Oak & Oscar
- Founded
- 2015
- Based in
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- In our catalog
- 3 watches from $1,775 to $2,850
Oak & Oscar is a Chicago brand through and through. Its watches are named after Chicago people and places, its straps come from the Horween leather tannery on the city's North Side, and its founder runs the brand from a small showroom in the city. The "Oscar" is his dog.
History
Chase Fancher founded Oak & Oscar in 2015 after years as a watch enthusiast and collector. The first watch, the Burnham, was named after Daniel Burnham, the architect who planned much of modern Chicago. It was followed by the Olmsted, named after the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the Humboldt GMT, named after Humboldt Park, and the Jackson flyback chronograph, after Jackson Park. Production runs are small and new models are carefully refined over time.
Signature models
- Olmsted 38: A field watch with a sandwich dial (lume visible through cut-out numerals) in a comfortable 38 mm case.
- Humboldt GMT: A travel watch with a second time zone hand and a clean dial.
- Jackson Flyback Chronograph: A flyback chronograph, a complication you rarely see from a microbrand at this price.
What it's known for
Oak & Oscar pays attention to dial textures, lume colors and the leather on its straps, and its watches feel considered rather than rushed. Movements are Swiss and Japanese.
Price and positioning
Oak & Oscar watches cost from about $1,700 to $2,900. Monta (from St. Louis) is the other Midwestern brand in this range, and Farer and Christopher Ward are the British alternatives.
Oak & Oscar watches in our library
- Oak & Oscar Olmsted 38 ($1,775)
- Oak & Oscar Humboldt GMT ($2,175)
- Oak & Oscar Jackson Flyback Chronograph ($2,850)