I\u2019ve always had a thing for watches that go beyond just telling time. I\u2019m drawn to brands that tell a story, that have some soul behind the steel.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s exactly what caught my eye with Waldan. I first came across their watches in WRUW threads and on my Instagram feed, thanks to collectors who spotlight affordable microbrands. They looked sharp, and I figured they\u2019d be solid pieces. And they absolutely are \u2013 but more on that later.<\/p>\n
What I didn\u2019t expect was the story behind the brand. Waldan isn\u2019t just another microbrand; it\u2019s connected to an unsung hero of 20th-century watchmaking \u2013 a name you\u2019ve probably never heard, and someone who, as it turns out, shares my roots: Poland.<\/p>\n
But before I dive into the watch itself<\/span><\/a>, let me tell you his story.<\/p>\n Oscar Waldan was born in Poland at the height of the Second Republic, in the 1920s. As a child, he was already fascinated by watches and how they\u2019re built. He was not your token \u201csmash it to see what\u2019s inside\u201d kid. Instead, with his very first watch disassembly, he managed to document every step of the process so he could reverse it properly.<\/p>\n I have to admire the courage here \u2013 I\u2019m 31 and still get a cold sweat when decasing a movement. That\u2019s about as far as my tinkering capabilities go.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, when the Third Reich invaded Poland in 1939 \u2013 marking the start of World War II and an occupation that would last six long years \u2013 Oscar\u2019s hopes of becoming a watchmaker were suddenly out of reach. He lost his entire family in the Holocaust, and he himself was imprisoned in two concentration camps, including the infamous death camp at Buchenwald.<\/p>\n Oscar\u2019s personal hero and idol was Antoni Patek, the founder of Patek Philippe, also a Pole. And there\u2019s a fascinating synchronicity in the stories of these two men. Patek was forced into exile after the failed November Uprising of 1831 against the Russian Empire. In Switzerland, he joined forces with Czech-born watchmaker Franti\u0161ek \u010capek (Pol. Franciszek Czapek), and that partnership became the foundation of his watchmaking legacy.<\/p>\n In Oscar\u2019s case, a stroke of luck connected him with a fellow inmate\u2026a Czech watchmaker. Oscar and his newfound teacher managed to prove themselves invaluable to the camp guards \u2013 it was one of these instances where a rare skill helped camp prisoners survive, and that skill was fixing watches.<\/p>\n After the war, Oscar picked up where he\u2019d left off, pursuing his dream of becoming a watchmaker. He honed his skills in New York, Switzerland, and West Germany. It was in Switzerland that he first tried his hand at designing watches and landed a job at Tissot.<\/p>\n While working for Tissot, he designed one of the brand\u2019s most iconic world-time watches, one you\u2019ve probably heard of: the Tissot Navigator. The Navigator\u2019s distinctive case, with its straight, beefy lugs, a signature design cue shared by both Tissot and Omega at the time, would go on to influence many of Oscar\u2019s later creations.<\/p>\n Oscar has worked for multiple watch companies and connected with many well-known names in the industry, including the famous Gerald Genta and Hans Wilsdorf\u2019s nephew, Dieter.<\/p>\n His friendship with Dieter Wilsdorf led to him helping Rolex strike a deal with another legendary brand, Zenith, for the purchase of the cal. 3019 El Primero, to replace the Valjoux 72 in\u2026 the Rolex Daytona.<\/p>\n Yes, it\u2019s Oscar Waldan you have to thank for the \u201cZenith\u201d Daytona, powered by a Rolex-modified El Primero.<\/p>\n The fact that you\u2019ve probably never heard Oscar Waldan\u2019s name before is because his company, Waldan International, which he founded in 1979, initially produced very few watches under its own name. Instead, Oscar carved out an interesting niche for himself as a supplier of private-label watches made at his factory in Switzerland.<\/p>\n But these weren\u2019t your run-of-the-mill private label pieces. His clients were some of the biggest names in watch retail: Tiffany & Co., Wempe, Tourneau, Cartier\u2026 His creations were mostly made in solid gold, and powered either by high-grade or at least complicated movements, including the complete calendar El Primero calibre 410.<\/p>\n He also developed a distinctive design language, most notably reflected in his cases. Oscar Waldan had a particular fondness for a classic 1940s design cue: the stepped bezel with rounded edges. His step-bezel cases also featured a distinctive step and facet on the side of the lug, reminiscent of those found on multiple 1940s and 1950s Tissot and Movado watches.<\/p>\n The first timepieces sold under the Waldan name appeared about a decade after the company was founded, but it wasn\u2019t until the late 1990s and early 2000s that they became more widely available.<\/p>\n Today, the Waldan company is led by Oscar\u2019s son, Andrew. The family settled in New York, and Andrew has shifted the focus to making the new Waldan watches as American-made as he can.<\/p>\n The brand is actively taking steps to bring more of the manufacturing process in-house \u2013 a significant move toward greater independence and a stronger \u201cMade in the USA\u201d identity.<\/p>\n The new generation of affordable Waldan watches is powered by American-made Ameriquartz movements by the Arizona-based FTS. Let\u2019s dive into it, shall we?<\/p>\n I was quite taken by the design and appearance of the Heritage Sportline<\/em> in the stock photos. However, Andrew told me the photos didn\u2019t really do it justice, and he was absolutely right.<\/p>\n In the metal, when I first took the watch out of the box, it made a far stronger impression than any photo could have suggested. The day I received the watch, I sent a few quick snapshots to an American friend of mine. He\u2019s not someone who falls for the whole \u201clooks more expensive than it is\u201d marketing line, and he rarely says those words himself. And yet, even with my admittedly rubbish initial shots, that\u2019s exactly what he said about the Waldan. Coming from him, that\u2019s high praise. And I have to say, I completely agree with him.<\/p>\n Waldan refers to this dial version as olive khaki. The dial finishing, though \u2013 a combination of oil-pressed horizontal teak pattern and a semi-matte metallic finish \u2013 really loves to play some tricks of the light at various angles and lighting conditions.<\/p>\n Depending on the angle and lighting, it shifts character. Sometimes, it\u2019s clearly olive khaki. Other times, it leans more toward forest green, and occasionally even takes on a metallic version of British racing green.<\/p>\n Dials with this kind of dynamic personality are among my absolute favorites, right up there with evenly patinated vintage dials and the many flavors of black tool-watch dials.<\/p>\n In my humble opinion, the detail that makes this dial pop is the seconds subdial surrounded by a diamond-cut ring. The ring is surrounded by a very narrow one of even surface around it, but you can barely see it.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a slight optical illusion. You can\u2019t see the steps of the teak pattern around the subdial, yet it\u2019s like nothing separates the ring from said pattern. The result is amazing. The sharp finishing of the subdial ring also does a lot to accentuate the polished indexes.<\/p>\n The hands are simple, tapering baton ones, with the exception of the feuille sub-second hand. All of these hand designs can be found on both the private label watches Oscar Waldan produced, as well as on his later creations that carried his own name.<\/p>\n Both the dial and hands are lumed, with the lume plots on the dial set into small circular recesses so they sit flush rather than standing proud of the surface. In the case of the Heritage Sportline<\/em>, I\u2019d say the lume functions more as a decorative accent than a truly practical feature. That said, because the high-polished hands can sometimes visually disappear into the dial at certain angles, the lume strips at their tips do help improve legibility.<\/p>\n I think this is really the star of the show. I love the dial \u2013 but even more so, I\u2019m fond of the case. Andrew has put his own twist on his father\u2019s original design, replacing the straight lugs with curved, streamlined, slightly horn-like ones, while keeping the step on the side of them.<\/p>\n The depth created by the stepped bezel and lugs works wonders. They give the case great dimensionality, catching the light beautifully and lending it a strong presence, while still maintaining a sleek, refined profile.<\/p>\n In terms of appearance, it reminds me of some of my favorite case designs from Tissot and Movado during the 1940s and early 1950s, which I believe was the true golden era of design for these brands. Yet, at the same time, the case remains an example of both Oscar\u2019s design language and Andrew\u2019s own take on it.<\/p>\n The finishing is simple \u2013 the case is fully polished throughout, except the brushed top facets of the lugs. It might not be an intricate finishing, but the complexity of the stepped bezel and lugs definitely make up for that. In terms of build quality, I\u2019d place it somewhere in between modern Atlantic and Tissot. Given that the Heritage Sportline<\/em> is priced right in that range, it stands up very well against the competition.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a plea from me: Andrew, please don\u2019t let this be the last time we see this case design. It truly is fantastic and more than worthy of making a grand return in future Waldan watches to come.<\/p>\n Currently, FTS is pretty much the only generic movement supplier for brands that want to use American-made movements. Fortunately, FTS\u2019 Ameriquartz movements are a great choice. The concept behind Ameriquartz is simple but important: to make a quartz movement that\u2019s serviceable, not disposable.<\/p>\n Most Swiss and Japanese quartz movements, unless we\u2019re talking of high-end ones, are designed to be replaced, not repaired. If an ETA quartz movement in, say, a Tissot or Certina fails, an authorized service center usually won\u2019t even attempt a repair \u2013 they\u2019ll just drop in a new one.<\/p>\n Ameriquartz takes a different approach. These movements are designed so that any watchmaker with basic experience in quartz repairs can service them.<\/p>\n This particular movement is the cal. 70200 \u2013 8 \u00be lignes in diameter, with a 48-month battery life and a stated accuracy of +\/-20 seconds per month. It\u2019s not a high-accuracy quartz like ETA\u2019s Precidrive, but unlike the Precidrive, it can actually be repaired rather than binned and replaced.<\/p>\n The Heritage Sportline<\/em> comes on a deep, forest green leather strap with a pebbled Epsom-style texture and white stitching. It takes a few days to break in properly, but once it does, it\u2019s genuinely comfortable. Oh, and the floating keeper stays in place, which is always the very first thing I hope for in any two-keeper leather strap.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re thinking of customizing the watch with a different strap, the stock one features a quick-release system, making swaps a breeze. That said, I really like the strap it comes with, so I don\u2019t see myself replacing it anytime soon.<\/p>\n Well\u2026 at least not until my inevitable strap-swapping obsession kicks in.<\/p>\n The Heritage Sportline<\/em> isn\u2019t a small watch. The case measures 40mm in diameter and slightly over 47 lug-to-lug. However, thanks to its curved-down lugs, slim profile of just 8.6mm, and the fact that it\u2019s a lightweight quartz piece, it wears very comfortably on my 19.5 cm wrist. I\u2019m fairly confident it would still fit well on wrists up to 2cm smaller than mine.<\/p>\n If you have a relatively small wrist, you might want to base your choice on your own experience of watches with similar dimensions, but I think it\u2019s safe to say that weight and thickness won\u2019t be an issue here. There\u2019s simply no way for this Waldan to feel top-heavy. As I mentioned earlier, it\u2019s both thin and light.<\/p>\n I\u2019d definitely classify the Waldan Heritage Sportline<\/em> as a dress watch. That said, it has enough modern, sporty accents to make it a versatile piece. You can wear it just as easily with jeans and a polo as you can with a blazer or even a full suit.<\/p>\n With a 5 ATM water resistance rating, I\u2019d recommend keeping it away from the beach. That, though, is just for the sake of peace of mind. I\u2019m pretty sure it could survive that.<\/p>\nThe man you\u2019ve never heard of, but definitely should have<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>The new Waldan<\/h2>\n
Andrew\u2019s design, the Heritage \u2013 consisting of Professional and Sportline sub-collections \u2013 pays homage to his father\u2019s design language, but with Andrew\u2019s unique twist on it.<\/p>\nThe Heritage Sportline \u2013 first impressions<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\n
For this review, I\u2019ve done my best to show the watch to you as accurately as possible. That said, I\u2019ll admit to a slight defeat here \u2013 my photos don\u2019t quite capture it either.<\/p>\nThe dial and hands<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>The case<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>The movement<\/h2>\n
The strap<\/h2>\n
How does it wear?<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\nDress or sports watch?<\/h2>\n
All in all\u2026<\/h2>\n