OW EARLY BIRD 'NUMBERED EDITION'

In 1965 Ollech & Wajs launched the eponymously named ‘Early Bird’, 24-hour dual-time-zone watch, which paid tribute to a satellite of the same name. Though 24-hour time is widely used all over the world today, 24-hour mechanical Swiss watches are seldom seen. The reimagined ‘Early Bird’ EB-24 has an automatic, 24-hour movement, meaning unlike a conventional watch, the hour hand only completes a single revolution in a full day. This feature allows the wearer to view all 24 hours of the day at a glance while simultaneously tracking a second time zone, an indispensable feature for pilots, international travellers and professionals communicating across continents. - Swiss made - Bespoke Soprod C-125 Automatic - 300 m / 30ATM - Diameter (excluding crown) 39.5 mm - Three-year warranty AVAILABLE NOW Estimated delivery time of 4 weeks from ordering date. FULL DESCRIPTION The Intelsat I, or ‘Early Bird’ as it is better known, was the world’s first geosynchronous communications satellite, and handled all commercial telecommunications transmissions between Europe and North America between 1965 and 1969. This included the live transoceanic TV coverage of the Gemini 6 splashdown; footage of the Apollo 11 moon landing; and the first ever performance of ‘All You Need Is Love’ by The Beatles, live to a global audience of 700 million people. Early Bird changed humanity’s relationship with distance. It made the Atlantic feel smaller by enabling near-instantaneous communications between continents. Before Early Bird, the world was connected by cables. After Early Bird, it was connected through space. It became one of the defining technological milestones of the twentieth century. The Early Bird satellite was decommissioned in 1969, but it remains in silent in orbit today, more than half a century after its launch. Albert Wajs wanted to pay tribute to this landmark moment of modern engineering by creating a watch in its honour. The 24-hour ‘military-time’ dial reflects the time taken for the satellite to complete one orbit of the Earth. The blue-and-red metallic bezel echoed the colours of the satellite itself. However, unlike its namesake, the Ollech & Wajs Early Bird was not made for outer space. It was created specifically for military personnel, particularly pilots and radio operators, for whom a 24-hour ‘military-time’ dial would be invaluable. Most of the original Early Birds were ordered direct from Zurich via adverts in black-and-white newspapers like the Army Times. The new owners were pleasantly surprised when the watch arrived to see that it had a blue-and-red bezel, not grey tone as the ads suggested. Of all the watches that carried the OW monogram, the Early Bird is said to be Albert Wajs’s personal favourite. Despite being one of our best-known watches, it is also one of the rarest - no more than 500 Early Birds were made. TECHNICAL SPECS Name OW 'Early Bird' EB-24 Year 2026 (original 1965) Dimensions 39.5 mm × 12.5 mm; 48 mm lug to lug Case Brushed 316L stainless steel, screwed bottom, screwed crown, rotating aluminium bezel; made in the Swiss Jura Glass Sapphire with anti-glare treatment Bezel Aluminium anodised bi colour 24-hour worldtime bidirectional friction bezel Dial Hands and indexes in white Super-LumiNova® Water resistance 300 m/ 30ATM Movement Automatic, bespoke Soprod C-125; stop seconds; 4Hz 28,800 vibrations per hour; 25 jewels; 42-hour power reserve; Incabloc. Bespoke OW Zurich 1956 rotor, custom screws, assembled for OW and adjusted in three positions. Accuracy: -7/+7 seconds per day Strap Black Italian leather strap 20 mm Italian leather and natural linen, finished in Switzerland; with a brushed stainless steel thorn buckle, signed ‘OWZ 1956’ Bracelet M-Link stainless steel bracelet (optional extra) 20 mm medium gauge, stainless steel links, hand-brushed, with an OW-engraved adjustable deployant clasp Origin Handmade in the Swiss Jura SHIPPING Free shipping by FedEx, which includes all import taxes, customs duties, customs clearance fees, VAT and handling fees. For shipment to countries beyond the European Community, Great Britain and Canada, where the prepaid tax service cannot always be offered, we offer customers a special 15% discount, corresponding to the average import duty and tax percentages in the countries listed above. This amount will serve as compensation for any such charges by local tax authorities. We regret we are temporarily unable to sell direct to customers in the United States, but watches may be purchased via one of our authorised US dealers. 3 YEAR WARRANTY Please note that the stainless steel bracelet should always be adjusted by a competent watchmaker. Swiss made percentage is calculated according to Swiss regulations and may vary, depending on the exact configuration of the watch. This percentage does not include straps or packaging.