe tedious for some. The date changes (gently) approximately at 2356-57 on my piece. The slow set (date change) doesn’t bother me as much as I don’t rely on my watches to tell me the date; I look at my calendar. *smirks again*
However, the sheer action of winding back and forth will gently remind you of one unsung hero: quick set date function. This very convenience, which most modern watches are equipped with, had a long way through innovation and improvement over the years. “Quick Set date function” is one very powerful feature, which should not to be taken for granted.
My experience with acrylic domes has been very good and it’s my favourite option (besides sapphire crystal, mineral glass, Seiko Hardlex Crystal, Sapphire Dome, etc) due to the easiness to get the original shine and scratch removed by buffing it. Replacing a brand new one is but approximately SGD$25. The acrylic dome will have a certain degree of warmness as it ages; one characteristic that Sapphire Crystal will never be able to achieve.
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Case Back has Military “Dog-Tag” like engraving (First line: 6BC-8656-99/ Next Line: 523-8201); as if indicating the identity of the GI. This feature subtly emits the emotion of the courage or bravery of a soldier, who doesn’t know his fate in his next mission. In case of death, this watch could well be the only source of identity for his mates in the killing field. The thought of that sends chills straight down my spine. *scary*.
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Final say, the sleekness and the simplicity of the watch makes the M-10 an absolute joy on your wrist with a rock solid war history / story to share in your next party, social gathering or networking event.
Howard from West Coast Time (watch shop based in US) said this about the M-10 in his shop’s web page, “Once you have it (M-10) on you will not take it off, it just feels like an old friend…” I think the M-10 feels more like an old friend; The M-10 is a sleek-reliable brother (from a different mother) who’s only got one objective in his existence: to tell you the time; very accurately.
Comments, corrections & opinions are very welcome. Keep them flooding in, thanks in advance.
Here are the technical details:
SIZE: 38 mm in diameter w/o crown, 11.5 mm high, 39 mm lug to lug
Lug Size: 20mm
Crystal: Domed-Acrylic
Movement: ETA 2452 (“Slow-Beat” 18,000bph; featuring Semi-quickset date between 8-12 movement)
Hands: Mercedes
Crown: Unsigned
Dial: Black, Arabic Indicators, un-lumed, Date at 3 “O/W” Logo below 12 and “Military Arrow” above 6.
Case: Tonneau, brush-matte finishing.
RRP: USD$300 plus shipping (Approximately SGD$360)
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