Oriosa wristwatch, 1960s

Last Updated on February 1, 2025 by Jason

By chance, I recently bumped into a fellow vintage watch collector. I was in a local shoe repair shop looking to have a leather watch strap repaired (I know I could buy a new one, but the existing one has a lovely patina). Sadly, the strap couldn’t be salvaged, but it led to a long discussion with the shop owner who was also a collector of vintage watches. He showed me, amongst many, a vintage Oriosa wristwatch which he thought dated from the 1960s. I knew nothing of the brand, but it did inspire me to do some investigation, here is what I discovered.

AS 1686 movement

The watch has a Swiss 17-jewel hand-winding movement which according to the owner is working well. The movement is most likely a calibre – AS 1686. The A. Schild 1686 watch movement is a mechanical movement with a manual wind mechanism, sweep seconds function, and the inclusion of Incabloc Shock Protection. The A. Schild 1686 movement was commonly used in watches produced around the 1960s. The movement has a power reserve of 42 hours and a frequency of 18000 VPH.

AS 1686 movement.
AS 1686 movement.

Adolph Schild

Adolph Schild established his company in 1896 in Grenchen, Switzerland. By the 1920s, it had become one of the largest movement manufacturers in the country. Schild was a pioneer in recognising the benefits of mechanised production, which allowed for the creation of standardised, interchangeable components. Schild watch movements earned a strong reputation for their exceptional reliability.

Dial and case

The watch measures 33.5mm in diameter excluding the winding crown and the lugs. The case is plated and has a stainless steel screw-on case back and it is in good condition. The acrylic crystal lens is also in good condition. The signed dial is in its original finish with original hands and centre seconds hand. There is a little light freckling if you look closely.

Vintage Oriosa wristwatch.
Vintage Oriosa wristwatch.

Who made the Oriosa brand?

According to Mikrolisk – The horological trademark index, the trademark “Oriosa” was registered to two European companies:

Trademark Manufacturer Location and Date

Oriosa                   Frey & Co. / Montres Frey SA       Biel, Switzerland; registered on  23.9.1927

Oriosa                   Ostersetzer & Cie.            Vienna, Austria; registered on 26.1.1956

Neither of these manufacturers is a household name. To be honest, I knew little of either, so I did a little research and below is what I have uncovered. Much of the information below was found in unsourced comments in forums, so I cannot verify the information, it is a best-guess scenario.

Frey & Co.

Emil Frey founded Frey & Co. in 1912, but the roots trace back to his father Rudolf’s 1890 partnership with Jules Monnier. Emil joined the family business in 1899, taking over after Rudolf’s death in 1902 and renaming it Fabrique Sigma Emile Frey. Initially based in Bienne, it later merged with Dreyfus & Cie. in 1905. Sigma operated independently until joining United Orbit in 1961.

In 1912, Emil launched Frey & Co., quickly trademarking the Freco brand with its iconic four-sided logo. By the 1920s and 1930s, Freco became a leading name in women’s fashion watches. Emil also registered an early automatic wristwatch movement in 1930, branding it Perpetual, a name later linked with Rolex.

Emil passed suddenly in 1936, with leadership transitioning to Ernst Schneeberger and later Henri Thiébaud, a key hire who married Emil’s daughter, Margrit. Thiébaud led the company during its later years, bringing in innovations and strengthening partnerships with Zenith and Martel Watch Co. Despite its success, Frey & Co. faced changing times with the Quartz Crisis, and in 1974, it was liquidated.

Ostersetzer & Cie.

Ostersetzer & Cie. is a bit more obscure. According to a 2021 interview, the Osteretzer family appears to have been involved in the watch and jewellery business since 1880. It is not clear what their involvement was beyond retail and distribution. In the interview, it is suggested that the company had been an Austrian distributor of what are now the Swatch Group brands, Omega and Tissot, from 1948 to 1984. It is unlikely, that Ostersetzer & Cie. were ever involved in the manufacture of watches. According to Mikrolisk, there was a Swiss-based company, that included the name “Ostersetzer” that may have been associated. This company was known as Blum & Ostersetzer (later Ostersetzer SA). It is quite possible there could have been some relationship between the Swiss and Austrian-based companies that allowed for the distribution of the Swiss-made Oriosa watch in Austria. The modern Ostersetzer & Co. GmbH company still exists, but its website is under construction.

Conclusion

I doubt that records still exist for the Oriosa brand, so the manufacturing source is likely to remain a mystery. Vintage Oriosa watches are available occasionally online and they represent a respectable budget end of the market. I’ll update this post with more information if any becomes available.

Related content

AS 1686 movement at Ranfft

Freco at Grail Watch.

Interview with Martin Ostersetzer of Ostersetzer & Co. GmbH.

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