Caribbean 1000

In 1964, in a decade when the leading Swiss brands stopped around 300 meters of water resistance, Ollech & Wajs presented the Caribbean 1000: a dive watch with a certified water resistance of 1,000 meters, a figure that at the time had no match among even the most celebrated competitors. The monobloc case, made in collaboration with the Swiss specialist Jenny, featured pointed lugs that collectors would later nickname "vampire fangs," which became the most recognizable stylistic trait of the entire line.

The Caribbean 1000 was put through rigorous testing by commercial and military divers, including dives under Arctic ice, and quickly became the most celebrated reference of a brand otherwise known almost solely for mail-order sales. Despite remaining a company of artisanal size, O&W managed to build around this single model a reputation that far exceeded its actual production scale.

After the long pause that followed the quartz crisis, the line was revived by the new ownership led by Charles Le Menestrel, first with a numbered limited series fitted with NOS (new old stock) ETA 2824-2 movements to celebrate the original model, then with a more continuous production based on Soprod movements. The historic monobloc case was replaced with a more practical solution with a screw-down case back, but the 1,000-meter water resistance was maintained thanks to updated materials and finishing.