ochs und junior ochs line day/night

The passing of the day seen as poetry

Launched by ochs und junior for the first time in 2018 as a one-off, Ludwig Oechslin’s astronomical complication is now available in the ochs line as a series watch and is presented here in a new patina developed in our La Chaux-de-Fonds atelier. This “radically simple version of one of watchmaking’s most romantic complications” (Jack Forster, Hodinkee, 2019), is a watch that allows you to “Run to Catch Up with the Sun” (tapir_ffm, Fifth Wrist). It is presented in an elegant minimalist design with brass (daytime) and patina (dial & nighttime). The hands, and the indexes are in brass as well. The patina changes the color aesthetics from dark blue, black and brownish to purple and eggplant depending on the incidence of light.

The ochs line day/night in 40mm indicates the length of day and nighttime for a selected location, sunset, sunrise, solar noon, moon phase, sun and moon position in the sky, date, hour, and minute. Ludwig Oechslin’s complication is available for both the northern and southern hemispheres.

Available information

With the day/night strapped to your wrist, the following information is available to you with a quick glance:

• Length of day and nighttime for the location of your choice. This adjusts dynamically.
• Solar noon
• Sunrise and sunset
• The position of the sun and moon in the sky
• The moon phase, date and time.

Personalizing location

The day/night watch has a custom-made part which syncs it to a chosen location. Should the place of residence be changed in the future, a new part can adapt the changed location for both the northern and southern hemispheres.

Mechanics

The following parts were designed by Ludwig Oechslin specifically for day/night.

1. Hour wheel on hour pinion with friction
2. Transition wheel 1 for moon and sun cogwheels
3. Transition wheel 2 for moon and sun cogwheels
4. Sun cogwheel
5. Moon cogwheel
6. Date disc
7. Gear wheel between date disc and annual wheel
8. Year wheel with crank pin in the size of the deflection of the horizon fans
9. Carriage with cogs to move the horizon fans
10. Horizon fan
11. Horizon fan
12. Module board
13. Dial

The base movement for the day/night is the Swiss Made Ulysse Nardin UN-320.

Reading the functions

Daytime and nighttime

The light and dark-colored areas around the dial show the length of day and night. The lines separating them represent the horizon. The horizon fans move up or down every 10 days to account for seasonal changes (demonstration video).

Sunrise and sunset

At sunrise, the sun passes from the darker colored area of the dial into the lighter colored area. At sunset, the sun passes from the lighter colored area to the darker colored area.

Moon phase

The center of the watch can be imagined as a representation of the earth. The moon’s position in relation to the sun indicates the moon phase. The moon is beneath the sun at a new moon, and the moon is opposite the sun at a full moon.

Solar noon

Using the pusher at 6 o’clock, solar noon (when the sun is at its highest point in the sky) can be set for your location (demonstration video).

The date indication at 6 o’clock is used to set the watch. The reason this watch does not feature a date spiral is that the dial holds gear wheels near the perimeter.

Sun and moon position

When facing south, the position of the sun and the moon on the dial indicates the direction in which you will find these heavenly bodies in the sky.

Technical specifications

ochs und junior ochs line day/night

Case

• Material: Grade 5 titanium, with visible machining marks
• Diameter: 40 mm
• Thickness: 11 mm
• Glass: Sapphire crystal. Both sides are treated with anti-reflective coating
• Screw-down crown in grade 5 titanium
• Water-resistant to 100 meters

Dial and hands

• Dial in dark blue, which changes to violet and eggplant colors, markers in brass
• Hour and minute hands in lightly polished brass
• Daytime in brass, nighttime in dark blue purple patina
• Sun in hammered 24-karat yellow gold
• Moon in hammered platinum PT950
• Date disk in dark blue purple patina, date in brass

Movement

• Ulysse Nardin UN-320
• Automatic movement
• Frequency: 28'800 vph (4 Hz)
• Power reserve of 48 hours

Functions/Indications

• Length of day and nighttime for a selected location in the northern or southern hemisphere
• Sunset, sunrise, solar noon, moon phase
• Sun and moon position in the sky, date, hour, and minute

Strap and buckle

• Dark blue (Enzian) Ecopell leather strap (in sizes S / M / L / XL) and leather pouch handmade by Sabina Brägger

MSRP

• CHF 10'700 – Export price
• CHF 11'567 – Incl. 8.1% Swiss VAT

For more information, please visit ochsundjunior.swiss