Introducing: The Oak Oscar Atwood Chronograph

June 12, 2015

Chicago-based Oak & Oscar has been in business since 2015. Over the last nine years, the brand has assembled a back catalog of attractive, ruggedly built watches that pay tribute to the Windy City. Furthermore, the timepieces display a design consistency normally reserved for larger, historic brands. Today s Oak & Oscar Atwood chronograph continues this trend with increased functionality.It s hard to believe we re approaching the 10-year mark since Chase Fancher founded Oak & Oscar. I still recall meeting him in London that year at SalonQP when he brought his first watch, the Burnham. Since then, we ve covered almost all of the brand s models, and I purchased one of them, the Olmsted 38. So any time there s a new release, we re happy to share it. Today s Atwood is especially exciting because it comes in the form of one of my favorite genres, the chronograph.Some history, the Jackson ChronographOak & Oscar s first chronograph, the Jackson, debuted in 2017. It was a 40mm stainless steel limited edition with a manual-winding Eterna flyback movement inside. The Jackson was a somewhat audacious offering for the then-young brand. At $2,650, it was also the most expensive model Oak & Oscar had ever created. Since then, aside from another limited series of Big Eye Jackson models in 2021, the chronograph slot has been empty in the Oak & Oscar lineup. Now, with the new Atwood, the gap has been filled.The Atwood chronographThe new Oak & Oscar Atwood is a 39mm 46mm stainless steel chronograph and takes its name from the Chicago-based architect Charles Atwood. He codesigned the Museum of Science and Industry for the 1893 World s Fair in Chicago. This building is one of only two original structures remaining from the fair (and it s a marvelous museum!). Three different matte sandwich dials are available for the Atwood chronograph, including a white panda, gray with white sub-dials, and navy blue with white sub-dials. The watches can be ordered with a stainless steel three-row bracelet with a quick-adjust clasp or a brown Horween leather strap. The bracelet is 20mm wide at the ends and tapers to 16mm at the clasp. Each watch also comes with a nylon strap, strap-changing tool, and waxed canvas watch wallet.An intriguing movement choice for the AtwoodThe previous Oak & Oscar Jackson chronograph used an uncommon hand-wound Eterna caliber. The new Atwood also utilizes an unusual choice with the Sellita AMT5100M, a hand-wound chronograph with a column wheel. Sellita s AMT Manufacture division houses the company s innovation and development works. Frankly, this is the first I ve heard about it, but I applaud the unorthodox movement choice. In addition to 58 hours of power reserve, it offers a flyback function. The caliber is visible via the screw-in display case back, and while it s not a vintage-style movement with multiple bridges, there is striping and the Oak & Oscar signature.A classic three-register layoutThe new Atwood employs a sandwich dial instantly recognizable as an Oak & Oscar creation. Whereas the Jackson had two sub-dials and a date window, this new model has a three-register design. The rightmost register is a 30-minute counter, the left shows running seconds, and the lower register is a 12-hour counter. Another change is that the dials contain sandwich-layered Super-LumiNova indices instead of applied metal ones. Note the use of radial numerals on all of the recessed sub-dials. The central hands are also presented in the style of other Oak & Oscar watches. This means lume-filled hour and minute hands and a central chronograph with its signature barrel-shaped counterweight. A white tachymeter forms an outer ring around the dial.A clean and slim case designThe new Atwood utilizes a brushed case with a large, tactile crown and pump pushers. While it is only a millimeter smaller in diameter than its predecessor, the thickness marks a dramatic shift. The Jackson was a relatively stout watch with a 14.5mm thickness. Fans of thinner watches will applaud the Atwood for measuring just 12.9mm thick, including its domed sapphire crystal. The water resistance rating is reasonable at 5 ATM.A fine-looking addition to the lineupI recall the challenges Chase had during the development of the Jackson. It was the brand s most expensive watch by far, and let s just say that Eterna wasn t always the easiest of partners. Therefore, I m happy to see Oak & Oscar take another shot at a chronograph. I still like the Jackson, but the Atwood is a more evolved design. I also like that one of the brand s fantastic bracelets is an option. The case size should make it appealing to a wide range of audiences too.Then there s the issue of pricing. Oak & Oscar s watches have never been on the cheaper end for a small, independent watch company (some say microbrand). My rebuttal is that the finishing and quality control can compete with anything double the price. That said, in this time of eye-popping watch prices, the Atwood will sell for US$2,450 on the leather strap and US$2,650 on a steel bracelet. I think that s more than reasonable for a well-designed chronograph using an atypical hand-wound movement. Hats off to the brand on this one. It s a refreshing release.The Atwood chronograph will begin shipping this fall. For more information, visit the official Oak & Oscar website.Watch specifications Brand Oak & Oscar Model Atwood Dial White, charcoal gray, or navy blue with sandwich construction and Super-LumiNova indicesCase Material 316L stainless steelCase Dimensions 39mm (diameter) 46mm (lug-to-lug) 12.9mm (thickness with crystal)Crystal Domed sapphire with antireflective coatingCase Back Stainless steel with display, screw-in Movement Sellita AMT5100M: hand-wound flyback chronograph, 28,800vph frequency, 58-hour power reserve, 23 jewels, column wheelWater Resistance 5 ATM (50 meters)Strap Stainless steel three-row bracelet (20/16mm) with quick-adjust clasp or Horween leather strap with pin buckle; additional nylon strap includedFunctions Time (hours, minutes, small seconds), flyback chronograph (12-hour and 30-minute registers, central seconds), and tachymeterPrice US$2,450 (leather strap) / US$2,650 (bracelet)Warranty Two yearsSpecial Note(s) Delivered in a canvas and leather watch wallet with a strap-changing tool