Preface: this review is being written on behalf of, and in cooperation with, the owner of the Ochs und Junior Settimana – my wife

My wife doesn’t like watches – she rolls her eyes when I show her an amazing A. Lange und Sohne complication, or try to express my excitement when I got to try on a Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre a Chronographe.

I suppose it’s not that she doesn’t like watches – she just doesn’t like complication for complication’s sake – “too busy” is her most common expression when I show her a Greubel Forsey or De Bethune masterpiece.

With this in mind, I set my mission to be to find her a watch she wouldn’t hate – and would rather actually enjoy, and even wear.

For many months, I knew about Ochs und Junior, but their designs didn’t “click” for me. Then I went through the archives of their blog posts and all of their amazing creations over the years – each of which were created in cooperation with the owners – not merely pieces unique for getting thousands of Instagram likes. This cemented the brand as one I knew I needed to bring into the household. Discovering their Day/Night watch was also a milestone for me – and I simply must have this watch sometime in the future, even though it will be the most expensive single possession I will ever have had.

I knew she wanted a bright and legible dial and that she didn’t have an interest in astrological complications. We also have two very small children and, apropos of the original design goal of the Settimana junior, their lives run in weekly cycles, not monthly. So a day of the week indicator is enough for keeping their schedules running properly, without the tedium of having to mess around with date corrections each month.

Thus, with the Ochs and Junior Settimana selected as the model for her, I wanted to “buy the brand” too – so I was able to engage in email discussions with Kornelia, the CEO of Ochs und Junior, which was great – I have known for some time that I don’t want to interface with a soulless corporation like Richemont, where there are thousands of individuals who have nothing to do with the actual watches.

Ultimately, I was able to put in an order for one of the remaining pieces from the limited series of 11 Settimana marrone, and await my wife’s expression – as it was a complete surprise for her to this point.

The day arrived when I received the Ochs und Junior Settimana from Switzerland to our home in the United States. I told her I got her a watch, and she seemed guarded, almost ready to tell me to return it. Then, once I opened the box and showed her the colorful dial, streamlined case, and sporty straps, her expression changed – genuinely telling me that she loved it – and that she was worried it would have been “one of the watches that you liked.”

Now that she has worn the Ochs and Junior Settimana for several days, she and I do have some qualms with the design:

1. While the philosophy of leaving the raw machining is great, there are genuinely sharp edges on the lugs and corners of the buckle. They don’t scratch the wearer of the watch, but she has to take care when holding one of our small children not to scratch them. A few seconds on the mill to dehorn the edges would have been ideal.

2. This might just be due to the Sellita movement inside, but the crown action in winding and threading feels… off? cheap? Not sure – but it is not something I have felt on watches priced much lower.

3. Finally, the included straps (yes, two!), while obviously very high quality, and truly artisanal products, are uncomfortable for my wife’s 14.5cm wrist, even after breaking them in as best as possible. The watch now wears a $15 yellow silicone strap from Amazon, which is more comfortable for her, and the buckle isn’t sharp.

I’d like to conclude this review by thanking Claus of Fifth Wrist for dealing with my incessant questions over Instagram messages to encourage me to buy the Ochs and Junior Settimana.