Ornatus-Mundi's evocative report captures the pivotal moment Ludwig Oechslin announced his independent venture, Ochs und Junior, near Lucerne in 2008. This article delves into Oechslin's philosophy of '95% is perfect! The rest is human!' and introduces his initial creations, the Anno 50 and Settimana Junior, marking a significant chapter in independent watchmaking.
... a vent for his ideas!
Dear All:
let's delve deeper in the tale of
a picnic in a clearing near Lucerne:
Ox-Sunday in oxcart moss?
Still - again the same... - people exchanged their last arguments...
...but then all private conversation suddenly stopped dead when Ludwig Oechslin demanded the attention of the elected crowd:
Oechslin is certainly not an unknown quantity in the watch scene, he is recognised as a renaissance man, an universal scholar and an outstanding gentleman. Each watch which benefitted from his inputs is anything else than ordinary. Remember the milestones he developed for Ulysse Nardin, the Freak, the Perpetual Calender or the Sonata? Legendary watches without expiration date, all of them!
But what he had to convey to us this early, sunny morning was truly breathtaking: the announcement that he finally ventured into new waters and decided to control the entire horological value-chain made us prick our ears: If the watches he hitherto helped to create are already milestones, what is there still to expected if Ludwig Oechslin has a free hand?
The answer will fascinate those who diligently studied Ludwig's philosophy...
But let's take a deeper look on what is hidden behind that door:
For those of you not savvy in German: The central 'mantra' (if you allow) is
95% is perfect! The rest is human!
But what does this mean? It is an expression of freedom! Ludwig explains:
"95% of a watch have to be perfect - and I am talking about those 95% which are of importance to me! The rest is human."
Oechslin, a passionate user of public transport, owns a small collection of exceptional cars. Not those which would score first places at the Concour D'Elegance in Pebble Beach, but creations which express at best his attitude towards life: the Citroën DS ('The Divine'), the most beautiful and technically advanced automobile sculpture ever serially produced, and a NSU Ro80, the famous Wankel engine powered car, which was equally way ahead its time in both technology and design (which was done by Claus Luthe (later with BMW) and which secured the car a part of many gallery exhibits of modern industrial design). Both are still considered intellectually challenging...
But what has this all to do with creating watches? We shall see...
The new horological cooperative: Ochs und Junior (Ox and Junior)
A strange name right? Well, 'Ludwig Oechslin' would be a tad too profane, right? His son Giorgio had a flash of inspiration during a family lunch: 'Oechslin' - that is a ancient German diminutive of Ochs (=ox). So
Ochs und Junior (ox and junior) would express exactly this with two persons (and also explains the agricultural reference of the picnic)! And the 'Junior'?
Oechslin is a tireless thinker, and an eager student of the horological masterpieces of the past (his restoration work on the Farnesian clock in the Vatican museum is legendary). Such complex mechanisms had (and have) a lasting impression on him.
Being a scientist (with a doctorate in theoretical physics and the history of science) , Oechslin's intellectual approach is that of
synthesis. His analysis of clockworks and complications focusses on practical utility and the reduction to the essential. Simplicity and logic draw the red line in his thinking.
Much to his amusement, it seems to be impossible (or at least discouragingly difficult) to transform the fruits of Vico's constructional intransigence into actual watches. Oechslin constructs without tolerances. The fact that the annual calender of the MIH, comprising of only 9 additional moving parts, has not yet been used by another brand although this is encouraged, is a telling sign.
A very good reason to start one's own company! But he would need a partner...
Beat Weinmann is manager of the watch store 'Embassy' in Lucerne and an ardent supporter of independent watchmaking. Most of you know him from the MIH watch adventure, where he supervised the entire process from scratch to the final watch. Beat is friends with Ludwig since many years.
Thus, he took Beat aside after a presentation they gave, and asked him:
"Do you want to establish a watch manufacturer together with me?". This was a question you don't hear often, and Ludwig does not pose such questions twice...
For Vico the day came closer when he would have a long desired vent for his numerous ideas. Look at all these prototypes:
Ludwig's aesthetic perception is best described with a passion for 'archaic beauty' and 'conceptional clarity'. Watches are not luxury objects for him at all, but tools suitable for everyday use. Artifacts which give account of their manufacturing process and their history of use. Does anyone dare to sell this in a luxury market?
Another good reason to to start one's own company... But where are the watches?
This message has been edited by Magnus Bosse on 2008-12-15 15:28:04 
