You may never have used a slide rule. Since the advent of the electronic calculator, few people have. However, before the 70s, slide rules were used for everyday arithmetic, such as calculating ratios, percentages, unit conversions, multiplication, and division. From the mid-century, wristwatches with miniature slide rule scales were used by scientists, engineers, and pilots to calculate things like fuel consumption, airspeed, ground speed, and the rate of climb or descent. Throughout the 60s Slide rule watches were ubiquitous amongst workforces in the burgeoning field of ‘aerospace engineering’, from NASA to General Electric. Ollech & Wajs ‘Selectron Computers’ were amongst the most popular slide rule watches of this period. Back then, the word ‘computer’ described a person who carried out calculations or computations, rather than a programmable machine capable of processing digital data.
OLLECH & WAJS OW P-104 SELECTRON
- Swiss made
- Soprod Newton P092 Automatic (COSC as add on)
- 300 m / 30ATM
- Diameter (excluding crown) 39.5 mm
- Three-year warranty
Dimensions
39.5 mm × 15.8 mm
Case
Brushed 316L stainless steel, screwed back, screw-down crown, rotating bezel slide rule bezel, manufactured in Jura, Switzerland
Glass
Sapphire with anti-glare treatment
Dial
Hands orange Super-LumiNova®, indexes ivory Super-LumiNova®
Water resistance
300m/ 30atm
Movement
Automatic, bespoke Soprod Newton Precision P092; date-only calendar, with semi-instantaneous changes and quick adjustment using the crown; stop seconds; 4Hz 28,800 vibrations per hour; 23 jewels; 44-hour power reserve. The Soprod Newton P092 movement is independently tested for dependability and durability at the internationally renowned Laboratoire Dubois in Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, and has been awarded a Chronofiable® certification. A limited amount of COSC Certified versions will be available as an optional upgrade.
Average Accuracy
+/-5 seconds per day, adjusted in five positions. (COSC version average accuracy +/- in accordance with COSC tolerances).