Astrochron

The Astrochron was born in 1967, right in the middle of the space race fever between the United States and the Soviet Union: even the name, with its explicit nod to astronautics, reflects the era's enthusiasm for space exploration. Ollech & Wajs presented it as a versatile chronograph, designed not for a single audience but for a broad range of professionals: pilots, sailors, soldiers, engineers, travelers, divers and frogmen.

Sold by mail order at an accessible price of 85 dollars and rated water-resistant to 200 meters, the Astrochron earned an unexpected consecration when it ended up on the wrist of Wernher von Braun, NASA's chief rocket scientist and a central figure in the American space program: an episode that on its own says a great deal about the brand's ambition to address an audience of real professionals, even outside the diving and military world that had made it known.

After decades of absence, the line was revived in 2023 by the ownership led by Charles Le Menestrel — who, not by chance, had discovered the brand precisely through a vintage Astrochron bought in the 1990s. The modern version carries an automatic Valjoux 7753 caliber, doubles the water resistance to 500 meters compared to the original, and offers a "reverse panda" dial inspired by the 1968 variants, in a numbered production limited to 56 pieces.