ochs und junior Take Inspiration from a Classic American Design Duo with the mese 2.23

New from ochs und junior, a new execution of their “mese” time and date watch, as part of their more value oriented “ochs line” of watches. Ochs und junior has been a point of fascination here at Worn & Wound for a long time. They work within a truly distinct design language that’s held throughout their (growing) product line, and offer rather ingenious solutions to sometimes complex watchmaking problems. Their watches have a simplicity to them both in terms of their aesthetics and mechanics that is really appealing to particular type of watch nerd. They work as an antidote, almost, to the “Can you top this?” game of dizzying and often needless complexity that often plays out in the world of high end watchmaking. With their ochs line, the brand offers key watches from their catalog in predetermined colorways at a reduced cost, giving collectors who wish to forego the brand’s extensive customization options a chance to own one of their pieces at a reduced cost. The latest addition to the ochs line pays tribute to Ray and Charles Eames, an American design team that almost certainly has had some influence on ochs und junior over the years. 

The Eames name is perhaps most associated with the iconic Eames Lounge Chair that was first introduced and manufactured in the 1950s by the Herman Miller furniture company. Eames furniture designs were notable for their use of molded plywood splints, which replaced the more commonly used metal splints that were popular in furniture design at the time. In addition to their industrial and furniture design work, Charles and Ray Eames also designed buildings and directed films, and their interiors are frequently every bit as recognizable as quintessentially Eames as an ochs und junior watch is identifiable as could only have been made by this single brand. That commitment to an aesthetic and a design principle is ultimately what links them so strongly. 

The mese is one of the most straightforward watches in the ochs und junior catalog. It features a traditional three hand time display, with bold, brightly colored hands and markers at the even hours. The date is displayed by a colored dot that fills one of 31 apertures that circle the dial’s perimeter. With a little practice, and the understanding that the 15th is at exactly 6:00 and the 30th at exactly 12:00, it’s quite simple to determine the precise date at a glance, and the display allows for a more holistic view of the progress through an entire month. According to ochs und junior, this complication is achieved through a module that adds only two additional components to a standard ETA 2824-2 movement. 

The Eames version of the mese, dubbed the mese 2.23, officially, takes colors often associated with Eames designs and transposes them to the dial. The hour and minute hands are two complementary shades of green, while the date indicator and seconds hand stand out in bright orange. Everything is easily visible against a matte black dial, and the dial has a rather serene and composed sensibility that really does evoke a 1950s inspired aesthetic. 

The mese 2.23 is available in both 39mm and 42mm case sizes, both constructed from grade 5 titanium. The retail price is CHF 3,230. ochs und junior