Ochs und Junior is celebrating its 20th anniversary with the Calendario Quattro Anni, a compact titanium calendar watch that sits neatly between an annual calendar and a perpetual calendar.
Conceived in the spirit of Dr Ludwig Oechslin’s long-running pursuit of maximum function with minimal components, the watch accounts for months of 28, 30 and 31 days, and needs manual intervention only once every four years.
A four-year calendar without the usual complexity
The Calendario Quattro Anni is designed to remain correct through ordinary Februaries and the varying lengths of the other months, skipping dates that should not appear.
The only correction comes in a leap year, when the wearer advances the display from February 29 to March 1 via the crown.
That makes it a compelling middle ground for collectors who appreciate the intelligence of a perpetual calendar but prefer Ochs und Junior’s stripped-back engineering and lower-maintenance approach.
The blue dial turns apertures into a calendar system
The circular-brushed OJ blue dial uses small openings rather than printed scales or subdials, giving the watch a characteristically architectural look.
Thirty square apertures around the dial show the date with an orange marker, while the 31st is integrated into the elongated aperture that also serves the first day of the following month.
A second ring of 12 smaller square openings indicates the month, again using an orange marker for legibility.
The date apertures are spaced at one-minute intervals, so they also function as minute and seconds markers, an efficient detail that is very much in the Oechslin language.
ETA 2824-2 power with Oechslin calendar mechanics
Inside is an ETA 2824-2 automatic movement adapted with a reworked Maltese cross, a three-toothed switching wheel and partially meshed gears that engage only when required.
In practical terms, the system determines how many days belong to each month and advances past the incorrect dates at month’s end.
The movement offers central hours, minutes and seconds, plus date and month indications, with a power reserve of 38 hours.
A lightweight titanium case for daily wear
The two-part case is made from brushed grade 5 titanium and measures 40mm in diameter by 11mm thick including the sapphire crystal.
As expected from Ochs und Junior, the machining traces are not hidden, giving the watch a direct industrial quality rather than a conventionally polished luxury finish.
The case is rated to 100 metres of water resistance and weighs just 65 grams including the strap and buckle.
It is delivered on a dark blue Ecopell Enzian calfskin strap, available with or without orange stitching, and fitted with a titanium pin buckle.
Price and delivery for the Calendario Quattro Anni
The Ochs und Junior Calendario Quattro Anni is priced at CHF 7,460 including VAT, or CHF 6,900 for export.
Orders are placed directly through Ochs und Junior with a 50 percent prepayment, and watches ordered now are scheduled for delivery in early October 2026.
For collectors drawn to independent watchmaking, pragmatic complications and visible design logic, this is a typically lucid anniversary release from one of Switzerland’s most distinctive small brands.
