Luxury Swiss watchmakers Ollechs & Wajs are amongst the finest proponents of aviation-inspired timepieces anywhere out there in our opinion here at The Coolector and, quite frankly, this M-52B AF Limited Edition Watch (which is available for pre-ordering now) is one of the coolest we’ve seen in a long time. For this release Ollech & Wajs salutes a rare Vietnam-era military watch and the longest-serving
combat aircraft in history. And it is just about as cool as watches come.

The M-52B AF Limited Edition Watch from Ollechs & Wajs is priced at $1480 and it is a salute to the exceptionally rare Ollech & Wajs B-905 custom-made timepiece that the watchmaker released previously more than half a century ago for airmen serving in Vietnam. The dial of the new M-52B AF has the instantly recognisable silhouette of the most iconic combat aircraft of all time, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. A stark symbol of the Cold War conflict and, in engineering terms, a real symbol of longevity and reliability. Three generations of US military aviators have flown the 750 planes, built between 1952 and 1962, 70 of which remain in service today, making them the longest-serving combat aircraft in history. Not to mention the basis for a great-looking timepiece.

The new M-52B Watch from Ollechs & Wajs boasts a no-nonsense 39mm M-type case and a PVD-coated chamfered-edge bezel which has been modelled on the streamlined nose cone profile of the B-52 plane. Intermittent cream lume on the bezel, dial indexes and hands provides additional warmth to the overall monochromatic aesthetic of this top class timepiece. Vintage watch aficionados will love the red numeral date wheel, in keeping with the original B-905 – one of many neat little design features with a nod to the aviation inspiration of the watch.

The engine of the M-52B AF is a customised, Swiss-made, Soprod calibre P024 moven which Ollechs & Wajs picked for its robustness, reliability and ease of service. A gently domed, thickened sapphire crystal helps guarantee an impressive 300m of water resistance, which has become a key feature for all Ollech & Wajs modern pilot’s watches. Though not as rare as the vintage watch that it has taken its inspiration from, availability of the M-52B AF will be extremely limited. There will be just 56 engraved crown-numbered editions at launch. Thereafter, a limited production provision of non-numbered watches will be made available each year. The reserve for the numbered editions opens on Friday, January 12th at 12:00 CET. Don’t miss out.